Short Denim Skirt
A women's denim mini skirt with a front fly zip, a curved centre front insert, vertical single-welt pockets and cargo patch pockets with side gussets and flaps. The waistband is gathered on a cord threaded through eyelets.
When To Wear
- In spring and summer with T-shirts, shirts and sneakers.
- With tights and boots in cooler weather.
Key Design Features
Silhouette: Straight, mini length, with darts on the back.
Waist: Interfaced waistband folded in half, with a cord threaded through it and out through eyelets on the front to gather the waist; it closes with one button and a buttonhole.
Closure: Front fly zip with an interfaced fly shield; the centre front seam is topstitched 0.5 cm from the seam.
Front: A curved insert at the lower centre front, attached to each front half and topstitched 0.5 cm from the seam.
Pockets: Two vertical single-welt pockets on the upper front, reinforced with stay tape. Two cargo patch pockets on the sides, each with a side gusset, edges topstitched 0.2 cm, top edge topstitched 1.5 cm and bar tacks at the lower corners; a flap above each, topstitched 0.5 cm from the attachment seam.
Back: Two halves with a centre back seam topstitched 0.5 cm from the seam.
Finishing: Hem turned up and topstitched.
Level Of Difficulty
Intermediate. Fly zip with fly shield, single-welt pockets, gusseted patch pockets with flaps, eyelets and topstitching on denim.
Fabric Recommendations
Denim.
Additional Supplies
- Fusible interfacing (waistband, fly shield, pocket stay tape)
- Zip for the fly
- 1 button
- 4 eyelets
- Cord for the waistband
CUTTER'S MUST
From main fabric:
- Front Skirt Inset – 2 pieces
- Patch Pocket – 2 pieces
- Flap – 4 pieces
- Pocket Side – 4 pieces
- Front Skirt – 2 pieces
- Back Skirt – 2 pieces
- Smaller Pocket Lining – 2 pieces
- Bigger Pocket Lining – 2 pieces
- Off-Set Welt – 2 pieces
- Button Catch – 1 piece
- Waistband – 1 piece
- From fusible interfacing: Waistband, Button Catch, Off-Set Welt; stay tape for the welt pocket openings (a 4 cm wide strip, 2–3 cm longer than the pocket opening).
Sewing Instructions
- Fuse fusible interfacing to the Waistband and the Button Catch.
- Mark and stitch the darts on the Back Skirt. Press the darts towards the centre back.
- Stitch the Front Skirt Inset to the Front Skirt. Overlock the seam allowances and topstitch 0.5 cm from the seam.
- Mark the position of the welt. Fold the Off-Set Welt in half, right sides together, and press. Stitch the ends of the welt, trim the excess fabric at the corners and turn the welt right side out. Press the finished welt.
- Reinforce the welt pocket position on the Front Skirt with fusible stay tape. On the welt, mark the line for stitching it to the skirt, checking the width. Place the welt, right side up and folded edge down, on the right side of one of the pocket linings, matching the raw edges, with the lining extending equally beyond both ends of the welt. Place the welt on the Front Skirt, matching the marked lines, and stitch it on; the welt lies between the Front Skirt and the pocket lining. Press the seam allowances of the welt and lining towards the welt. Place the other pocket lining on the right side of the Front Skirt, right side down, its edge butted against the welt seam. Baste it and stitch 0.8–1 cm from the welt seam. Check from the wrong side that the stitching lines of the welt and lining are parallel. Remove the basting. Cut the pocket opening, making diagonal cuts into the corners 1–1.5 cm from each end. Turn the welt and pocket linings through the opening to the wrong side and ease out the edges. Secure the pocket ends from the wrong side with a double backstitch across the base of the triangles. Stitch and overlock the pocket linings together. Baste the welt to the front and press. Topstitch the ends of the welt. Remove the basting.
- Overlock the side edges of the Front Skirt and Back Skirt. Stitch the side seams and press them open.
- Mark the position of the Patch Pocket. Overlock and press the outer edge of the Pocket Side pieces. Stitch the Pocket Side pieces to the Patch Pocket and overlock the seams. Overlock the upper and lower edges of the pocket. Press the upper and lower edges to the wrong side. Topstitch the upper edge of the pocket 1.5 cm from the edge. Baste the pocket in place and topstitch the Pocket Side 0.2 cm from the edge, stopping 2–2.5 cm from the end. Topstitch the lower edge of the pocket 0.2 cm from the edge and make 2–2.5 cm bar tacks at the lower corners of the pocket.
- Place the Flap pieces together in pairs, right sides together, and stitch. Trim the seam allowances at the corners and turn the flaps right side out. Press the finished flaps. Overlock the upper edge of the flap. Stitch the flap to the skirt, turn it down and topstitch 0.5 cm from the seam.
- Stitch the centre back seam of the Back Skirt. Overlock the seam, press it to one side and topstitch 0.5 cm from the seam.
- Overlock the centre front edges of the Front Skirt. Stitch the centre front seam from the slit notch up to the zip notch. Press the seam to one side and topstitch 0.5 cm from the seam.
- Press the cut-on fly facings to the wrong side. On the left side, stitch the zip under the folded edge of the zip allowance, close to the edge. Stitch the free zip tape to the cut-on facing of the right half. Fold the Button Catch in half lengthwise and stitch across its short lower end. On the left half of the skirt, stitch the cut-on facing with the zip onto the Button Catch. Topstitch the right edge of the fly opening, catching the facing.
- Set the eyelets in the Waistband. Fold the Waistband in half lengthwise, wrong sides together, and press. Overlock the lower edge of the Waistband. Stitch the Waistband to the skirt. Stitch across the ends of the Waistband, trim the excess fabric and turn the ends right side out. From the right side, stitch in the ditch of the waistband seam, catching the overlocked edge.
- Overlock the lower edge of the skirt. Turn up and press the hem allowance. Topstitch the hem. Thread the cord through the Waistband. Make a buttonhole on the right end of the Waistband and sew the button on the left end.
