High-Waisted Button-Front Pencil Skirt
A sophisticated women's sewing pattern for a high-waisted pencil skirt, defined by its prominent button-front placket and functional patch pockets.
When To Wear:
- Professional Settings: Ideal for office wear, business casual, or formal meetings.
- Smart Casual Outings: Perfect for elevated everyday style, brunches, or daytime events.
- Transitional Styling: a versatile piece suitable for pairing with blouses in spring or knitwear in autumn.
Key Design Features
Silhouette: a classic pencil skirt, shaped to flatter with a slim, straight fit.
Waist: Features a structured, high-waisted design with a fitted waistband for a defined look.
Front Closure: a distinctive center-front placket with a full-length button closure.
Pockets: Functional patch pockets are strategically placed on both the front and back panels.
Back: Includes a center back seam, shaping darts, an invisible zipper closure, and a practical back vent for ease of movement.
Length: Designed to fall gracefully to a midi length, typically below the knee.
Level Of Difficulty
Intermediate. Requires skills in zipper insertion, constructing a button placket, and attaching patch pockets.
Fabric Recommendations
Choose structured, mid-weight fabrics that hold their shape well and drape elegantly:
- Dense dress fabrics made from natural or blended fibers (e.g., gabardine, twill, denim, linen blends)
Additional Supplies
- Fusible interfacing
- 1 invisible zipper
- 6 buttons
Cutter's Must
If the patterns have a double contour, the patterns include seam allowances. If the contour is single, the patterns do not include seam allowances. Seam allowances: all seams 1 cm. Allowance for the upper edge of the pocket – 3 cm; Allowance for the lower edge of the front, back panels and placket – 3 cm. Attention! First of all, print out the paper patterns and lay them out on the fabric width (fabric width can be from 90cm to 150cm) to determine how much material you will need. When stitching pieces, pay attention to the notches - they must match!
- From main fabric:
- Back – 2 pieces
- Front – 2 pieces
- Placket – 1 piece
- Side – 2 pieces
- Waistband – 2 pieces
- Pocket bag – 2 pieces
- Pocket – 2 pieces
- From fusible interfacing:
Sewing Instructions
- Fuse interfacing to the waistband pieces.
- Stitch darts on the back pieces, press depths towards the center.
- Press the allowance of the upper pocket edge to the wrong side, turn under and topstitch. Overlock pocket edges, press allowances to the wrong side. Place the pocket according to markings on the back and topstitch.
- Place the pocket bag on the front and stitch the pocket opening. Clip allowances at curves, turn the pocket bag to the wrong side, topstitch allowances to the pocket bag with a 0.1 cm seam and press. Place the front on the side according to markings. Stitch the pocket bag to the side, overlock allowances. Secure the pocket bag to the front along the upper and side edges.
- Stitch side seams, press allowances towards the back and overlock.
- Press waistband pieces in half lengthwise, right side out. Attach the outer side of the waistband to the upper edge of the skirt, press allowances towards the waistband.
- Attach the placket to the front panels and waistband, press allowances towards the placket, overlock and topstitch 0.1 cm from the attachment seam.
- Overlock the center edges of the back separately. Stitch the center seam from the zipper mark to the slit mark, press allowances open. Insert the zipper. Along the slit, make a decorative-securing stitch 0.5 cm from the fold.
- Overlock the edge of the inner waistband. Topstitch the inner into the attachment seam of the outer waistband.
- Overlock the lower edge of the skirt, press to the wrong side and topstitch.
- Sew buttons onto the placket.
