Linen Pull-on Skirt
I recently got some gray IL044 linen and thought it would work great for a skirt. It has this denim-like look to it and is really easy to sew with.
I love pull-on skirts because they are comfortable and casual. They are also incredibly easy to sew because there are no buttons, zippers, or pockets to fuss with.
You can choose any linen to make your skirt. IL044 is a yarn dye linen with a medium weight. I would also recommend checking out IL019 for the same weight of linen. There are a lot of colors to choose from! Heavy-weight 4C22 makes wonderful skirts too if you want something a little thicker.
This pull-on linen skirt has an elastic waistband, so you’ll want to wear it all the time! The width of the elastic is completely up to you. Any elastic from 1”-3” will be suitable for the waistband.
Materials:
- linen
- elastic
- scissors
- sewing machine
- paper for a pattern
The first step is to make a pattern. Measure your waist and add 6 inches to that (this is added for the elastic band). Divide that measurement by two and add 1 ¼ inch for the hem.
Measure how long you’d like your skirt to be. Add 1 ½ inches to that for the bottom hem. The extra length for the top hem depends on the width of your elastic.
The pattern should look like the image to the left; with a curved line for the waist and a curve for your hips. The dashed line shows where the fold of the fabric will be; so when you cut the pattern, there will be two whole pieces.
Place the pattern on top of your fabric so the longer straight edge aligns with the folded side. Then trace and cut it. Do this twice so you have a front and back piece to your skirt.
Seam along both sides.
Flip the skirt right-side out so this will not be exposed on the finished skirt. Iron the seams to smooth out the edges.
Doubling up on elastic like I did is completely optional. If you just want one strip of elastic, then go ahead and stick with that. Also, this is not necessary if you have a wider elastic than me.
To make the elastic waistband, sew the appropriate sized space for your elastic, leaving a slit for the elastic to fit through. Measure your waist and cut the elastic to be the same measurement.
Then, attached a safety pin to one end of your elastic to help you insert and maneuver it all the way around the space you sewed for it. Sew the two ends of the elastic together and stitch the opening shut.
As you can see, I did that step twice so I would have two rows of elastic (for a thicker waistband). One piece of elastic is just fine though!
That’s it. Iron your skirt- or not! I love the wrinkly look of linen so I don’t worry about having some creases. See how easy it is to make a simple pull-on skirt that you can wear for just about any occasion?
I can see myself wearing this on a casual day, dressing it up for work, and even on a night out!
*Let us know what you think! We love reading your thoughts and comments. Stop by our Facebook page for more linen ideas and tips!
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6 Comments
Valerie H.
How on earth did the pattern turn into a skirt that was straight across the waist? Did you cut the extra off the middle after you cut it out? The pattern made pieces that were pointed in the middle!
Taryn
I love the “accidental” design detail of doubling your elastic in separate channels – with the yarn-dyed linen and contrast thread, it looks better than a wider, single casing (imho). Thanks again for sharing your beautiful, simple design with us. I have learned so much about making patterns that work for me since I discovered this blog a few weeks ago. I have always loved clean-lined, forever-in-style clothing (perhaps because I finished growing at age 12? At least at 5’1″ I was a very tall 6th grader (: ) and I’m grateful to you, Nicole, for showing me how to draft these pieces rather than buying a pattern that I know I’ll have to make a dozen changes to before I can even a muslin. I also appreciate your explanation of what linen you’re working with and why it’s suited to each project – it removes a lot of the guesswork I often encounter when following online tutorials.
Donna Coppola
I was just looking for this exact pattern. The same skirt is in JCrew for $49.00, and that’s a sale price.
Thank you so much!
Edna
I will have to add pockets.
(Elizabeth) Betty Stroble
Thanks for resending! The pictures came thru beautifully!!
Kris
Great skirt. I am wondering if this linen would be good for a fuller skirt around the bottom. Instead of curving the bottom of the pattern back in towrd the legs, leaving it out some. I have not sewn with linen before, so I am not sure if it would work. Thank you.