Vera pattern hack - make a skirt!

This is a skirt pattern hack using the Vera pattern. I love the skirt part of view B so I decided to make it as a skirt. Dresses are hands down my favorite garments to wear but sometimes there's something nice about separates too. 

So let's make a skirt! 

finished skirtvera skirt hack

What you will need:

♥ The Vera Pattern. Skirt piece, pocket piece and skirt ruffle piece. 

♥ Fabric 

♥ Matching thread

♥ 4 cm (1.5") wide elastic

♥ Regular sewing machine

♥ Overlock/serger for finishing edges. You can also use the zigzag stitch on your regular sewing machine. 

My fabric: I'm using this fabric from Storrs London called Stone (in blue) for my Vera skirt hack. In collaboration with them I am offering you a discount code for 30% off your purchase! How great is that? Use code PLOEN30 at checkout when buying any of their gorgeous cotton lawn fabrics! 

STEP 1

Cut out your pieces: skirt front, skirt back, ruffle pieces and pocket pieces. Cut your elastic. Try it on your waist and adjust it to your liking. It should be smaller than your waist. It stretches out when you wear it. If it's too big it will not stay up. Add a wide seam allowance. 

STEP 2

How to make the waistband. Measure the waist of your skirt pieces. That's the length of the waistband. Cut one front and one back. The height of the waistband is determined by the width of your elastic. My elastic is  4 cm (1.5") wide so my waistband pieces will be 4*2 + seam allowance. I use a 1 cm (3/8") seam allowance so the total height of my waistband pieces is 10 cm. 

measure waistbandcut waistband

STEP 3

Overlock/serge or zigzag around the skirt pieces, all around the pocket pieces and ruffle pieces. 

 overlock edges

STEP 4

Place the pocket pouches right sides together with the skirt pieces. The front skirt should have one pocket to the left and one to the right and the back pieces should have a pocket along the side seam, right sides together.  

place pocket on skirt pieces

Sew the pocket to the skirt. Start and end 1cm (3/8") from the edge. Use a little smaller seam allowance than 1cm  (3/8"). Just inside of that measurement. 

sew the pocket to the skirtpocket sewn to the skirt

Press pocket away from the skirt.

press pocket away from the skirt

Place back skirt piece right sides together with front skirt. Match the front skirt to the back skirt at the side seam. Pin right sides together making sure the pockets line up. 

place skirts right sides togetherpocket and skirt right sides together

STEP 5

In one continuous stitch, sew from the waistline to your pocket stitch, pivot and sew around the pocket and pivot again and then continue to the hem.

sew skirt and pocket side seam

STEP 6

Clip the seam allowances like this. Press the pocket towards the center front. Press the seam allowances open above and below the pocket.

clip

Press seam allowances open. 

press seam allowances open

seam allowance

STEP 7

Sew the ruffle pieces together at the side seams and press the seam allowances open. Cresting a big circular piece. 

STEP 8

Sew two lines of gathering stitch to the top of the ruffle pieces. Gather it up and attach to the skirt piece. Sew right sides together between the gathering stitches and then remove them. 

ruffle

STEP 9

Sew the waistband pieces right sides together at the side seams. 

sew waistband

Press seam allowances open. 

press seam allowances

Fold the waistband wrong sides together and then place it to the right side of the skirt. Stitch them together with 1cm (3/8") seam allowance and then stitch again with overlock/serge. 

pin the waistband to the skirt

Leave a gap to put the elastic through. Use a safety pin to make it easier to feed the elastic through the waistband. 

elastic

Feed the elastic all the way through the waistband. 

feed elastic through

When you have come all the way around stitch the elastics together, overlapping each other. Make sure the elastic isn't twisted before sewing them together. 

stitch the elastic together

Close the gap on the waistband - sew just like you did before, only this time the elastic is inside. 

sew waistband

Distribute the fabric evenly and then secure the elastic in place. Stitch in the ditch at the side seams to stop the elastic from twisting inside the waistband. 

Then it's time to hem the skirt. Fold twice, press and then stitch. 

sew the hem

Press the skirt - then it's done! 

finished skirtvera skirt hack with pockets

Now wear your Vera skirt with pride! :)
Don’t forget to share your make, and when you do so - don’t forget to use the
hashtag #PPVera so others (and I) can find it on social media :)

Leave a comment below or send me an email (josefine@ploenpatterns.com) if you need help with anything or have any questions at all :) 

vera skirt

♥   ♥   ♥

Josefine

Ploen Patterns

 

 

 

Leave a comment

Please note, comments must be approved before they are published