Tulip Skirt with Draped Pleats and Button Tab
A knee-length women's tulip skirt, full at the hip and narrowing to the hem, with pleats on the fronts, slanted side pockets and a front zip fly. The waist is finished with a faced band carrying belt loops, through which a buttoned tab is threaded across the front.
When To Wear
- At the office with a tucked-in blouse or fine knit.
- Spring and autumn, with tights and ankle boots or court shoes.
Key Design Features
Silhouette: Tulip shape: volume from the pleats at the hip, tapering towards the hem.
Length: Knee length, hem serged, turned up and topstitched.
Front: Two front panels joined by a centre front seam. On each panel, pleats are laid and basted at the waist, and a dart is stitched 8 cm down from the waist, then spread to both sides as an inverted pleat and topstitched 0.2 cm on each side of the dart seam.
Closure: Zip fly with an interfaced fly facing and fly shield, topstitched on the right front, bar-tacked at the end, and a button at the waist.
Pockets: Slanted side pockets, the opening edged with a topstitched trim piece; pocket bags in lining fabric attached to a side piece.
Back: Two back panels with darts, a centre back seam and a vent at the hem.
Waist: No separate waistband: outer and inner interfaced facings, topstitched 0.5 cm from the upper and lower edges. Belt loops are caught at the upper edge of the skirt and topstitched over the facing. A two-layer tab, topstitched 0.5 cm from the edge, is threaded through the loops and buttoned at both ends.
Level Of Difficulty
Intermediate. A zip fly with a fly shield, slanted pockets with bags, pleats formed from a stitched dart, a faced waist and a back vent.
Fabric Recommendations
Fabrics of natural or blended fibres.
Additional Supplies
- Lining fabric (pocket bags)
- Fusible interfacing (waist facings, fly facing, fly shield, vent allowances)
- Zip
- 3 buttons
Cutter's Must
- From main fabric:
- Front Right Skirt – 1 piece
- Front Left Skirt – 1 piece
- Back Skirt – 2 pieces
- Back Facing – 2 pieces
- Left Skirt Facing – 2 pieces
- Right Skirt Facing – 2 pieces
- Pocket Trimming – 2 pieces
- Fly Piece – 1 piece
- Button Catch – 1 piece
- Side – 2 pieces
- Belt Trimming – 2 pieces
- Belt-Loop – 1 piece
- From lining fabric:
- Bigger Lining – 2 pieces
- Smaller Lining – 2 pieces
- From fusible interfacing: Back Facing, Left Skirt Facing, Right Skirt Facing (upper facings of the front and back), Button Catch.
Sewing Instructions
- Fuse interfacing to the Back Facing, Left Skirt Facing and Right Skirt Facing pieces, the Fly Piece, the Button Catch and the vent allowances.
- Stitch the darts on the Back Skirt pieces and press them towards the center. Lay the pleats on the front pieces and baste them along the upper edge. Stitch the front dart down 8 cm from the upper edge. Spread the dart fullness evenly to both sides to form an inverted pleat. Topstitch 0.2 cm from the dart seam on both sides.
- Place the Pocket Trimming right side up on the right side of the front, lay the Bigger Lining (pocket bag) on top and stitch. Fold the trimming allowance inwards and topstitch. Turn the pocket bag to the wrong side and press. Stitch the Side to the Smaller Lining. Overlock the seam allowance and press it towards the lining. Stitch the Smaller Lining and Bigger Lining together.
- Attach the Fly Piece to the Front Right Skirt. Stitch the center front seam of the fronts, starting at the end of the fly, overlock the edge and press it to the left. Press the fly to the wrong side. Align the zipper with the center edge of the Front Left Skirt and stitch. Stitch the free zipper tape to the fly on the right front. Fold the Button Catch in half lengthwise, wrong sides together, and stitch the long and short lower edges. Overlock the open edges of the Button Catch. Stitch the Button Catch into the zipper seam on the left front. Bartack the end of the opening on the right side of the skirt. On the wrong side, join the lower ends of the fly and the Button Catch. Topstitch the fly along the marked line on the Front Right Skirt.
- Overlock the center back edges of each Back Skirt piece separately, including the vent. Stitch the center back seam from the top to the vent. Press the seam allowances towards the left side. Press the right edge of the vent under by 1 cm and topstitch. Secure the vent allowances with a line of machine stitching from the right side.
- Stitch the side seams. Press the seam allowances towards the back and overlock.
- Fold the Belt-Loop strip in half lengthwise and press. Turn the raw edges inwards and stitch 2 parallel lines 0.1 cm from the edges. Cut the strip into belt loops. Mark the belt loop positions and stitch them to the upper edge of the skirt.
- Stitch the side seams of the facings (Back Facing, Left Skirt Facing, Right Skirt Facing), press the seam allowances open. Overlock the lower edge of the inner facing. Stitch the inner and outer facings together along the ends and upper edge. Stitch the outer facing to the skirt. Press the seam allowance towards the facing. Stitch in the ditch of the facing seam, catching the inner facing at the same time. Topstitch 0.5 cm from the upper and lower edges of the facing. Fold the belt loops up, turn under the allowance and topstitch.
- Place the Belt Trimming pieces right sides together and stitch, leaving an opening. Notch and trim the seam allowances, turn right side out, press and slipstitch the opening closed. Topstitch 0.5 cm from the edge. Make buttonholes on the Belt Trimming.
- Overlock the lower edge of the skirt, press the hem allowance to the wrong side and topstitch.
- Make the buttonhole on the skirt and sew on the buttons.
- Thread the Belt Trimming through the belt loops and button it.
