Sew an A-line skirt with a zip and waistband

An A-line skirt with a zip and waistband is sewn in six stages: waist darts, in-seam pockets, side seams, an invisible zip in the left side seam, an interfaced waistband and a hem. A knee-length skirt takes about 1.2 m (1 3/8 yd) of 140 cm (55 in) wide fabric and 3 to 5 hours. The darts and the zip are the only two steps that call for practice, which makes it a good first skirt with a fitted waist.

What pieces and notions does an A-line skirt need?

An A-line skirt fits at the waist, skims the hip and flares evenly to the hem. The pattern has few pieces:

• Skirt front, cut once on the fold, with two waist darts.
• Skirt back, cut once on the fold with two darts, or in two halves with a center back seam if you prefer the zip there.
• Waistband: a straight strip. For a finished band 3.5 cm (1 3/8 in) wide, cut it 10 cm (4 in) wide and as long as your waist plus 1 cm (3/8 in) of ease, 3 cm (1 1/4 in) for the underlap and two seam allowances.
• Pocket bags, cut four for a pair of in-seam pockets, or two patch pockets.
• Notions: a 20 cm (8 in) invisible zip, fusible interfacing for half of the waistband, and a hook and eye or a button for the overlap.

Seam allowances are 1.5 cm (5/8 in) throughout, with 3 cm (1 1/4 in) at the hem.

How much fabric does an A-line skirt take?

The flare decides most of it. With a moderate flare of 7 cm (2 3/4 in) at each side seam, which makes the hem about 30 cm (12 in) wider than the hip, the front and back fit side by side on folded 140 cm fabric.

A hem ruffle adds about 0.5 m (1/2 yd). Fabric with a nap or a one-way print, such as corduroy, needs every piece laid the same way up, which can add 10 to 20 cm (4 to 8 in).

Which fabric suits an A-line skirt?

Medium-weight wovens hold the A shape: cotton twill, denim, linen, corduroy, wool flannel and chambray. A lighter linen gives a softer skirt that swings; denim and corduroy stand away from the body. Pre-wash anything that will be washed later, and press it before cutting. Very drapey fabrics such as viscose lose the A shape and suit a gathered or circle skirt better.

How do you sew an A-line skirt step by step?

1. Cut and mark. Place the fold edges on the fold so the center front and center back sit on the straight grain. Mark the dart legs and points, the pocket notches on the side seams, and the notch where the zip ends, 20 cm below the waist on the left side seam.
2. Staystitch the waist 1.2 cm (1/2 in) from the edge on both pieces. The waist curve is partly on the bias and stretches while you handle it.
3. Sew the darts. Stitch from the waist edge to the point, finishing with the last few stitches running along the fold so the point does not dimple. Press the front darts toward the center front and the back darts toward the center back over a tailor's ham. The guide on sewing darts that lie flat covers knots and pressing.
4. Add the pockets. Sew one pocket bag to each side seam edge between the notches, right sides together, with a 1 cm (3/8 in) seam, and press the bags away from the skirt.
5. Sew the side seams. Right sides together, sew the right side seam from the waist to the hem, going around the pocket bag when you reach it. On the left side, sew from the zip notch down to the hem. Finish the allowances with zigzag or a serger and press the seams open, with the pocket bags pressed toward the front.
6. Insert the zip in the open part of the left side seam, with the top of the zip teeth 1.5 cm below the raw waist edge so it meets the waistband seam. Open the zip, press the coils flat, sew each side with an invisible zip foot, then close the small gap below the zip with a regular zip foot. The invisible zip guide has the full sequence.
7. Attach the waistband. Fuse interfacing to one half of the band lengthwise. Sew the interfaced half to the skirt waist right sides together, with the band flush with the zip at the front and extending 3 cm past the zip at the back for the underlap. Fold the band in half lengthwise, stitch across both ends, trim and turn. Press the free edge under and stitch in the ditch from the outside to catch it.
8. Close the overlap with a hook and eye, or make a buttonhole on the overlap and sew a button to the underlap.
9. Let it hang overnight on a hanger. The flared side seams are on a slight bias and drop a little.
10. Hem. Mark a level hem, trim, finish the raw edge, and turn up 3 cm. Because the raw edge is longer than the fold it is pressed against, run a row of long stitches along it and ease it in before you stitch, by machine or with a blind hem by hand. How to hem covers both.
11. Press the hem and the seams, using a press cloth on wool and dark fabrics.

What are the common mistakes on an A-line skirt?

• A dimple at the dart point. The stitching ends in a step instead of running off the fold. Sew the last 1 cm (3/8 in) along the fold at a very shallow angle and tie the threads rather than backstitching.
• A waist that grew. The pieces were handled before staystitching. Ease the extra onto the waistband with a row of long stitches, or take a little more into the darts.
• A zip that does not meet the band. The zip was placed too low. The teeth should start where the waistband seam will be sewn, so the band covers the top of the tape.
• A rippled hem. The hem allowance is longer than the skirt it is pressed against. Keep the hem to 3 cm or less and ease the raw edge before stitching.

When should you choose an elastic waist instead?

An elastic waist skips the darts, the zip and the waistband, and the skirt pulls on; the waist is then cut to pass over the hip, so more fabric is gathered at the waist and the A shape is softer. It is the better choice for a first project, a child's skirt or a very light fabric. The post on sewing a gathered elastic-waist skirt follows that version step by step.

Can the pattern be drafted to your measurements?

Sewly's A-line skirt pattern drafts the front and back from your waist, hip and waist-to-hip length, with the flare from 2 to 25 cm (3/4 to 10 in) at each side, in-seam or patch pockets, the zip at the left side or center back, and an optional hem ruffle. The waistband is given as cutting dimensions rather than printed, and the sewing guide lists the zip length, the interfacing and the fabric amounts for 110, 140 and 150 cm wide fabric for your size.