Pencil Skirt with Side Insets
Introducing a sophisticated women's pencil skirt pattern, distinguished by its elegant high-waist design and unique contoured side insets that define a sleek, body-skimming silhouette.
When To Wear
This versatile pencil skirt is an essential addition to a professional wardrobe, perfect for:
- Professional & Office Attire: Ideal for daily office wear, business meetings, and professional presentations.
- Formal & Elegant Events: a refined choice for business dinners, networking events, or semi-formal gatherings.
- Sophisticated Daily Wear: Easily styled for elevated casual outings or smart-casual occasions.
Key Design Features
Silhouette: a classic pencil silhouette, fitted through the hips and tapering gently to a below-the-knee hem.
Waist: Features a wide, contoured high-rise waistband at the sides and back; at the center front the skirt panel rises in one piece into the waistband line, finished with a facing.
Front: Incorporates distinctive curved side gores that create elegant topstitched style lines, complemented by topstitched waist darts for shaping.
Back: Designed with a center back seam with a topstitched slit at the hem for ease of movement, and topstitched darts for a tailored fit.
Closure: a discreet invisible zipper is seamlessly integrated into the center back seam.
Level Of Difficulty
Intermediate. Involves precise dart and gore construction, decorative topstitching, invisible zipper application, and a clean-finished contoured waistband.
Fabric Recommendations
Choose woven skirt fabrics with a structured drape and a hint of stretch for optimal comfort and fit:
- Suiting fabrics made from natural or blended fibers with elastane
- Gabardine with elastane
Additional Supplies
- Fusible interfacing
- Invisible zipper
Cutter's Must
- From main fabric:
- Back Skirt – 2 pieces
- Front Skirt – 1 piece (on fold)
- Gore – 2 pieces
- Front Skirt Facing – 1 piece
- Waistband – 4 pieces
- From fusible interfacing:
- Waistband – 2 pieces
- Front Skirt Facing – 1 piece
Sewing Instructions
- Fuse interfacing to the designated pieces. Fuse the center back edge at the top of the slit to prevent stretching.
- Stitch the darts on the Back Skirt. Trim the dart folds with an overlocker and press towards the center. Topstitch along the dart at 0.5 cm.
- Overlock the center back seam allowances separately. Stitch the center back seam from the zipper mark to the slit mark. Overlock and press open the seam allowances. Topstitch along the slit at 0.5 cm.
- Stitch the Gores to the Front Skirt. Overlock the seam allowances and press towards the center. Topstitch along the seams at 0.5 cm. Stitch the Back Skirt to the front (side seams). Overlock the seam allowance and press towards the back. Topstitch along the seam at 0.5 cm.
- Stitch the outer Waistband pieces to the Front Skirt and Back Skirt. Press the seam allowance upwards. Insert the invisible zipper.
- Stitch the darts on the Front Skirt. Press the dart folds towards the center. Topstitch along the dart at 0.5 cm, gradually tapering off.
- Stitch the Front Skirt Facing to the inner Waistband pieces. Press the seam allowances open. Overlock the lower edge. Place the inner waistband on the skirt, right sides together, and stitch along the top edge. Turn the inner waistband to the wrong side and press. Attach the center back ends of the waistband to the zipper tape. Topstitch along the top edge at 0.5 cm. Topstitch along the bottom waistband seam at 0.5 cm for decorative and securing purposes.
- Overlock the hem edge. Press the hem allowance to the wrong side and topstitch.
