Pleated Back Pencil Skirt
This made-to-measure sewing pattern creates a sophisticated pencil skirt, distinguished by its structured front and back yokes, elegant back pleats, and a sleek, tailored silhouette.
When To Wear
This skirt's refined design makes it a versatile choice for:
- Professional Settings: Ideal for office wear, business meetings, and smart-casual work environments.
- Formal & Semi-Formal Occasions: Perfect for dinners, cocktail parties, or events requiring an elegant ensemble.
- Everyday Chic: Pairs beautifully with blouses or knitwear for a polished daily look.
Key Design Features
Silhouette: a classic knee-length pencil silhouette, gently contoured to flatter the figure.
Waist: High-waisted design, featuring a distinct, shaped yoke at both the front and back for a refined finish.
Back: Enhanced with elegant vertical relief seams that flow into precisely constructed pleats, adding subtle volume and ease of movement at the hem.
Front: Features a clean, unembellished front panel, perfectly complemented by a structured yoke.
Closure: a discreet invisible zipper is seamlessly integrated into the center back seam.
Length: Finishes gracefully at or just below the knee.
Level Of Difficulty
Intermediate. Requires precise seam matching, accurate construction of yokes, and confident insertion of an invisible zipper and back pleats.
Fabric Recommendations
Choose suiting materials that offer structure and a good drape for a polished finish:
- Thin suiting fabrics made from natural or blended fibers
Additional Supplies
- Fusible interfacing
- 1 invisible zipper
Cutter's Must
- From main fabric:
- Central back – 2 qty
- Middle back – 2 qty
- Side back – 2 qty
- Front – 1 qty
- Back yoke – 4 qty
- Front yoke – 2 qty
- From fusible interfacing:
- Back yoke – 2 qty
- Front yoke – 1 qty
Sewing Instructions
- Reinforce the yokes with fusible interfacing.
- On the central and middle back panels, stitch the princess seam together with the vent. Press seam allowances towards the center and overlock. Stitch a topstitch along the seam at 0.7 cm, topstitch the vent seam allowances onto the central according to the technical drawing.
- On the middle and side back panels, stitch the princess seam together with the vent. Press seam allowances towards the center and overlock. Stitch a topstitch along the seam at 0.7 cm, topstitch the vent seam allowances onto the middle according to the technical drawing.
- Overlock the center edges of the back separately on each piece, simultaneously overlocking the vent. Stitch the center edge from the zipper mark to the vent corner and the vertical edge of the vent. Press open the seam allowances, pressing the slit for the fastener, press open the vent seam allowances, forming a pleat. Topstitch the vent seam allowances onto the back according to the technical drawing. Insert the zipper.
- Attach the back yoke to the back, press seam allowances upwards. Stitch a topstitch along the seam at 0.7 cm. Attach the front yoke to the front, press seam allowances upwards. Stitch a topstitch along the seam at 0.7 cm.
- Stitch the side edges, press open and overlock the seam allowances.
- Stitch the side edges of the inner yokes. Overlock the bottom edge. Fold the yoke with the skirt right sides together and stitch the top edge. Topstitch the seam allowances onto the inner yoke at a distance of 0.2 cm from the stitching seam. Fold the facings to the wrong side and press. Fold the center edges of the inner yoke and sew to the zipper tape. Topstitch the inner yoke into the seam of attaching the outer yoke.
- Overlock the bottom edge of the skirt, press to the wrong side and hem with blind stitches.
