Self-Drafted Poppy Skirt

Skirt back

I know sewing a skirt should be easy, but whenever I sew up a skirt pattern according to my pattern size it doesn't fit.   I assume quite a bit of ease is being added to waist and hip measurements (on top of wearing ease) - does anyone know how much, or how consistently?


So for now I'm making skirts the slow way, with no pattern, just my tape measure and a washable marker pen. 

I made this skirt using a pretty poppy print cotton voile from Tessuti fabrics and an orange-red lining.  My "pattern" was constrained by the amount of voile I'd bought. The skirt front and back are rectangles shaped in a little at the waist, to the length I'd measured would take the border print to my knees. There are two pleats front and back, made of whatever width was excess to my waist and hips. These pleats taper to fit me, sort of as darts would.  There's a (regular) zip at centre back, and to make up for the lack of waistband there's an interfaced inner fabric piece that fits snugly around my waist. To this inner piece the lining is attached - I used A-line skirt shapes cut a few centimetres wider than necessary so I could add some simple fold pleats in the lining corresponding to the position of the skirt pleats.

I'm pretty happy with this skirt - it's a nice light little thing that's perfect for our very warm summer.

Skirt front, viewed upside down

Inner waist & lining

Inside out, front view

Woo hoo!