Corset Waist Pencil Skirt
A women's denim pencil skirt with a high corset-style waist: upper panels joined to the skirt by a pointed seam, princess seams front and back, a centre front closure with four buttons and a zip fly, and double topstitching throughout.
When To Wear
- Every day with a tucked-in shirt, T-shirt or fitted knit top.
- In spring and autumn with a short jacket or cardigan that leaves the high waist visible.
Key Design Features
Silhouette: Fitted pencil shape from a high waist over the hips, slightly narrowing towards the hem.
Length: Above the knee.
Waist: Extended corset-style waist. Its top edge dips to a point at centre front and centre back; a seam with a matching point separates the upper panels from the skirt. The top edge is finished with a facing and double-topstitched. Four belt loops sit on the princess seams.
Front: Centre and side panels, each in an upper and a lower part, joined by princess seams. The centre panels form a front seam.
Closure: At centre front: an 8 cm zip fly with a curved topstitched line, and four buttons on the upper part; buttonholes on the fly, buttons on the underlap.
Back: Centre back seam, princess seams and the same upper and lower panels as the front; a slit at the hem of the centre back seam.
Finishing: All panel seams, the centre seams and the top edge carry double topstitching 0.1 cm and 0.7 cm from the seam; the slit edge is stitched 0.1 cm from the edge; hem turned 2.5 cm and topstitched.
Level Of Difficulty
Intermediate. Many panels to match at pointed seams, a zip fly, buttonholes, double topstitching on denim, a back slit.
Fabric Recommendations
Denim.
Additional Supplies
Cutter's Must
- Center Upper Back – 2 pieces
- Center Lower Back – 2 pieces
- Side Upper Back – 2 pieces
- Lower Side Back – 2 pieces
- Right Center Upper Back (the right center upper front) – 1 piece
- Left Center Upper Back (the left center upper front) – 1 piece
- Right Center Lower Front – 1 piece
- Left Center Lower Front – 1 piece
- Side Upper Front – 2 pieces
- Lower Side Front – 2 pieces
- Back Facing – 1 piece
- Left Front Facing – 1 piece
- Right Front Facing – 1 piece
- Belt-Loop – 1 piece (strip, cut into loops)
- Button Catch – 1 piece
Sewing Instructions
- Stitch the center upper backs and side upper backs to the matching lower parts (center lower backs and lower side backs), press the seam allowances upwards and overlock them. Topstitch with a double row of stitching 0.1 cm and 0.7 cm from the seam. Stitch the princess seams of the back, press the seam allowances towards the center and overlock them. Topstitch with a double row of stitching 0.1 cm and 0.7 cm from the seam.
- Overlock the center back edges. Stitch the center back seam from the top down to the slit mark. Clip the seam allowances at the mark. Press the seam allowances above the slit to the left side and press the slit. Topstitch with a double row of stitching 0.1 cm and 0.7 cm from the seam from the top down to the slit, then break the stitching and continue along the left side of the slit. Topstitch the right side of the slit 0.1 cm from the edge.
- Overlock the center edges of the right and left center lower fronts together with their cut-on facings. Stitch the center front seam from the hem up to the start of the fly and press the seam allowances towards the right side seam. Topstitch with a double row of stitching 0.1 cm and 0.7 cm from the seam.
- Press the fly on the right center lower front to the wrong side. On the left part, press under the seam allowance 1 cm, leaving a step. Stitch the zip to the left side close to the edge, with the teeth right against the fold. Overlock the long and lower edges of the button catch. Place the button catch, opened out, under the edge of the zip allowance on the left side and stitch the cut-on facing to the button catch close to the zip stitching. Lay the front flat and straighten the edge of the opening. Match the center front lines and baste. Stitch the free zip tape to the cut-on facing of the right part without catching the skirt front.
- Overlock the center edges of the right and left center upper back pieces (the center upper fronts). Stitch the center upper fronts and side upper fronts to the matching lower parts, press the seam allowances upwards and overlock them. Topstitch with a double row of stitching 0.1 cm and 0.7 cm from the seam. Stitch the princess seams of the front, press the seam allowances towards the center and overlock them. Topstitch with a double row of stitching 0.1 cm and 0.7 cm from the seam.
- Stitch the side seams of the skirt. Press the seam allowances towards the back and overlock them.
- Stitch the side seams of the back facing and front facings and press the seams open. Overlock the outer edge of the facing. Stitch the facing to the cut-on facings of the front. Place the facing on the skirt, right sides together, and stitch along the upper edge. Trim the seam allowances at the corners and turn the facing to the wrong side.
- Topstitch the right front along the zip following the marks, stopping 3 cm above the lower end of the zip. Close the zip and continue the topstitching with a curve at the end of the zip, catching the button catch. Topstitch with a double row of stitching 0.1 cm and 0.7 cm from the upper edge of the skirt.
- Overlock the hem allowance of the skirt, press it to the wrong side and topstitch.
- Overlock one long edge of the belt-loop strip. Fold the other long edge in and cover it with the overlocked edge. Topstitch two parallel rows 0.1 cm from the edges. Cut the strip into belt loops. Stitch the belt loops to the princess seams at the marks.
- Work buttonholes on the fly and sew the buttons on the button catch to match.
