How to sew a pencil skirt - step by step instructions

Sewing the skirt itself to the floor or the sun skirt is quite simple. This does not require patterns, special drawings, etc. Sewing a pencil skirt is a little more difficult, but it also looks much prettier and more attractive. The advantage of self-sewing a skirt of this type is that such a skirt will meet all your parameters, which means that it will sit perfectly on you, perfectly fit your waist and hips. We will consider all the nuances of self-sewing a skirt of this type in this article.

What does a pencil skirt look like

A pencil skirt is a stylish item in every girl's wardrobe. This is a skirt that completely hugs your figure, its length usually reaches the knees or slightly below. Since a pencil skirt is considered office wear, its length, according to the canons of the office dress code, most often covers the knees. It looks very feminine, the legs visually become longer, and the silhouette is clearer. A pencil skirt looks great in a casual wardrobe too. You can wear it with blouses and jackets, as well as with plain tops and turtlenecks.

How to cut a pencil skirt

To make the right pattern, which completely depends on how the product will sit on you, you need to measure the parameters of your figure. First you need to tie any braid or thick thread on your waist, all other parameters will come from it.

Next, we measure the waist (OT - waist circumference) and hips (OB - thigh circumference). In addition to the basic parameters, 5 more measurements are required.

• (DSP): the distance from the waist to the floor from the front side.
• (Dsb): the distance from the waist to the floor from the side.
• (Dsz): the distance from the waist to the floor from the back side.
• (Dia): the distance from the waist to the most convex point of the buttocks.
• (Du): The length of the skirt is measured from the waist in front.

In this case, it is better to immediately calculate the PHB - the half girth of the hips and the half girth of the waist (POT). These values ​​are equal to half of the OB and OT parameters, respectively.

The pattern is always based on the so-called baseline, which includes three horizontal lines (waistline, hips and bottom of the garment) and two vertical (side seams of the skirt).

A drawing is then built on this grid, as indicated in the figure below.

The triangles in the pattern of the skirt (undercuts) on the top are needed so that the skirt fits snugly around your figure and tapers from the hips to the waist.

Remember that you need to leave a couple of centimeters so that the skirt fits the figure freely:

• along the hips - 2 cm;
• along the waistline - 1 cm.

The patterns for the back and front of the skirt are, of course, different.

How to sew a high-waisted pencil skirt

If you want to sew a high-waisted pencil skirt, then you need to position the pattern so that there is still enough space above it. To the already drawn pattern, you need to add 4-6 centimeters, which will tightly fit your waist. Don't forget to reserve seams and waistband. If you plan to make a skirt without a belt, but with a lock, then you need to leave a margin of only 1 centimeter for the hem of the fabric.

The video below provides detailed instructions for sewing a high-waisted pencil skirt.

How to sew a knitted pencil skirt

Knitwear is a very pliable but stretchable fabric. When sewing, it is best to use needles to secure the pattern to the fabric. Otherwise, after cutting, parts of the future skirt may have uneven edges, which will add difficulties when joining them.

At the same time, a knitted skirt is easier to sew than from other materials.

The front and back of the pencil skirt are exactly the same. There is no need to do darts at the waist.

You can draw a pattern directly on the fabric.
To do this, you need to use the following parameters:

• hip girth;
• waist circumference;
• length of the product;
• hip height;
• The width of the belt.

1. First of all, you need to draw a horizontal line, the length of which is equal to the half-girth of the hips.
2. Lay a line vertically equal to the length of the product plus 3 centimeters at the seams.
3. From above we measure the height of the thigh, and the width of the belt is not included in this parameter.
4. Then we calculate the parameter of the waist half-girth. This will be the top-most line in the pattern and draw rounded lines towards the waist from the hip-width line. For clarity, the figure below shows a pattern.

The parameters of this pattern are as follows:

• waist circumference - 74 centimeters;
• hip girth - 100 centimeters;
• thigh height - 26 centimeters;
• length - 52 centimeters;
• belt width - 4 centimeters.

How to sew a leather pencil skirt

If you decide to sew a pencil skirt out of leather, then it is best to choose natural leather. Artificial material can deteriorate very quickly. It is worth considering that not every machine can handle leather material. Special needles are also used in the sewing machine. In this case, the skirt should not be stretched, but have a loose fit.

Below is a video on how to sew a leather skirt correctly.

How to sew a pencil skirt with an elastic band

A pencil skirt with an elastic band is one of the easiest ways. To do this, add 4-10 centimeters to the finished product at the top, depending on the width of the selected elastic band. If the fabric is not heavy, then a 3 cm wide elastic will do. In this case, 7-8 centimeters are added to the pattern. First, the finished product must be tucked at the waist by 0.5 centimeters and stitched from the inside. Then tuck in 3 centimeters (the width of the elastic) plus 0.5-1 centimeters at the seams. In addition, the resulting "pocket" should be slightly wider than the elastic so that you can easily insert it. Sewing the "pocket", you need to leave 10 centimeters in order to insert the elastic inside. Only then is the seam of the belt sewn up to the end.

