Sewing a Simple Pencil Skirt

A pencil skirt is can be worn as business or casual attire.

A pencil skirt is a timeless piece of clothing that every girl should have in her closet. Christian Dior created the slim, straight skirt in 1940. Celebrities such as Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn and Grace Kelly wore pencil skirts. If you want to add this staple garment to your wardrobe, try creating one yourself at home. Using the fabric from an old pair of dress pants will save you money and allow you to get the sizing perfect.

Things You'll Need

• Dress pants
• Chalk
• Scissors
• Sewing machine

Instructions

1. Hold your pants up to your waist where you want them to sit and mark the pant legs with chalk two inches longer than you want the length of the skirt.

2. Cut off the pant legs at your mark.

3. Cut the inner seams of both legs up to the crotch.

4. Turn the pants inside out and cut all the way up the back seam.

5. Open the pants up and flip them over so you are sewing on the wrong side of the fabric. You will turn the skirt right side out when you're finished.

6. Sew the legs together to create the front of the skirt.

7. Put the skirt on and pin the back to however tight you want the skirt to be. This part may be difficult to do on your own, so you may need a friend to help. Take the skirt off.

8. Sew the top six inches of the back of the skirt together.

9. Pull the side flaps in to get a straight line on the sides of the skirt, then try the skirt on once again for size and mark it with chalk where you will need to sew.

10. Sew the rest of the way down the back of the skirt. Cut off any excess fabric.

11. Try the skirt on and pin the bottom where you want to sew the hem.

12. Fold the bottom in and sew all the way around to create a nice, even hem.

13. Turn the skirt right side out.