Emmy Pencil Skirt By: gedwoods http://www.burdastyle.com/projects/emmy-pencil-skirt This pencil skirt is made using the basic skirt or block (see my Technique at http://www.burdastyle.com/techniques/drafting-the-basic-skirt ) under some relatively modest modifications (see associated Instructions ). The skirt was made from wool tweed. My model is my niece, Melina, who requested that I make her a pencil skirt. The skirt shown closes using buttons on the right hand side these are matched by non-functional buttons on the left hand side to make a symmetrical design. In the version for which I ve given instructions, I switched the button panel so that it opens to the back rather than the front, which I think is a better design that the one shown here. Note the two symmetrical slits at the sides these can be lengthened or only one retained to change the look-and-feel slightly. Materials tweed wool, bamberg lining, interfacing, polyester all-purpose thread, buttons Step 1 Begin with basic skirt block or slopere
See my technique Drafting the Basic Skirt (at http://www.burdastyle.com/techniques/drafting-the-basic-skirt ) for details developing the basic skirt block. Use the two separate panels (i.e. redraw them a new sheet of paper by tracing around the outside edge of each panel make sure to mark in the hip line and the Center Front and Center Back). Make sure the two panels are separated far enough apart to add in the seam allowance. The length of the skirt may be varied according to desire I made my version knee length. Step 2 Add Panel for ButtonHolesS
On the seam edge, between the Waist Line and the Hip Line, extend the side seam by 4 cm (1 and 1/2 inches). This panel will be used to fold over the back side edge and buttoned up. Step 3 Add ButtonHoles to PanelS
Add in four button holes of equal length and equal spacing to the panel, halfway across (i.e. 2 cm or 3/4 inch if you used my suggested panel width). Buttonhole length should be determined based on the buttons you used I used buttons that were 5/8 inches (1/2 inch across and 1/8 inches thick). Note that the top button hole should be some distance down from the Line, as a final button will be added to the WaistBand above the panel and the separation between this button hole and the first button down should be roughly equal to the separation between the other button holes. Step 4 The WaistBand The WaistBand is divided into two pieces, one for the Front and one for the Back. The Back piece half the waist measurement long, while the Front piece is half the waist measurement plus 8 cm (3 inches), to match the extended panel of the front piece. I set the width of the WaistBand to 4 cm or 1 and 1/2 inches (the same as the panel width), but for a somewhat different look, you could adopt a wider WaistBand. The WaistBand pieces need to be made twice as wide the required distance, hence 8 cm (or 3 inches) in the case of the values I used. Step 5 Add ButtonHoles to WaistBandS
Add buttonholes of same length as for the other buttonholes, to the pattern for the WaistBand, 2 cm (3/4 inch) in from the end of the Front WaistBand piece. Note that the buttonholes will actually be cut through both thicknesses of the fabric (as well as the interfacing). Step 6 Mark the slitss
You ll need to mark the slit heights. If you followed my suggestions, these would be 8 cm (3 inches) tall on each side seam (points T and U). Step 7 The Button Panel Interfacing In order to stiffen the Button Panel extension, an interfacing piece will be added. This is obtained by tracing over the existing Button Panel extension and the original side seam. Step 8 Add the seam allowancess
If no other variation on the basic pattern is required (for a pencil skirt this is usually the case), are ready to add in the seam allowances. I add a seam allowance of 5/8 inch (1,5 cm). Note that the seam allowance for the button panel interfacing need not extend beyond the continuation of the side seam line, as this side of the interfacing is not generally sewn to the principal fabric. As explained later on, if opt to sew the lining to the main fabric separately for each piece, should extend the seam allowance along the side seam by an additional 1/4 inch (1 cm). Step 9 LayoutS