How to quickly sew a pencil skirt

There are other, easier ways to sew a pencil skirt without resorting to complicated drawings. Below is a video instruction for express sewing a pencil skirt.

How to sew a pencil skirt without a pattern

1. To do this, you need to cut off a rectangle of fabric, which is equal to the width of the hip girth plus 5-6 centimeters for allowances. The length of the rectangle is equal to the length of the product plus 1-2 centimeters for the folds. The skirt will have one seam at the back. We immediately insert a secret zipper into it and sew it with a black seam (manually).
2. Next, lay out the resulting blank with the wrong side and measure the middle on the front of the skirt.
3. We put aside 7-10 centimeters in each direction along the upper edge of the skirt - these are two future darts. The width of the dart should be 2 centimeters at the top (that is, a fold of 1 centimeter wide), towards the bottom the dart decreases. The length of the darts also varies from 6 to 10 centimeters.
4. The back darts have a length equal to the distance from the waist to the coccyx. But their width in the upper part is 6-8 centimeters, that is, the fold on top is about 4 centimeters.
5. After you "acquire" the grooves, be sure to try on the skirt.

These are the main features of building a pencil skirt without a pattern. Next, you need to make all the darts the same and start sewing the skirt on a typewriter, starting with the zipper. Don't forget to style the waistband and bottom seam nicely.

How to sew a belt to a pencil skirt

1. To do this, you need to cut a strip, the length of which is equal to the waist along the top edge of the skirt. The width depends on which belt you want.
2. Overfold one side, and attach the strip to the skirt face to face, bending 1 centimeter over the edge of the zipper.
3. Next, make a seam, retreating 1 centimeter from the cut.
4. After that, you need to try on the skirt and also sew the strip from the front side, bending the edge by half a centimeter.
5. You can fasten the belt with a button or crochet.

How to insert a liner into a pencil skirt

The lining should be 2-3 centimeters shorter than the length of the skirt so that it cannot be seen. The lining is sewn according to the same pattern and processed separately from the details of the skirt. Sweep all parts of the lining, overlock the edges, check that the lining fits well on your figure. After that, do the same with the skirt. The lining is connected to the skirt only in the belt line. First you need to sweep the entire skirt with lining, and then sew on a belt or elastic band.

How to hem a pencil skirt

The video below provides a description of how to correctly hem a pencil skirt. After all, to make the bottom of the skirt look even, its front and back parts initially have different lengths. After the product fits the figure, the bottom line of a well-tailored skirt should be equally flat both in the front and in the back.

How to lengthen a pencil skirt

1. To lengthen the pencil skirt, you must first loosen the bottom seams.
2. Then measure the width of the blade from seam to seam. If the pencil skirt is made from a single piece of fabric and has only one seam, then you need to cut a rectangle of the same width and appropriate length. It is imperative to attach a new canvas from the inside out. When doing this, make sure that there is no trace of the previous seam on the fabric.
3. Overlock the edges and your long pencil skirt is ready.

How to shorten a pencil skirt

1. To do this, turn the skirt inside out and measure the excess length from the bottom edge. You need to do this to the circle, connecting the resulting points. If the pencil skirt had a slit, but you need to repeat it on a new product. Your skirt may no longer need a cut when cropped. In any case, you should be comfortable walking and moving in it.
2. Carefully cut off any excess fabric.
3. Close the hem on the sewing machine.

How to decorate a pencil skirt

It is possible to decorate a pencil skirt in different ways and details. On the top or bottom seam, you can sew in matching ruffles or flounces. By the way, a pencil skirt with flounces is a very stylish and elegant wardrobe item that is suitable not only for work, but also for leisure. Also, a pencil skirt is decorated with patch pockets or inserts from another fabric. Inserts into the side or along the bottom seam of the skirt are possible. In rare cases, a belt is made from a different fabric.

There are also more intricate elements of the decor of the pencil skirt. An example is shown in the photo below. It is not difficult to make such skirt decorations, but then the style of the skirt can no longer be called strict, and wearing it will most likely be appropriate for walks and parties.

How should a pencil skirt sit

The pencil skirt should fit like a glove. At the same time, while walking, she should not bully or jam.

Pay attention to how the back seam looks when walking. It is created so that you can take your natural step, but at the same time the seam should not trivialize the look of the skirt. It is important that the lining is not visible when walking.

That being said, the main feature of a well-tailored pencil skirt is that it doesn't wrinkle or wrinkle as it transitions from the hips to the waist. This is why the pencil skirt has darts at the top. The skirt should not sag in the front and back. At the level of the buttocks, the skirt should also sit tightly, hugging the figure. Otherwise, the pencil skirt will look like a straight skirt that does not accentuate the curves of the figure.