The Act of Sewing—the Skirt

I set out to review the patterns in the great new dressmaking book The Act of Sewing. I am sewing up these pieces as I prepare to teach students how to make some simple garments, and to use the simple garment patterns as a jumping-off point to expand their dressmaking skills.

Elastic waist skirt from The Act of Sewing

This skirt is about as basic as it could be. And that’s a good thing!

Newbies—and those who are returning to sewing after a long hiatus—will find the process pretty simple. To make the skirt, one must cut the waistband, the front, and the back. I chose to add patch pockets, and I made my skirt around knee-length.

A simple pattern like this allows us to focus on the materials and the process. I used a linen-rayon yarn-dyed blend in grey for a versatile skirt. Versatile=goes with all the tops. And since it only has a few pieces, it works with a large-scale print. You can take your time and do French seams, and enjoy stitching the hem by hand.

Make It Sew is offering a class on Sept. 23 & 30, 5:30-7:30. Cost is $60. Sign up here.

Come make a new skirt with us!