How to sew a pencil skirt - step-by-step instructions

Sewing a full-length skirt or circle skirt yourself 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 more beautiful and attractive. The advantage of sewing this type of skirt yourself is that such a skirt will meet all your parameters, which means it will fit you perfectly and fit perfectly around your waist and hips. We will consider all the nuances of sewing a skirt of this type on your own 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 to 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 also looks great in your everyday wardrobe. You can wear it with blouses and jackets, as well as with regular plain tops and turtlenecks.

How to cut a pencil skirt

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

Next, measure your waist (OT - waist circumference) and hips (OB - hip circumference). In addition to the main parameters, 5 more measurements will be required.

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

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

The pattern is always based on the so-called basic grid, which includes three horizontal lines (waist line, hip line and hem) and two vertical lines (side seams of the skirt).

A drawing is then constructed using this grid, as shown in the figure below.

The triangles in the skirt pattern (darts) on the top are needed to ensure that the skirt fits your figure tightly and tapers from the hips to the waist.

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

• along the hip line - 2 cm;
• along the waist line - 1 cm.

The patterns for the back and front parts 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, 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 fit your waist tightly. Don't forget to leave extra for the seams and waistband. If you plan to make a skirt without a belt, but with a zipper, 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 pencil skirt from knitwear

Knitwear is a very pliable but stretchy fabric. When cutting, it is best to use needles to attach the pattern to the fabric. Otherwise, after cutting, parts of the future skirt may have uneven edges, which will add difficulty when connecting them.

At the same time, it is easier to sew a skirt made of knitwear than from other materials.

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

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

• hip circumference;
• waist circumference;
• product length;
• hip height;
• belt width.

1. The first step is to draw a horizontal line, the length of which is equal to the half-circumference of your hips.
2. Place a line vertically equal to the length of the product plus 3 centimeters for the seams.
3. We measure the height of the hip from above, and the width of the belt is not included in this parameter.
4. Then we calculate the half-waist circumference parameter. This will be the topmost line in the pattern and draw rounded lines to the waist from the hip width line. For clarity, the figure below shows a pattern.

The parameters for this pattern are as follows:

• waist circumference - 74 centimeters;
• hip circumference - 100 centimeters;
• hip height - 26 centimeters;
• length - 52 centimeters;
• The width of the belt is 4 centimeters.

How to sew a leather pencil skirt

If you decide to make a pencil skirt from leather, then it is best to choose genuine 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 should have a loose fit.

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

How to sew a pencil skirt with elastic

A pencil skirt with an elastic band is one of the easiest ways. To do this, you need to add 4-10 centimeters to the finished product at the top of the pattern, depending on the width of the selected elastic band. If the fabric is not heavy, then an elastic band 3 centimeters wide 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 it in 3 centimeters (the width of the elastic) plus 0.5-1 centimeter for the seams. In addition, the resulting “pocket” should be slightly wider than the elastic so that you can easily insert it. When stitching the “pocket”, you need to leave 10 centimeters in order to insert the elastic inside. Only after this is the seam of the belt sewn up completely.

How to quickly sew a pencil skirt

There are other, easier ways to sew a pencil skirt without resorting to complex 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 a rectangle of fabric that is equal to the width of your hip circumference 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 hidden zipper into it and sew it with a black seam (by hand).
2. Next, lay out the resulting workpiece with the wrong side and measure the middle on the front of the skirt.
3. We set 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 point (that is, the fold is 1 centimeter wide), the dart decreases towards the bottom. 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 belt to the tailbone. But their width at the top is 6-8 centimeters, that is, the fold at the top is approximately 4 centimeters.
5. After you “make” the darts, be sure to try on the skirt.

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

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 circumference along the upper edge of the skirt. The width depends on what kind of belt you want.
2. Fold one side over and place the strip face to face on the skirt, folding 1 centimeter over the edge of the zipper.
3. Next, make a seam, retreating 1 centimeter from the cut.
4. After this, you need to try on the skirt and also sew a strip on the front side, bending the edge by half a centimeter.
5. You can fasten the belt with a button or hook.

How to insert a lining into a pencil skirt

The lining should be 2-3 centimeters shorter than the length of the skirt so that it is not visible. The lining is sewn using the same pattern and processed separately from the skirt parts. Baste 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 at the waist line. First you need to baste the entire skirt with the lining, and then sew on a belt or elastic.

How to hem a pencil skirt

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

How to lengthen a pencil skirt

1. To lengthen a pencil skirt, you must first unravel the bottom seams.
2. Then measure the width of the fabric from seam to seam. If the pencil skirt consists of a single piece of fabric and has only one seam, then you need to cut a rectangle of the same width and suitable length. The new fabric must be stitched from the inside out. At the same time, make sure that there is no trace left on the fabric from the previous seam.
3. Finish the edges with an overlocker and your long pencil skirt is ready.

How to shorten a pencil skirt

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

How to decorate a pencil skirt

You can decorate a pencil skirt in different ways and with different details. You can sew ruffles or flounces that suit your style along the top or bottom seam. By the way, a pencil skirt with flounces is a very stylish and at the same time elegant wardrobe item that is suitable not only for work, but also for leisure. The pencil skirt is also decorated with patch pockets or inserts made of another fabric. Inserts into the side or bottom seams of the skirt are possible. In rare cases, a belt is made from a different fabric.

There are also more intricate decorative elements for a pencil skirt. An example is shown in the photo below. It’s 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 fit?

A pencil skirt should fit like a glove. At the same time, it should not ride up or become jammed while walking.

Pay attention to how the back seam looks when walking. It is designed to allow you to take your natural step, but the seam should not detract from the look of the skirt. It is important that the lining is not visible when walking.

At the same time, the main sign of a well-tailored pencil skirt is that it does not gather or wrinkle as it passes from the hips to the waist. This is why the pencil skirt has darts at the top. The skirt should not sag in front or back. At the level of the buttocks, the skirt should also fit tightly, hugging the figure. Otherwise, the pencil skirt will look like a straight skirt that does not highlight the curves of your figure.