A Photographer Skirt
Sew an easy skirt. No zipper needed! It has an elastic back and flat front. It’s cute and comfortable. Add some pockets too!
Camera fabric for a new skirt.
If you’re anything like me, you have many hobbies and interests. I love sewing, gardening, farm animal-ing, photography, cooking (sometimes, ha!), and Netflixing. As a photographer who sews, I have the skills to make my clothing in exciting prints that speak to me.
Novelty prints are my favorite. So, when I saw this fun camera fabric at Hobby Lobby, I bought the remainder of the bolt. I planned on making a skirt and hoped I had enough left for a few other small projects. Hint: I’m going to make another bag using leftover pieces.
This tutorial is super simple. We’re going to make a gathered skirt. It requires 2 yards or less of fabric. Since “Cove Cove,” aka the 2020 pandemonium, I’ve gained a few pounds. Elastic waistbands are my best friend, so I made the waistband with elastic in the back. The front has a flat waistband. Business in the front, party in the back!
Interested in making one? Let’s go.
What You Need:
2 yards of fabric
1” Elastic, measuring half the width of your waist, plus 1” for overlap
Matching thread
Sewing machine
Scissors, a chalk marker, ruler, etc.
Pins or clips
Safety pin to thread the elastic
Measuring tape
Pencil and paper to create your pattern
Scrap fabric for pockets
Pocket pattern piece
Pockets
If you don’t want to self-draft a pocket piece, here are a couple of easy ways to find a pocket pattern.
Grab a pocket piece from another sewing pattern you already own. Most skirt, dress, and pants patterns usually have a pocket. Check your envelopes to find an in-seam pocket pattern piece.
Look online for a free PDF one. A quick Pinterest or Google search will give you lots of patterns.
Cut 4 pieces from some matching or contrasting fabric scraps. Sometimes it’s fun to have colorful pockets. Use solids, patterns, polka dots, or cut animal print fabric for your pockets. Make it fun!
Pocket pattern and yellow fabric for the pockets.
Skirt Instructions
Measure the length from your waist to your leg (calf, above, or below your knee) that you want your skirt, then add 2-4” for a hem. I wanted to make mine 20” long. So, I cut my fabric 22” long. I used quilting cotton that was roughly 44” wide. I cut my fabric 22” by 44”.
Cut 2. This will be your front and back.
My waist is 35”, so this created a lightly gathered skirt. If your waist is larger, you will have less gathers. If you like lots of gathers you might need more fabric. If your waist is smaller, you will have more gathers.
Pinning the pockets to the front of the skirt.
I measured 1.5” down from the top and made a notch. This is where you want your pocket to be placed. This is customizable, depending on how tall or short you are.
Pin the pocket RST to the front of the skirt. Then sew using a 1/4”-3/8” seam allowance. Press open. Repeat on the other side.
Do the same for the back skirt piece. You will now have two pieces that look like rectangles with floppy elephant ears.
Place front and back pieces RST, and pin the side seam starting at the bottom, going around the pockets, and up to the top. Sew in that order, sewing around pocket pieces. Use a 5/8” Seam allowance.
As an extra precaution, I do a few extra back-and-forth stitches at the corners where I pivot for my pockets.
I chose yellow pockets to match the branding for my photography business. I usually wear this skirt when I have a vendor show or meet a new client. It’s a fun conversation piece.
Sew around the pinned pocket. It will get pressed and tuck away nicely within the skirt seam.
You inseam pocket should look something like the one below. Yes, I used the selvedge of my fabric and we all know that’s a big no-no. Shhh, don’t tell anyone.
The pocket is tucked inside nice and neat.
Secret yellow pocket.
Gathering your skirt.
Sew 2 rows of stitching along the top with a 5-7mm length. Pull to gather the skirt. Go slowly so you don’t break a thread.
Waistband Fun
Time to sew the waistband. This part is a little more tricky than a regular waistband. You’re going to gather the back with a piece of elastic while leaving the front flat. It gives a nice look while adding comfort.
Cut the front waistband strip half your waist measurement, plus 1” for seam allowance. If your waist is 30”, cut the piece 16”.15”+1”=16”. Use a 1/2” seam allowance for the waistband. I like easy math.
I made my waistband 2.5” tall, this is completely customizable for you and what you want.
Example: Cut 2 front strips 16” wide by 2.5” tall.
Add interfacing to one strip, this will be the outer piece.
Sew right sides together, along the top long edge, only. Press open.
Making your waistband.
For the back waistband piece, you’ll cut 2 strips the same height, 2.5” (or your preferred height) by the fabric width measurement.
I cut mine 2.5” by 35”. The width can be fudged a little here, it’ll be gathered anyway. Sew along the top with the 2 pieces facing RST, just like you did with the front waistband. Press open.
Pin and sew the short sides of the waistband pieces together, creating a super-duper long loop. Press the seams open.
Pin the waistband to the skirt gathers, starting at the side seams.
Pin your waistband strip to the skirt along the gathered top.
Pin at the side seams first.
Then, pin the front waistband piece along the front skirt.
Fold the back piece in half and mark it with chalk. Pin that to the center back of the skirt. This can be finicky because you’re pinning 2 gathered pieces to each other, go slow and it’ll work out. Use lots of pins or clips.
You can hand sew the waistband- which is the correct way but, hand sewing is not my favorite thing. I turn the edge under on the inner waistband and pin it from the outside, making sure I catch the seam.
Pin from the outside and remove the pins as you stitch in the ditch.
Tricky Part of the Waistband
Stitch in the ditch when sewing the waistband. This means keeping your needle in the area where the waistband and skirt meet up. It’s a hidden stitch.
Make sure to leave a 2” gap in the side seams for inserting your elastic.
Use a bodkin or safety pin to insert your elastic.
Use a safety pin or bodkin to insert your elastic into the waistband. Insert through one open side seam.
When you get to the other side, stitch over the side seam to lock the elastic in place. Repeat on the other side. Gather back fabric evenly, then stitch to close the openings.
You are “locking” the elastic in place by sewing over it, on the side seams. The elastic will only go in the back of the skirt.
The front looks nice and flat, the back is gathered for comfort.
Closer look at the gathered back waistband.
Front waistband is flat.
The hem is the easy part. Fold your hem up however much you want1-2”, then press, then fold up again 1-2”. Pin, and stitch using a 3-3.5mm stitch length. I chose to do a shorter hem here, but I usually do a 2” hem.
I love my skirt! I made this to wear when I have events for my photography business. I usually pair it with a yellow top to match my branding. It’s simply perfect!
What do you think? Do you plan on making a skirt with elastic in the back? I call it a mullet skirt. Business in the front, comfort in the back. LOL
Happy sewing,
Annette
Back of the skirt hanging on my dressform.
Front of the skirt on the dressform.