Contoured Yoke Pencil Skirt
Introducing a sophisticated women's sewing pattern for a sleek pencil skirt featuring distinct contoured yokes and color-blocked panel inserts for a modern, tailored silhouette.
When To Wear
This versatile pencil skirt is ideal for creating polished ensembles suitable for:
- Professional Settings: a refined choice for office wear, business meetings, and corporate environments.
- Smart Casual Occasions: Easily dressed down for stylish daytime events or elevated for semi-formal gatherings.
- Transitional Styling: Its elegant design and fabric recommendations make it perfect for multi-season wear.
Key Design Features
Silhouette: a classic pencil skirt silhouette, fitted through the hips and tapering gently to the hem.
Waist: Features a high-waisted design, accentuated by a contoured waistband.
Yoke & Panels: Distinctive contoured yokes on both the front and back, integrated with contrasting side panel inserts, as seen in the photograph.
Closure: Finished with a center back invisible zipper and a button closure at the waistband for a smooth, clean line.
Back: Includes a sophisticated center back vent (slit) for ease of movement.
Length: Designed to hit around the knee, offering a professional and versatile length.
Level Of Difficulty
Intermediate. This pattern involves precise seaming for contoured yokes and panels, invisible zipper insertion, and constructing a lined vent.
Fabric Recommendations
Select medium-weight woven fabrics with good drape and structure for the main skirt, and a complementary fabric for the inserts:
- Thin wool fabrics (e.g., gabardine, suiting, tweed)
- Natural or blended fibers with similar properties
- Contrasting finishing fabric for the panel inserts
Additional Supplies
- Lining fabric
- Fusible interfacing
- 1 invisible zipper
- 1 button for the waistband
Cutter's Must
- From main fabric:
- Back skirt half – qty 2
- Back yoke – qty 2
- Back insert – qty 2
- Front insert – qty 2
- Front yoke – qty 1
- Front skirt half – qty 1
- Waistband – qty 1
- From lining:
- Front skirt half – qty 1
- Back skirt half – qty 2
- From fusible interfacing: Waistband, vent.
Sewing Instructions
- Attach the back insert to the back skirt half. Press the seam allowances towards the center seam and serge. Attach the back yoke to the back skirt half. Press the seam allowances upwards, serge, and topstitch at 0.1 cm.
- On the left side of the back skirt half, cut 5 cm along the vertical edge of the vent. On both back skirt half pieces, reinforce the vent with fusible interfacing on the wrong side. On the right side, mark the center seam line (the vent fold line). Press the left side along the vent fold line; on the right side, press only the seam allowances of the right vent side (6 cm) to the wrong side. Align the pieces along the center seam and secure at the upper edge of the vent. Serge the center back edge separately on each piece. Serge the vent seam allowances. Stitch the center back edge from the zipper notch to the vent corner. Clip the corner of the vent seam allowances on the right side. Press the center seam seam allowances open, press the vent seam allowances and secure them with machine stitching. Insert the zipper from the upper edge to the notch.
- Attach the front insert to the front skirt half. Press the seam allowances towards the center front and serge. Attach the front yoke to the front skirt half. Press the seam allowances upwards, serge, and topstitch at 0.1 cm.
- Stitch the side edges. Press the seam allowances open and serge.
- Stitch, serge, and press the lining pieces. Fold the darts into soft pleats. Along the center edge of the lining, stitch only the short section between the notch and the vent. Attach the seam allowances for the closure to the zipper tape. Secure the lining to the garment at the upper edge.
- Reinforce the waistband with fusible interfacing. Press the waistband in half lengthwise, wrong sides together. Attach the outer side of the waistband to the upper edge of the skirt, simultaneously finishing the waistband corners. Fold the inner edge of the waistband inwards and topstitch into the waistband attachment seam. Serge the buttonhole and sew on the button.
- Serge the lower edge of the main skirt. Fold, press, and topstitch to the skirt with a blind stitch. Fold the lining hem twice by 1 cm and topstitch.
- Turn the skirt inside out. Secure the main fabric and lining pieces along the center seam, shifting the lining fabric slightly upwards. On the left side of the lining, cut out a rectangle according to the markings and clip the corner. Fold the lining edges and sew them to the sides of the vent.
