drafted basic skirt in denim

following the guidelines from the book "How to Make Your Own Sewing Patterns" by Donald H. McCunn, i've been working on a self-drafted skirt for my 7 year old daughter. after drafting the basic shape i added seams and slant front pockets and made up all my pattern pieces. i cut the denim and it all has sewn up beautifully!

i have to say, i love this skirt. and i'm kind of addicted to topstitching.

here's a look inside the pocket on the side front panel

after i tried it on her, i decided to bring it in a touch at the hipline. the drafting instructions have essentially 4" of ease in the hips. this amount is probably just fine for a curvy adult, but it looks a bit ridiculous on a thin 7 year old's frame! it's was an easy fix, i just stitched 1/4" in from my original stitching line, taking out 1" overall. 

i decided to add a little whimsical touch to the back and sewed on a heart patch. i left the edges raw so that when the skirt is washed the edges will fray a little. 

next i'll cut and sew on the waistband, insert a back zip and add some elastic in the waistband. there's not too much to say about this skirt, it's all pretty straightforward. hopefully i'll be back with the finished project soon!


—lisa g