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Sarah pencil skirt: Sewing Instructions

note

Due to the lack of a zipper, vent and other options in Sarah, Penelope might be a better pattern for a skirt to sew. Blocks are used as basic garments that are then modified to decorative and functional elements for a final garment.

Notes and tips​

Garment rise​

This block defaults to sitting at the natural waist. The waist drop option may be used to move the garment waistline down toward the hips.

Fit​

Pencil skirts are tight. Unless Sarah is to be sewn directly on the wearer, stretchy fabric, a zipper, or both should be used to allow the wearer to don and doff the garment.

Zipper​

By default, a zipper may be added to one of the side seams. The cut on fold options allow the zipper to be placed on the front or back center.

Vent​

Without a vent, a stretchy fabric is recommended to allow the wearer a more comfortable stride.

Darts​

Darts are used to compensate for the difference between your waist and the ease added for comfort. The number of darts in patterns depend on style, there are often four darts in the back, and two darts in front as in this pattern.

Construction​

warning

This does not go into a full explanation on how to create all the individual details that make up a basic skirt block and modifications to be made from there (get the excellent ‘Metric Pattern Cutting for Women’s Wear, 6th Edition’ by Winifred Aldrich). These instructions assume that you know how to sew a dart, insert an invisible zipper, etc. If not, there are numerous excellent articles available on the web, both in written form, and on video. If you do get stuck, you can always reach out to other FreeSewers in our discord.

Step 1: Darts​

  • Sew all the darts.
  • Press the darts towards the back.
    • For the back piece(s), that means you press the darts towards each other.
    • For the front piece, that means you press the darts towards the side seams.

Step 2: The zipper​

  • With , sew the seam that has the zipper leaving the top open for the zipper.
  • Insert the zipper into the seam following the procedure that is appropriate for the type of zipper you’re using.
note

If using a different closure, construct it during this step.

Step 3: Sew the side seams​

  • With , sew up both the side seams.
  • With , if not the zipper seam, sew the centre back seam either completely or down to the vent if included.

Step 4: The lining (Optional)​

You can skip this step if not making a lining.

  • Follow Step 1 - 4 to construct the lining with the following changes:
    • Adjust the darts to compensate for the extra ‘ease’ in the lining pieces.
    • Do not include the zipper but leave the opening in the zipper seam.
  • Attach the lining to the body in your preferred way. You will need to construct the vent during this and connect the lining to the zipper.
note

How to distribute the extra ‘ease’ is up to you. You can either add it to the darts by increasing them. Or you can add another dart or box pleat in the middle.

warning

If you prefer to insert the zipper with the main and lining fabric as one, you will need to omit inserting the zipper until this step.

Step 5: The hem​

  • If desired, face the hem.
  • Press under the hem allowances of the skirt.
  • If hem is large enough and/or the fabric press under a small amount along the top, this will help to prevent fraying.
  • Secure the hem in place with your preferred method. For instance you can sew from the outside or from the inside. This comes down to how you want the finished product to look.
tip

If the seam allowances are big enough you can sew the hems as narrow hems. This is especially useful if your fabric is prone to fraying.

Step 8: Enjoy!​

  • Now all that’s left to do is to enjoy the new skirt!