There are certain clothing pieces that I strongly believe belong in every girl's closet. Closet staples. Those pieces that are timeless and can be worn 100 different ways, and for many different occasions. Pencil skirts do just that for me.
I realized a few weeks ago that the black pencil skirt in my closet had been there since 9th grade and much to my dismay, was
beginning to look it! Haha! I decided it was time to toss the skirt and replace it. I've had a hard time finding a basic black pencil skirt in stores, though, that has been long enough for my liking. So, I decided to whip one up out of some black polyester blend fabric I've had sitting in my fabric bin for a long time.
Pencil skirts are incredibly simple to make, but so crazy useful in your wardrobe! I have a full tutorial below so that you can make some for yourself, and I've included pictures of me wearing mine 3 different ways- just to give you a glimpse of all that you can do with this closet staple!
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Before you start, cut out your pattern pieces -- SKIRT FRONT, SKIRT BACK, OPTIONAL SKIRT LINING 1 & 2, and WAISTBAND. Typically when I am creating my pattern pieces, I will grab something with a similar shape from my closet to act as my guide. Use the above picture as a general guide for what your pattern pieces should look like, and note the direction of the stretch.
Step 2. Sew these four pieces together along both sides, as pictured.
Step 3. With right sides together, fold your WAISTBAND piece in half length-wise and sew. **TIP: Make sure your waistband is slightly smaller than your actual waist opening on the skirt. This will create the right amount of stretch and "cinch" in at the waist and help avoid gaping.**
Step 4. Turn WAISTBAND right-side-out again and fold the piece in half height-wise. Pin the WAISTBAND piece to the top of your skirt (right side), with the open ends matching up to the raw edge and the fold of the WAISTBAND extending down over the skirt (see picture for reference). Sew.
Step 5. Turn your skirt inside out and hem to desired length (just SKIRT FRONT and SKIRT BACK, I left lining pieces raw edged). **TIP: When hemming knits, I typically use a walking foot and use a small zig-zag stitch to help maintain the stretch and avoid breaking thread upon wear of the garment. These two things will also help to minimize waviness at seams and hems.**
To finish, turn your skirt right-side-out and press seams, hems, and waistband Add any desired top-stitching.
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