How To Draft A Basic Skirt Pattern

What is a basic skirt pattern?

The basic skirt pattern (also called the pencil skirt pattern) is one of the most important sewing patterns for dressmaking. You can use it to make just a simple skirt, or change (open and close) the darts to create new designs. This way you can make an A-line skirt, flared skirt or even culotte pants. You may add pleats, folds, flounces or gathers to the whole skirt or just a part of it to make the design more interesting. By sewing the skirt to a bodice, you make a dress. The possibilities for making your wardrobe more interesting with this simple skirt are simply endless. Moreover, you can easily start drafting yourself.

This is a sewing pattern I would recommend for all beginners. Start with drawing the pattern and using a woven fabric to try it out. You can either sew the FRONT and BACK pattern piece together or just pin it.

Once you manage to make a basic skirt pattern based on your body measurements, you will be able to make any new design that will fit you.

This page contains:

• Taking body measurements
• How to use the basic skirt calculator?
• Basic skirt sewing pattern calculator
• Tools for drawing the basic skirt pattern
• Step-by-step instructions for drafting the basic skirt pattern block
• Half-size basic skirt pattens for practising pattern alternations

Taking body measurements

To take body measurements for the basic skirt sloper, you will need the following tools:

• tape measure
• elastic bands for marking the waist and hips
• pen and paper (to write down the measurements)

1. Waist circumference

Make sure you measure your waist at its most narrow part (the natural waist). This is important for the correct placement of the skirt waist and prevents the skirt from dropping downwards and misplacing the hips of the skirt.

Place an elastic band on your natural waist. It will help you find the most narrow part of your waist and simplify taking further measurements.

2. Hip circumference

Measure your hip at its widest part. This measurement is necessary for wearing the skirt comfortably.

Place an elastic band on this part of your hips. However, make sure it does not move while you take the next measurement.

3. Waist to hip length

Measure the distance (length) between your natural waist and widest hip. This is when the elastic bands come in handy – you know exactly where you have measured the waist and hips.

4. Skirt length

From you natural waist measure the required skirt length.

A knee-length skirt is ideal for drafting the pattern. It is easy to draw and modify. If you wish to make a full length-skirt design, later on, you can easily prolong the side seams and center FRONT and BACK of the sewing pattern later on.

How to use the basic skirt pattern calculator?

Enter your body measurements you have taken according to the previous steps and click or tap “Calculate”.

The result will be two patterns for the basic skirt block. The first one has one dart at the FRONT and the BACK. The second one has two darts at the FRONT and BACK pattern pieces. You can also combine these patterns. You can combine the one-darted FRONT and two-darted BACK pattern for example.

Basic skirt block calculator

Sewing pattern dimensions for your basic skirt block

How to make the basic bodice pattern step-by-step

To draw the pattern itself, please prepare all the necessary tools and follow the steps below.

You will need the following:

• large sheet of paper or tissue paper
• pencil
• long ruler
• French curve ruler or flexible curve ruler

You will use the French curve ruler or flexible curve ruler to draw the curved side seam between the waistline and hipline.

How to draft the basic skirt pattern step-by-step

In the steps below you will find, how to draw a one-darted pencil skirt pattern. If you’d like to draw a two-darted pattern, draw the corresponding markings at waist based on the calculator results above.

1. First, draw a rectangle based on the calculated values. The bottom of the rectangle is the hem of the skirt pattern. The top will be the skirt waist and the rectangle height will be the skirt length. Also, draw markings that indicate the future side seams and hip line (see the image below).

a = skirt length

b = waist to hip length

c = (hip circumference + ease at hip)/4

d = (hip circumference + ease at hip)/4

a

b

c

d

2. Draw a vertical line passing the marking at the bottom. This line is the future side seams of the skirt. Also draw a horizontal line passing the marking on the left side of the rectangle. This line indicates the hip line (see the image below).

3. Label the individual parts of the pattern: centre FRONT, centre BACK, hip, waist, hem and side seams (see the image below).

4. Draw markings on the waist FRONT and BACK according to the calculator results. These markings indicate the placement of the darts and the side seam at the waist (see the image below).

FRONT

a = 2,5 cm (1”)

b = (waist circumference + ease at waist)/8

c = (waist circumference + ease at waist)/8

BACK

d = 2,5 cm (1”)

e = (waist circumference + ease at waist)/8

f = (waist circumference + ease at waist)/8

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A 0 cm (0”) ease at waist is recommended for this type of skirt.

b

c

a

e

f

d

5. Draw the centre of the darts at the FRONT and BACK. Also, draw vertical lines at the waist side. (see the image below).

a = 10 cm (4”)

b = waist to hip length + 1,2 cm (waist to hip length + 1/2”)

c = waist to hip length + 1,2 cm (waist to hip length + 1/2”)

d = 13 cm (5”)

a

c

d

b

6. Draw the legs of both darts (see the image below).

7. Using a French curve or flexible ruler, draw the curved part of the side seams (see the image below).

8. Using a French curve or flexible ruler, draw the curved part of the waist. Your basic pattern is ready (see the image below).

Do not forget to add seam allowances and hem allowances before cutting the pattern pieces.

Half-size basic skirt pattens for practising pattern alternations

You can download printable half-size basic skirt patterns (A4 format) and practise pattern alternations like: moving darts, adding darts or adjusting their shape. Further adding pleats, gathers, flounces or other decoration. The darts of these patterns are a little different from the ones at the instructions above. They were made to fit my half-size dummy.

DOWNLOAD

DOWNLOAD

Working with the basic skirt sloper

If you are just beginning with making your own dress patterns, you might find the following publication by Adele P. Margolis useful. It will teach you how to alternate basic blocks (like the basic skirt sloper in this tutorial to make a different skirt type) to make your own designs (click here to read my review).