How to Make a Skirt Pattern
A Simple Technique for Designing and Sewing Your Own Dress Clothes
Aug 9, 2008
This short to mid-length skirt pattern with a waistband and zipper is easy to create and easy to sew, and you can make it any size you need.
To make the skirt pattern, you’ll need a large sheet of paper, such as tissue paper, cut-open paper bags, or several sheets of paper taped together.
To figure out how much fabric you need, first make the pattern. You need enough fabric to cut out eight sections, plus a strip for the waistband that’s at least 6” wide and a few inches longer than your waist measurement. (You can even use alternating fabric colors to make a cheerleader skirt.)
What You Need
- Large paper
- Pencil
- Soft measuring tape
- Fabric
- Matching thread
- Safety pin
- Straight pins
- Zipper (7-9”)
- Iron
- Sewing machine
Take Your Measurements
- Measure your waist comfortably and round up to the nearest inch.
- To find the top width of each skirt section, divide the waist measurement by the number of sections, eight. (For example, 30” / 8 = 3.75”)
- To find the bottom width, multiply the top width by 3. (For example, 3.75” x 3 = 11.25”)
- Add 1.25 inches (for seam allowance) to the top and bottom widths. (For example, 3.75” + 1.25” = 5”; 11.25” + 1.25” = 12.5”)
- Divide the results in half. These are the measurements you use in making the skirt pattern. (For example, 5” / 2 = 2.5”; 12.5” / 2 = 6.25”)
Make the Pattern
- Trim the paper so that it’s about two inches longer than the length you want the skirt.
- Fold the paper in half lengthwise. Starting from the fold, mark the distance of the top and bottom widths (step 5 of the previous section) at the top and bottom of the paper.
- Connect these two points with a straight line.
- Cut along this line and unfold the paper to complete the skirt pattern.
Sew the Skirt
- Cut out eight sections of fabric using your skirt pattern.
- Match up two of the sections right sides together, then stitch them together along one of the long edges.
- Unfold these sections and place another section right side down on top of one of the first, matching them up and stitching them together along the unsewn long edge.
- Unfold this added section, then keep adding and stitching sections right sides together.
- Press all the seams flat.
Make the Waistband
- Cut a rectangle of fabric that’s 6” wide and just a little bit longer than the top edge of the skirt.
- Fold it in half lengthwise right sides together and stitch across the long edge.
- Turn the waistband right side out using a safety pin.
- Press the waistband flat, then pin it face down to the top of the skirt.
- Stitch the waistband to the skirt, then flip the waistband up and iron the seam flat.
To finish the skirt, pin the two ends right sides together. Baste them together, then add a zipper. Try on the skirt and adjust the length if needed, then hem the lower edge.
The copyright of the article How to Make a Skirt Pattern in Clothing Design is owned by Christy Jones. Permission to republish How to Make a Skirt Pattern in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
