Sew a wrap skirt with ties

A wrap skirt with ties is two flared front panels and a back, joined at the side seams, with a long waistband that runs the full length of the waist and extends into a tie at each end. The under front's tie passes through a small opening at the left side seam, and the two ties wrap in opposite directions and knot at the hip. There is no zip and no button. A midi wrap skirt takes 2 to 3 m (2 1/4 to 3 1/4 yd) of 140 cm (55 in) wide fabric and 3 to 5 hours, most of them spent on the long hems and the ties.

What pieces does a wrap skirt need?

• Two wrap fronts, cut as a mirrored pair, each the width of a full front plus the overlap, with the center front marked and a dart at the waist. Together they cover the front one and a half times or more.
• Skirt back, cut once on the fold, with two darts.
• Waistband and ties: one long strip, cut 10 cm (4 in) wide for a finished 3.5 cm (1 3/8 in) band, as long as the full waist edge of the three pieces plus a 75 cm (29 1/2 in) tie at each end. On most fabrics it is cut as two or three lengths joined on the straight grain.
• Notions: fusible interfacing for the waist section of the band. Nothing else: the ties are the closure.

Seam allowances are 1.5 cm (5/8 in), with 2 cm (3/4 in) double-fold hems on the front edges and the bottom.

How much fabric does a wrap skirt take?

The overlap adds half a front or more, and the long band takes a strip of its own, so a wrap skirt uses more fabric than an A-line skirt of the same length.

Soft, drapey wovens suit it best: linen, viscose, cotton lawn, Tencel twill or crepe de chine. The front edges can flip open as you walk, so a solid color or a fabric that looks good on both sides is a plus, and a light fabric makes the ties easier to turn. If you choose linen, the post on sewing with linen covers pre-washing and the pressing that keeps the hems crisp.

How do you sew a wrap skirt step by step?

1. Cut and mark. Cut the fronts as a pair, with the fabric folded right sides together so you get a left and a right. Mark the darts, the center front on each front, and the point where the band meets the hemmed front edges. Cut the band strips along the selvage and join them with plain seams pressed open.
2. Staystitch the waist of all three pieces, 1.2 cm (1/2 in) from the edge, and sew the darts. Press the front darts toward the center and the back darts toward the center back. Sewing darts that lie flat has the method.
3. Sew the side seams, right sides together, from the hem upward. On the left side seam, stop 4 cm (1 5/8 in) below the waist edge and backstitch: this gap is the opening for the tie. Finish the allowances, press the seams open, and stitch the allowances of the gap down to the skirt to make a neat slot.
4. Hem the front edges before the band goes on, so the band ends can enclose them. Press 1 cm (3/8 in) to the wrong side, then another 1 cm, and edgestitch close to the inner fold. The front edges are nearly on the straight grain, so they will not stretch; keep the fabric flat and do not pull it.
5. Prepare the band. Fuse interfacing to one half of the strip, lengthwise, along the waist section only; leave the ties uninterfaced so they knot softly. Fold the strip in half lengthwise, right sides together, and stitch the ties along the long edge and across the end, from each end up to the point where the band meets the skirt. Trim the corners, turn the ties right side out with a loop turner or a safety pin, and press.
6. Attach the band. Pin the interfaced half of the band to the waist, right sides together, matching the center back, the side seams and the tie points to the hemmed front edges. Stitch, trim the seam to 1 cm, and press it up into the band. Fold the band over, press the free edge under and pin it over the seam from the outside. Stitch in the ditch of the waist seam, or edgestitch the band all round including the ties for a sportier finish.
7. Hang and hem. Hang the skirt overnight: the flared side seams are on a slight bias. Level the hem, press 1 cm then 1 cm, and stitch. Where the bottom hem meets the front edge hem, fold a neat corner: the post on sewing a mitered corner shows the fold that removes the bulk.
8. Press and try on. Wrap the right front under, pass its tie out through the slot in the left side seam, bring the left front over, and knot the two ties at the left hip or at the front. The guide on how to hem covers the narrow double fold used here on both the front edges and the bottom.

What are the common mistakes on a wrap skirt?

• Ties that are hard to turn. A 10 cm strip gives a 3.5 cm tie, which turns easily in a light fabric. In a heavier twill, cut the tie sections slightly wider or use a loop turner.
• A band that sags. The waist section was not interfaced. Linen and viscose need it; the interfacing also keeps the band from stretching while you pull the ties.
• A front that gapes when you sit. The overlap is too small. A wrap front that covers 80 percent of the front keeps the skirt closed walking and sitting; 100 percent is safer in wind.
• Hems that ripple. The front edges were stretched during pressing. Press by lifting and lowering the iron rather than sliding it, and edgestitch with the fabric lying flat.

Opening in the seam or a buttonhole?

The slot in the side seam is the quickest and shows nothing from the outside. A vertical buttonhole in the waistband, placed where the under tie meets the band, is the dressmaker's alternative: it keeps the side seam intact and holds the tie at exactly the band's height. The guide on sewing buttonholes applies; make it 1 cm longer than the tie is wide.

Can the pattern be drafted with the overlap you want?

Sewly's wrap skirt pattern drafts the two fronts and the back from your waist, hip and length, with the flare from 2 to 20 cm (3/4 to 8 in) at each side and the overlap from 50 to 100 percent of the front. The band and ties are given as cutting dimensions with 75 cm ties at each end, and the guide gives the fabric for 110, 140 and 150 cm wide fabric for your size.