Boule Skirt
A flattering skirt pattern featuring a unique paneled construction that creates a subtle, rounded 'boule' silhouette.
When To Wear
This versatile skirt offers an elegant aesthetic, making it a perfect choice for:
- Everyday Elegance: Its comfortable yet refined silhouette suits daily wear with a touch of sophistication.
- Office & Professional Settings: The polished design is appropriate for a chic and professional work wardrobe.
- Special Occasions: The unique shape and luxurious drape make it suitable for dressed-up events or social gatherings.
Key Design Features
Silhouette: a distinct 'boule' shape, gently rounded through the hips and mid-section, tapering subtly towards the hem for an elegant line.
Waist: no separate waistband: the upper edge is finished with a bias binding for a smooth, flat appearance.
Construction: Constructed with multiple vertical panels and princess seams that define the skirt's unique rounded shape.
Closure: a concealed zipper in the center back seam, secured with a hook & eye at the ends of the binding. A slit at the lower end of the center back seam allows ease of movement.
Length: a chic midi length, falling gracefully below the knee for a sophisticated look.
Hem: a hand-stitched hem; the lining is 2 cm shorter than the skirt.
Lining: Fully lined for comfort, enhanced drape, and a professional interior finish.
Level Of Difficulty
Intermediate. Requires skills in precision seaming, zipper insertion, bias binding, and lining assembly.
Fabric Recommendations
Choose lightweight skirt fabrics that offer elegant drape:
- Silk
- Other lightweight skirt fabrics
Additional Supplies
- Lining fabric
- Fusible interfacing (for the slit allowances)
- Zipper (inserted as a concealed zipper)
- Hook & eye
Cutter's Must
- From main fabric:
- Front-Back Gore – 3 pieces (1 cut on fold for the center front, 2 for the center back)
- Skirt Gore – 4 pieces (front and back side panels)
- Waistband (bias binding for the upper edge) – 1 piece
- From lining fabric:
- Front-Back Gore – 3 pieces (1 cut on fold for the center front, 2 for the center back)
- Skirt Gore – 4 pieces
- From fusible interfacing: strips for the seam allowances along the edges of the back lower slit.
Sewing Instructions
- Iron fusible interfacing to the seam allowances along the edges of the back lower slit (fusible interfacing is ironed to the wrong side of the piece with a strongly heated iron).
- Stitch the center back seam between the zipper opening mark and the lower slit mark. Press the seam allowances open. Press the seam allowances along the edges of the zipper opening and the slit to the wrong side.
- Stitch the zipper so that the teeth are not visible.
- Stitch the front and back princess seams (Front-Back Gores to Skirt Gores), as well as the side seams. Press the seam allowances open.
- On the lining pieces, stitch the seams. Insert the lining into the skirt, wrong side to wrong side, baste to the upper edge of the skirt, turn under and sew to the zipper tapes.
- Trim the seam allowance at the upper edge of the skirt to a width of 8 mm. Bind the upper edge of the skirt with the bias binding (Waistband piece). Fold the binding in half lengthwise, right side out, and press. Unfold it flat again. Turn one long edge towards the pressed fold and press. Turn the second long edge towards the pressed fold, stopping 2 mm short of it, and press. Fold the binding again along the center fold. Insert the upper edge of the skirt between the halves of the binding, butting the raw edge against the center fold, with the wider half of the binding on the lining side. Pin the outer half of the binding, turn under the ends of the binding and stitch them closed, baste the binding and edge-stitch. Sew a hook and eye to the ends of the binding.
- Press the hem seam allowance of the skirt to the wrong side and sew by hand. Sew the slit edge allowances to the hem allowance. Hem the lining so that the lining is 2 cm shorter than the skirt.
