Laurelle Jeans Skirt - instructions
Introduction
This is the first time I've tried to make an instruction. I found it quite a challenge to explain
the things I would sew without even thinking about it. Because of that, I direct you to
Burdastyle's trouser patterns for the instructions about the fly front. I really hope the other
instructions are OK and please let me know if there's anything I should change.
Good luck with making your skirt!
Fit and sizing
I have redrafted my original skirt design according to the sizes in the Burdastyle sizing table.
The pattern is in sizes 34 to 44. Just take your measurements (hip and waist) and check the
Burdastyle sizing table to pick the right size (pick the size that suits your hip measurement
and adapt at the waist if needed). This is ment to be a fitted skirt, while still allowing for
wearer comfort.
The skirt fits to the natural waist (if you want a lower fit, take some centimeters off the top of
the waistband) and is about 57 cm long.
Fabric and notions
fabric 140 cm wide: 1,50 meter for all sizes
fabric 110 cm wide: 1,70 meter for all sizes
This pattern is ideal for jeans fabrics (no real stretch needed), but would also would great in
other sturdy fabrics like thick corduroy.
You will also need a scrap of lining or thin cotton fabric of about 20 by 40 cm.
notions: sewing thread, topstitching yarn (or any other kind or thicker, decorative machine
stitching yarn), 1 zipper 12 cm long, 2 jeans buttons or trouser hooks, fusible interfacing (ask
for a weight that would work with your fabric), packet of cotton biais fold tape, jeans needle
for your sewing machine.
Cutting and interfacing
Seam allowances are included in all pattern pieces. WATCH OUT: the center back seam at
skirt back and yoke, as well as the center front seam (not including the fly) and the seam
between yoke and skirt back have 2 cm seam allowances, instead of the normal 1,5 cm
everywhere else. This is necessary for the flat felled seams in these places (if you're not
making those, you could trim off 0,5 cm already, or do so later).
1 skirt front - cut 2
2 skirt back - cut 2
3 back yoke - cut 2
4 front pocket - cut two in skirt fabric, then cut pattern piece along the curved line and cut it
(without the small corner) out of lining.
5 waistband back - cut 2 on the FOLD (with center back at foldline)
6 waistband front - cut 2 of the entire piece, then cut it along the dotted line and cut 2 more
7 fly flap - cut 1
8 back pocket - cut 2
interfacing: cut 1 back waistband on the fold, 1 front waistband long and 1 front waistband
short and a strip for each back pocket opening (the piece above the marks on the sidesof the
pattern piece). Trim seam allowance off interfacing pieces.
Notes
Before you start sewing, test the topstitching thread in your sewing machine. On most
machines, it doesn't work to put this thicker yarn on the bobbin for the underthread. You
should use quite a long chain stitch with it, so you will have to switch stitch lengths between
sewing and topstitching.
In my original design, I made flat felled seams at center front and back and at the back yoke.
While I think this a great way to finish seams and it looks great in jeans, it can also be
challenging combined with the qualities of topstitching thread I mentioned above. If you
don't want to go to all that trouble, trim and finish the seam allowances normally (take care at
center back, you need those 2 cm at the slit), press them to one side and topstitch. I give the
instruction for flat felled seams the first time they are used, and point back to that later.
Sewing
1 Stitch together skirt back and back yoke. Seam allowance here is 2 cm. When pinning the
curve, make sure to match it up at the marks. Press seam allowances open.
For FLAT FELLED SEAM, cut the seam allowance of the yoke back to between 0,5 a 1 cm,
press skirt seam allowance up over the yoke seam allowance and while doing so, fold under
the raw edge. For a 'normal' flat felled seam, you could now edge stitch along the folded edge
of the skirt seam allowance, encasing the raw edges of both seam allowance. However, this
will be the first topstitching detail on the skirt. If you can't use topstitching yarn as lower
thread (which is very likely), press the flat felled seams very well and then stitch it on the
right side of the fabric. For the real jeans look, make another line of topstitching on the edge
between the two pattern pieces.
If you don't want to use the flat felled seam, trim seam allowance to 1,5 and finish raw edges.
Press both seam allowances up and make a double line of topstitching on right side of fabric,
thereby sewing them in place.
2 Press in seam allowances and interfaced top part of back pocket (if you want to add
decorative stitching, do that first). Position pockets on back skirt pieces (bear in mind the 2
cm seam allowance of the center back seam) and stitch in place using topstitching thread.
3 Stitch center back seam (2 cm seam allowance) until 20 cm above lower edge. This will be
the back slit. Press seam allowance open, and then to the left (left on the right side of the
fabric, so right on the inside, where you are ironing it). One part of the split is now lying over
the other.
If you want to make a flat felled seam, trim underlying seam allowance, and sew a piece of
biais tape around the raw edge of the trimmed slit edge.
Now, make a 1 cm wide vertical hem at the underlying part of the slit (or stitch down the part
finished with the biais tape), and press a 1 cm hem in the upper part.
Using topstitching thread, create a double line of topstitching (stitching your flat felled seams
in place) along the center back seam. When you get to the top of the slit, fold away the lower
part of the split (you need to lift foot and needle to do this) and then continue stitching in the
same line, sewing the slit's upper hem in place while you do so. Make a few horizontal
stitches (between the two vertical topstitching lines) at the upper end of the slit to reinforce it.
4 Front Pockets. Stitch pocket lining onto skirt front at the curved edge, right side facing.
Make little cut in the seam allowance along the curve and press open. Turn pocket lining to
the inside of the skirt and topstitch along the curve.
Stitch pocket and pocket lining together at long side (left on the pattern piece) and bottom.
Just to help make the front of the skirt one piece, I usually also stitch together skirt front,
pocket lining and pocket in the seam allowance at the side and top.
5 Fly. Please use the instructions in one of the Burdastyle trouser patterns to construct the fly.
I'm sorry, but I don't think I could explain it properly without illustrations (and I can't make
those) and I would hate to confuse you all.
6 Stitch center front seam (seam allowance 2 cm). Make flat felled seam or just topstitching.
7 Stitch side seams (1,5 cm seam allowance). Now, you can try the skirt on and adjust the fit
if necessary.
8 Stitch side seams of waist band. The un-interfaced band will come on the outside, take care
to put the longer end of the front waistband at the underlying side of the fly, so it will hold
the fly flap.
Stitch uninterfaced waistband along the top of the skirt. Press seam allowances open and then
up towards the waistband.
Stitch biais fold tape along lower edge of interfaced waistband.
Stitch waistbands together at upper edge and front. On the seam allowance, clip corners and
make cuts at curved lines. Press open and turn waistband right side out.
Stitching in the stitching line between skirt and waistband on the outside of the skirt, sew the
inside of the waistband in place (no need to turn in it's seam allowance, the biais tape finishes
the raw edge, and this way of constructing it prevents bulging in the lower edges of the
waistband). Topstitch if desired.
9 Hem the skirt
10 Make buttonholes and put in jeans button according to instrutions on the packet or sew on
trouser hooks.