My Favorite Resources for Sewing Pencil Skirts

Last week I shared a refashion turning a vintage gathered wrap skirt into a simple pencil skirt. I used my personal full bodice sloper to draft the simple skirt pattern that I used to create this look.

I realize that many sewists may not have their own slopers on hand, or the ability to draft patterns themselves, so I wanted to include some of my favorite resources for simple pencil skirts in the online sewing world.

While they all might look quite similar, each pattern below has unique details that make each skirt different. It’s just a matter of what specific style you are looking for and how much work you want to put into it.

1. Sew Over It – Ultimate Pencil Skirt – $11.10 – Sew Over It’s pencil skirt does not have a waistband, but instead a facing. The skirt looks completely clean finished at the top with a smooth line. It is also a super high waisted style.
2. Delia Creates – Pleated Pencil Skirt – $10 – The lovely Delia of Delia Creates’ skirt has a cute little pleat at the center back, and a high waist with a wide waistband.
3. Named – Vanamo Two Piece Dress – $14.68 – This fun pattern from Named Clothing is actually a “two piece dress.” The skirt of which features a cute curved slit in the front. This skirt is also without a waistband, but is not so extremely high-waisted as Sew Over It’s skirt.
4. Colette Patterns – Selene Skirt – $14 – This skirt has some very fun seams down the front which could lend to some interesting color blocking. It also gives you more interesting lines than your typical pencil skirt. And even better – it has pockets! Multiple variations available.
5. Em Makes Patterns – Draft a Skirt Block – FREE – If you do want to try your hand at drafting your own skirt sloper – I highly recommend  Em’s tutorial. In fact, you should just go ahead and peruse her whole website! Her tutorials on pattern drafting are extremely clear, accurate, and precise. So much great (and free!) information to absorb. Plus, once you have your own skirt block (aka sloper), you open yourself up to a world of possibilities in the pattern drafting world – a sloper is just the beginning!
6. By Hand London – Charlotte Skirt – $11.76 – This skirt is the most basic skirt in the bunch and probably the closest to what I made above, minus some length and some darts. The Charlotte also has some great variations involving peplums and ruffled hems, so check it out if you want something a little more… spicy!

NOTE: All prices listed are for the PDF patterns and have been converted to dollars.

And there you go! My complete comprehensive guide to the best and simplest pencil skirt patterns to be found on the web. I love a good casual pencil skirt because they are pretty comfy and are an easy way to add a little flirt into an every day outfit.

I sure hope y’all found this helpful! Don’t forget to check out my full refashion post if you missed it last week, and keep an eye out for some colorful gathered wrap skirts next time you are at the thrift store!

Happy Sewing,