High waisted pencil skirt pattern

Right .. so you've done your swotting and you're up to speed with how to make a skirt block, and how to then customise that into a pencil skirt shape like this ....

Click  pics to make them big

Making it into a high waisted 'retro' style skirt from this point, couldn't be easier ...  Here's one I made earlier..

High waisted panel skirt with vintage buckle

and another ...

High waisted plain pencil skirt with darts and integral belt

To begin with,  simply determine how high up you want your skirt to go, and measure around that section of your torso.

On your master pattern, draw straight up from the waist, and then remove the difference between what that measures on paper, and your measurement, plus about 2cm for ease.  Take the excess out at the darts, extending them upwards to the top of your skirt like so:

At this point, you might want to make it a panel skirt, in which case, simply extend your darts to the bottom of the skirt - this will make a number of pattern pieces that are sewn together separately instead of sewing in darts.

Shape the top of the skirt, I like mine to slope downwards towards the back and be a little bit pointy in the front, but you can draw whatever shape you like, just play around, have some Blue Peter moments.

When you've finalised your shape, it's time to trace it off as a pattern, adding seam allowances all around.  Decide where you want the opening of the skirt to be - back or side and include that within your pattern.  You also need to include either one back vent if your skirt is back closing, or a couple of side vents if your skirt zips at the side - these are little design details which depend on how you want your finished skirt to look and are entirely up to you - just draw them where you want them, but make sure you include marks, and seam allowances.

The pattern should look something like this complete with balance marks, reference points and grain lines.  You can either make a facing as described in my original pencil skirt post, or you can make a waistband.    It depends how you are going to line and finish your skirt.

The way I lined my latest skirt required a waistband which I didn't account for when making the pattern and so a certain amount of improvisation was required.  This is what I should have done:  

Draw the waistband in where you want it no less than an inch thick (plus seam allowances), 

Separate the waistband from the rest of the skirt - now you have 4 pattern pieces instead of 2.  Trace off the waistband pieces with tracing paper

Then in the same way you made the facing for the pencil skirt, fold out the darts in your tracing paper making 2 separate curved peices, like so...

Trace all of the separate pattern pieces off marking grainlines as you go - as above,  and then add your seam allowances notches and balance marks so that you don't forget how it all goes together.

You might also want to add other details like integral belts and buckles which can be sewn in at the side seams, but you must mark the pattern appropriately in order to get an accurate result.

little belt added to panel skirt attached at the side panels and joined with a vintage buckle.

integral belt added at the side seams

Any questions ?