This is an easy panel skirt pattern that can be adjusted to any length.
In this skirt pattern sewing tutorial, I share my easy skirt pattern that at beginner-friendly.
The skirt pattern is made to measure and can be shortened or lengthened to your style. I use upcycled material and fabric offcut I have lying around and can make a skirt in less than an hour. At the end I’ve included a quick tutorial on how to add pockets to a skirt, if you’re interested.
Download the skirt pattern measurements guide »
Step 1 – Take your measurements for the skirt
1. Write the following measurements down.
- Measure around your waist.
- Measure around your butt and hip around.
- Measure around your thighs.
- Measure the length from your waist to where you would like the bottom hem.
2. Divide the first three measurements by 1/6th. This is because this skirt pattern is made up of 6 pieces – 3 at the front and 3 at the back.
3. Now, add 4cm or 1.5 inches to each measurement.
4. Add 10cm or so to the length measurement to allow for seam allowance at the top and bottom of the skirt.
Step 2 – Making the skirt pattern
For this easy sew skirt, you only need one pattern piece.
- Fold a piece of paper in half that’s long enough and wide enough based on your measurements above in the fourth column.
- At the top, mark the waist measurement from the fourth column.
- Below that, where you butt and hip around would be, mark the measurement from the fourth column
- Below that, mark your thigh measurement from the fourth column.
- Make a mark at the bottom to indicate your bottom hem.
- Depending how fluted you want the skirt, depends how wide you make the bottom hem. Remember, you can always take in the seams if it’s too flary.
- Now draw a line from your top measurement down to your bottom measurement. Importantly, check that your hip, butt and thigh marks don’t fall outside of the triangle. If they do, increase the bottom measurement until they fall within the triangle. This is to ensure the fabric of the skirt falls comfortably over these areas.
Step 3 – Cutting out your skirt pattern pieces
1. Fold your fabric into 6 folded pieces.
2. Lay your folded pattern over the top, with the straight edge against the folds. Cut out your pieces in total.
Alternative: If this is too confusing or you don’t have enough fabric to fold them in half, lay 6 pieces of fabric on top of each other. Open out your skirt pattern so it’s not folded and cut them this way.
3. Either way, once done you’ll have six identical pieces.
Step 4 – Sewing the skirt pattern pieces together
Now it’s just a matter of sewing all our pieces together. I do this one by one. Eventually, you’ll end up with a big tube.
Step 5 – Adding an elastic waist to the skirt
- Before attaching the elastic waist, I press a hem and sew a small hem at the top. This prevents the fabric from fraying.
- Next, we make the waist band. Cut a piece of elastic the dimension of your waist. Go a little tighter to ensure your skirt stays in place. Then sew the ends together to make a continuous elastic waist band.
- Now, mark the two opposing ends of the elastic.
- Fold the elastic in half and mark the fold.
- Fold it the other way and mark the other fold.
- You should have four marks in total.
- On the top of the skirt, do the same. Mark the side seams. Mark the centre front and centre back.
- Now, pin your elastic waist band to the top of the skirt, matching these marks.
- Then it’s over to the sewing machine. Starting at one mark, pull the elastic and fabric tight and sew as close to the top seam as you can.
- To keep the waist band folded over at the top, just sew vertically down each seam if the skirt from the top of the elastic to the bottom.
- And finally, hem the bottom of your skirt. I prefer a rolled hem or double hem to prevent the fabric from fraying. And we’re finished. Trust me, once master this simple skirt pattern, you can keep replicating it over and over.
Step 6 – Making and adding pockets to a skirt
- Make a pocket pattern similar to one at the end of the video below.
- Cut out four matching pocket pieces.
- Before you sew the two side seams of the skirt, measure where your pockets are going to be placed. Personally, I come down 7 cm from the top seam. You may choose to adjust this to your height and preference.
- Then measure the length of the pocket.
- Transfer these marks onto your side seam fabric.
- Then, when sewing your side seam, don’t sew between the two marks where the pocket will be placed.
- When you’re done, press open the skirt seams and press a hem on each of the pocket pieces where it will be positioned on the seam of the skirt.
- Pin the pocket pieces to the skirt and it’s over to the sewing machine.
- For neatness, sew as close to the edge of the seams as you can.
- Then, join the two sides of the pockets together and sew around the perimeter starting at the side seam all the way around to the other end.