Hipster Skirt with Front Flounce
A women's maxi denim skirt on a deep shaped hip yoke, with stitched-down pleats on the front and back, single-welt pockets and a centre front opening edged with cascading flounces.
When To Wear
- In spring, summer and autumn with a fitted T-shirt, shirt or knit top tucked in or worn short.
- With flat sandals or boots for daytime and travel.
Key Design Features
Silhouette: Fitted through the hip yoke, falling straight to the ankle from the stitched pleats.
Length: Maxi, with an uneven hem that drops to points at the front opening.
Waist: Deep interfaced yoke sitting on the hips, with no separate waistband; the top edge is faced with a second yoke and topstitched 0.2 cm from the edge.
Front: Separate left and right front panels and yokes; centre front zip topstitched on the right side, closed at the yoke with a button and buttonhole.
Skirt: Vertical pleats on the front and back panels, stitched down and topstitched; below the zip the centre front opens, and its edges carry two flounces with the edges serged and topstitched 0.5 cm.
Pockets: Two single-welt pockets on the front panels, with the pocket bags topstitched to the skirt.
Back: Back yoke and two back panels joined by a centre back seam topstitched 0.5 cm from the seam.
Finishing: Seams serged; hem turned and topstitched 0.5 cm from the fold.
Level Of Difficulty
Intermediate. Single-welt pockets, a centre front zip, stitched pleats, a faced yoke and flounces attached along the front opening.
Fabric Recommendations
Denim.
Additional Supplies
- Fusible interfacing (back yoke, left and right front yokes)
- Zip
- Button
Cutter's Must
From main fabric:
- 1. Pocket Bag – 2 pieces
- 2. Pocket Facing – 2 pieces
- 3. Back Yoke – 2 pieces
- 4. Back Skirt – 2 pieces
- 5. Left Front Skirt – 1 piece
- 6. Right Front Panel – 1 piece
- 7. Left Front Yoke – 2 pieces
- 8. Right Front Yoke – 2 pieces
- 9. Flounce – 2 pieces
- From fusible interfacing: Back Yoke, Left Front Yoke, Right Front Yoke (the facing set).
Sewing Instructions
- Fuse interfacing to the facing set of yokes: Back Yoke, Left Front Yoke and Right Front Yoke.
- Mark and press the pleats on the Left Front Skirt and the Right Front Panel. Stitch the pleats down. Make the pleats on the Back Skirt in the same way.
- Stitch the centre back seam of the Back Skirt and serge it. Press the seam towards the right half and topstitch 0.5 cm from the seam.
- Stitch the Right Front Yoke to the Right Front Panel. Stitch the Left Front Yoke to the Left Front Skirt. Press the seams towards the yokes. Serge the centre front edges of the Right Front Panel and the Left Front Skirt.
- Mark the pocket position on the Right Front Panel and the Left Front Skirt with three lines: one lengthwise line that sets the direction of the pocket and is the stitching line, and two crosswise lines that set the pocket width. Fold the Pocket Facing (welt) lengthwise in half, wrong sides together, and press. Check that its width is even along the whole length and mark the line for stitching it to the skirt. Place the Pocket Facing on the right side of one Pocket Bag layer, aligning the raw edges, with the bag extending equally beyond both ends of the welt. Baste, then stitch the Pocket Facing together with this Pocket Bag layer to the skirt along the marked line; the Pocket Facing lies between the skirt and the Pocket Bag. Place the second Pocket Bag layer on the right side of the skirt, right side down, with its edge butted against the welt seam, and stitch. Remove the basting. Cut the pocket opening, clipping diagonally into the corners 1–1.5 cm from each end. Turn the Pocket Bag through the opening to the wrong side and fold the welt into its finished position. Baste and press the welt seam. Secure the pocket ends with a double row of stitching from the wrong side and stitch around the Pocket Bag. Serge the Pocket Bag and topstitch it to the skirt. Remove the basting.
- Serge the lower edge of the Flounce and press it onto the Flounce. Topstitch the allowance 0.5 cm from the edge.
- Stitch a Flounce to the Right Front Panel and to the Left Front Skirt. Serge and press the seam.
- Press the centre front seam and topstitch. Insert the zip and topstitch on the right side.
- Stitch the side seams joining the front and Back Skirt. Serge the side seams and press them towards the Back Skirt.
- Stitch the side seams of the interfaced yoke facings and press them open. Serge the lower edge of the yoke facings. Place the yoke facing on the outer yoke, right sides together, and stitch along the upper edge of the skirt. Press the seam allowances onto the interfaced yoke facing and understitch 0.2 cm from the seam, then press. Stitch the yoke facing in place along the yoke seam. Turn under the centre front edges of the yoke facing and hand-stitch them.
- Serge the lower edge of the skirt, press it up and topstitch 0.5 cm from the fold.
- Make a buttonhole on the right front and sew a button on the left front.