You ll need to cut the pattern pieces in both the principal fabric and the lining fabric. The special button panel interfacing is cut in the interfacing only, but in addition you will need to cut the waist band pieces in the interfacing as well. If you prefer a little less stiffness in the WaistBand, you could cut the interfacing in half lengthwise, so that only one layer of interfacing is sandwiched between the principal fabric. The diagram shows the layout orientation on the fabric with the grain running vertically. Both the Front and the Back Panels will but cut in such a way that the Center Front and Center Back Lines follow the fold of the fabric. Step 10 Cutting Don t forget to mark the darts and slit height before finalizing the separation of the pattern pieces from the fabric, either using Tailor tacks or some other means as appropriate. Step 11 Assembly - Darts I tend to do the darts as the first item of business. Make sure that the appearance of the darts is symmetrical on both sides of the CF (Center Front) or CB (Center Back) lines, and that they are folded and sewn flat in symmetrical directions (i.e. both towards the sides or both towards the center). Step 12 Assembly - Sewing the lining to the principal fabric Normally this step is done by sewing the two pieces of principal fabric together along both side seams, right sides together, doing the same for the lining, and sew the two pieces together along the top seam (right sides together). For a variety of reasons, I chose to sew the lining fabric directly to the main fabric (right sides together) for both pieces, leaving a small segment along the lower side seam undone so the pieces could be turned inside out to get the wrong sides together as they should be in the finished piece. The advantage of this is that the arrangement of the fabric around the side panels is greatly facilitated the disadvantage is that the two panels must be sewn together at the side seams through four layers of fabric, and this also cuts into the ease a little as well. Ideally, the side seams should have been extended an additional 1/4 inch (1 cm) to accommodate this. Advanced sewers more comfortable with the standard assembly may use the other method, but for Beginners or Low Intermediate sewers, my way is probably easierṡ
Step 13 Assembly - Interfacing the WaistBand Baste the interfacing to the inside or wrong side of the WaistBands, as appropriate for each piece, Front and Back. Remember to baste 3/8 inch (1 cm) from the edge, so that when you trim the fabric later you will cut away the basted section. Step 14 Assembly - Finishing the WaistBand Sections Now fold the WaistBand sections back along their central fold, right sides together, and sew down both ends, turning the corner at the bottom slightly. When these are turned through wrong sides together, they should close around the side seams with a clean and finished seam at the ends. Now finish the WaistBand Sections by tucking the final edge underneath and sewing in the ditch of the previous seam line used for the seam on the front side. For more details about how to do this, refer to the Brigham Young video on finishing cuffs http://128.187.22.184:4984/sewingvideos/filefolder/manshirt10-large%20.mp4, which uses the same principle. Step 15 Assembly - The ButtonHoles Once you ve finished sewing the lining to the main fabric, right sides together and leaving a small section along the side seam unsewn, trim away the excess seam allowance fabric and pull the lining and fabric through this unfinished segment and push and pull the fabric so that you can lay it flat out to each seam use a pressing iron to get the seams as flat as possible. Now sew in the ButtonHoles on the two Button Panel extensions, and on the ends of the Front WaistBand. Once you have cut the ButtonHoles out, you should be able to sew in the buttons on the other side as appropriate. Note that it is not necessary to cut a ButtonHole on the WaistBand on the non-functional side the button may simply be sewn on top of the fabric in the right place. Step 16 Assembly - Sewing the side seams Now you are ready to sew up the side seams, from the top of the slits to the bottom of the Button Panels. This is done by pinning the Front and Back Panels, right sides together, at each side seam and sewing these together. If you added the 1/4 inch (1 cm) seam allowance extension, then you will sew at this distance from the edge, otherwise you will need to sew as close to the edge as you can manage while still ensuring there are no gaps in the sewn edges. Step 17 Assembly - Finishing the side seams For the side where the buttons are to be non-functional, sew the Button Panel on the Front Panel to the corresponding part of the Back Panel, in a stitch that runs around the edge of the Button Panel some 1/4 inch (1 cm) in. You may choose to topstitch this to make it a design feature in my case, the tweed wool used tends to hide the seams and I made a seam with low visibility. Since you made ButtonHoles on both sides, however, you can finish the look by doing up the buttons on the non-functional side. Step 18 Hem If necessary to finish the skirt, you might need to add a hem at the bottom. I turned the hem edge over twice to make a clean hem, but other hemming techniques might also be used. Step 19 Finished skirts
Here is the finished skirt note that in the photograph, the Button Panel opens forward rather than behind, as these instructions recommend. Emmy Pencil SkirtS