B6453 Sew Along: Sewing the Skirt, View B

How are your dresses coming? Don't forget to post pictures in the Facebook Group; I love seeing everyone's work.

Today we're sewing the skirt for View B, the pencil skirt version! I'm making mine Tiki-style in one of my new Hawaiian print cotton poplins, available here.

Grab your skirt pieces; you'll have two for the back and one for the front.

First, stabilize the skirt center back zipper opening, above the circle. I use strips of fusible interfacing for this.

I also like to finish my raw edges using my serger at this point. Finish the sides of each skirt piece, leaving the top and bottom unfinished. When you get to the skirt back slit, serge as carefully as you can around the angle. (If you are not using a serger, use another method like zigzagging or pinking after the seams are sewn.)

Sew your darts! You can revisit this post for a dart refresher if you need one.

Press the back darts toward center back.

And your front darts toward center front.

Next, check out step 22 in your instructions. This is Butterick's method for reinforcing the slit, which gets a lot of wear when you're walking. You can also use strips of fusible interfacing, or selvages from your fabric if you don't have seam binding, like pictured here.

Cut two 2" pieces of your reinforcement material.

Center the pieces over the circle at the top of the slit on each back skirt piece and stitch in place by hand, positioning your stitching within the seam allowance so it won't show on the outside of your dress.

Next, stitch your skirt back pieces together. Start at the zipper circle mark, and when you get to the vent mark (where the seam binding is), backstitch and then lengthen your stitch to a basting length, 4-5mm. Note that when you get to the slit, your seam allowance is 1".

Press the back seam open. 

After pressing, you can remove the basting in the slit. The slit will look nice and crisp since you basted and pressed it.

Now sew the skirt front to the skirt back at the side seams. (Note: If you think you may need to adjust the fit of your skirt, it's a good idea to do a basted fitting. Use a long stitch length to sew the skirt seams, try on the skirt, and then make any adjustments before using a regular stitch length.)

You now have a fully sewn skirt.

Press the skirt side seams open, using a ham to press the hip curves.

Time to stitch the skirt to the bodice. When you do this, keep in mind that you'll be matching side seams, notches, darts, and princess seams. Take a look at the two pieces so you have an idea of how they go together.

Put the bodice and skirt right sides together and pin carefully, making sure that seams and darts stay in the direction you pressed them in.

Stitch around the waistline seam. After stitching, carefully check your waistline to see if everything is properly matched. You may need to rip out small portions and re-stitch.

Finish the waistline seam as one, trimming down to about 3/8". Press the seam toward the bodice.

And now you have a completed pencil skirt!

Later this week, we'll be moving on to the zipper for both views.