k's 3 Panel Vintage Skirt

After reading all the responses on Gertie's Blog for Better Sewing (Thanks Carolyn!) to the question of whether or not one's wardrobe was more than 30% dresses, I got to thinking....and thinking hard about how attached I really am to my Mom Uniform of Jeans and a T shirt day in day out.  Many of the women responding indicated that they never wore pants, largely because skirts were the winning combination of comfortable and more stylish (with the added benefits that they are MUCH easier to fit and similarly MUCH easier to make.)

So why do I, owner of 30 skirts not wear them?  I think the only answer that is strictly true is habit.  So maybe I ought to change that.  Last summer I started trying to wear more skirts and I was fairly successful after the addition of my pale blue tiered skirt (First item I actually put my tag in that I made for ME!) and a few other A-line types.


While Winter is getting out her last gasps, I am ready to have some Spring, so the sewing for said season has begun.  (As an aside, I really haven't sewn a whole lot for myself since the beginning of the whole boxpleat adventure...when you work at what you love, what you love becomes...at least on some level, work.  It is a pitfall that is difficult to avoid.)  On Saturday, the girl and I went to the glorious Dongdaemun which is perhaps my favorite experience of Korea.  I instructed her that we were buying fabric for Skirts and that is exactly what we did.  Her skirt is likely to appear here later, but not yet.  This is what I began when we got home.

I loved the idea of this fabric in a BIG skirt.  I should have gotten more, but that made me creative and it was totally worth it....I'll explain later.

I have often observed that what I like best about vintage clothing is the attention to detail...the little things that take longer but add a lot of punch to a design.  I decided this fabric needed piping, so there it is.  I did this piping with half a strip from a jelly roll, but I will tell you now, that wasn't quite enough for comfort.  The edge left over wasn't as wide as the seam allowance I wanted to use.  So I would have been happier with more, but I didn't have it so, oh well.  If you are going to try it though, you will need a decent sized piece of contrast!  (Especially since the ideal piping is cut on the bias....yeah I really am that chintzy.)  This design has piping on both top and bottom of the waistband and at the pocket openings.  If you don't do piping, this skirt could be made in about an hour I suspect.  (Well maybe not if you want to hand stitch the hem, but you can do THAT in front of the TV so maybe you don't need to count that anyway!)

The basic design is this:
Cutting
1. Cut 3 pieces of fabric, selvedge to selvedge the length you want the skirt plus the hem depth you want plus seam allowance. L+H+5/8. I made this version out of 2 yards of the main fabric, but as you can see, my hem had to be faced with the contrast fabric so it wouldn't be too short.  I recommend giving yourself a bit more "slack;"  Do as I say, not as I do. ;)  Also remember a good hem depth will give a BIG skirt some weight at the bottom so it hangs better.
2. Cut a length for the waistband (same direction as the skirt pieces.)  This should be the desired width of the waistband times 2 plus seam allowances (2 or 4 if you are doing piping.)  2W+2(5/8) or 2W+4(5/8) for piping, split it again.  (No piping stays in one piece.)
3. Trim the waistband piece to your waist measurement including seam allowances (on both ends!)ease and desired overlap.  There are calculations for necessary ease etc which I don't know heheh, but consider your comfort, remembering that you were probably sucking in a bit when you measured, that you might be eating a big dinner when you wear it, AND that you don't want it to fall off or gap.  The desired overlap will depend on what kind of closure you want to do at the waist....big fancy buttons require more space than trim little skirt hooks. W+2(5/8)+E?+O

Sewing
1. Serge or otherwise finish one edge (cut off the selvedge) on 2 panels.  Make sure that you examine your fabric design.  If it is directional, you need to make sure that the edges you choose will meet up....so when you sew these two pieces together, some of the cute little owls you picked aren't roosting upside down!  If you want you can finish ALL the edges.  You will be tempted to just use the selvedge.  I won't judge you if you do (I have done it) but you should be aware that it may shrink differently than the rest of your fabric so might look puckered later.

2. Sew these two panels together, using your longest stitch (5) for the length of the zipper you are using.  Back stitch at the bottom of the zipper length, change to a regular stitch length (2.5-3) and sew to the end.  Press the seam open.
3. Put in your zipper.  (If you don't know how to do this, there are lots of great tutorials on the ubiquitous YouTube.  A few thoughts though: Line up the zipper coil right along the center of the pressed open seam.  I always pin on both sides towards the coil.  If you have been frustrated with zippers in the past, consider basting.  YouTube taught me, after years of zippers, that if you get a zipper longer than you need you can leave the excess above the top of your project so you don't have to deal with the tab under your zipper foot.  Trust me, THAT was a revelation.  It cut down distinctly on the swearing and improved the look dramatically.)  Since this is located in hte back, a centered application is probably called for, but you can do either style.
4. Sew the 3rd panel to the free edges. Finish the edges here if you didn't do this already.
(4.5)Pockets: If you put pockets here they are going to fall to the sides of the front. A basic pocket bag is just a folded rectangle of fabric attached to the seams for part of its length, and to itself for the rest.  You need to keep it out of the way as you finish the rest of the skirt seam.
5. Gathering.Use your largest stitch and sew along the top seam allowance in a continuous line.  Add another line 1/4 inch  above that.  You pull the bobbin/back thread for gathering.  Go slowly and a little carefully so you don't break the threads. ;)  (I usually mark centers, quarters etc on both skirt and waistband so my gathers are easier to distribute evenly.)  The gathered skirt panels should be pinned to one layer of the waistband.  Remember that your overlap (and seam allowances) shouldn't have any skirt attached to them. ;)
(5.5)Piping waistband: Before you pin the gathered panels on, sandwich the piping between your two waistband pieces, raw edges all lining up.  If your waistband  is wide, you may want to include some good interfacing, if it is very narrow you may not need it.  Decide which is the "outside" of your waistband and baste a second row of piping to the bottom, keeping the raw edges together.  When you pin your gathered panels to the waistband it should line up with the raw edges of the piping.  You can use the basting line to guide your seam.

6. Waistband. Press the seam allowance in on the loose (long) edge of the waistband.  Fold the waistband, right sides together with the folded edge of the seam allowance lining up with where the gathered edge is attached.  Sew the short ends on your seam allowance, back stitching at the ends.  Turn the waistband right side out, making sure to get your corners poked out.  You can attach the back of the waistband by hand, catch stitching the folded edge to the seam line, or you can pin or baste carefully and top stitch from the front.  Put the closure of your choice.  (I have to admit that not a single skirt I made as a teenager ever sported any closure but a safety pin. hehe.
7. Hem.  As I mentioned earlier, a good hem can help a skirt hang better.  I like to hand hem, but you could also do this on the machine.  You should be sure the raw edge of the hem is finished or rolled under before you hem.

Whew, it is MUCH harder for me to explain how to do this than it is to just do it.  Sigh!  I can see why the YouTube video tutorial is becoming such a popular format!  I welcome questions and suggestions for clarity. ;)  And, yes, I will try to put some pics in some time, but if you read often you know pictures are always my down fall. hehehehe k.