Winter Wonderland Free Skirt Pattern: Cocktail Check

I just can't get enough wool skirts this winter. I'll often go to the thrift store and sift through the tightly packed rows for retro wool plaid skirts. If you want to buy a simple wool skirt from say J.Crew it's a fortune! 

I have fallen for ones that fit in well with the holiday season- tartans, reds, blacks, whites. So I decided to make a simple holiday skirt pattern so I wouldn't have to go sifting through those thrift racks anymore. I bought this wool fabric at Hancock for $9.99 a yard. Use this 20% coupon for an addtional $2 off per yard!

This skirt can be made with just 1.13 yards! Just be sure that your fabric is 58-59" wide. Most apparel fabrics are. This is a really nice because wool fabric bought at the fabric store can get kind of pricey. Once you get over 1 yard the project becomes cost prohibitive. I always use a coupon. Hancock Fabric has become my new favorite place to shop for apparel fabric. Their patterns far surpass JoAnn's selection, at least lately.

I bought this cute wool black tartan print at Hancock Fabric. I love the look. It seems elegant enough for a cocktail party but simple enough to wear shopping. It was originally $24.99 but I bought it on sale for $14.99 AND used a coupon. It was $11.25 a yard with the 25% off coupon. This pattern will fit a size 2-8. It's supposed to sit high at the natural waist and not at the hips.

Get the pattern here:

Print at home pattern

Copy Shop pattern

Get the how to below:

Once you have cut your skirt fabric use the leftover material to cut your waistbands. Fold each piece in half and layer on top of each other. Remember to line up pattern according to the grainline shown. Remember you have to cut two of each ON THE FOLD.

Sew your front and back waistband pieces together at the side seam. (I forgot to take a picture of this step so that's why it's sewn to the skirt in the picture. Just ignore that.) Repeat for second set of waistband pieces.

Sew the two waistband pieces right sides together along the top seam. Clip curves.

Turn right side out and iron flat. Then topstitch 1/8" down from the top seam.

 Sew your two skirt pieces together at the side seams. From the waist down, leave 6" open on the right side seam.

Now take your waistband and sew the bottom seam to the top seam of your skirt, right sides together. Clip curves.

Iron your seam inward. Zig zag stitch the unsewn edge of your waistband piece to prevent fraying

Now, fold over your waistband so it's covering the raw edges of your seams.

Turn to right side and stitch in the ditch of your skirt and waistband.

Sew in your zipper. If you do not know how to sew in an invisible zipper here's a tutorial.

Zigzag stitch the bottom hem of your skirt to prevent fraying.

Blind hem the bottom of your skirt. If you do not know how to blind hem here is a tutorial.

Iron the hem.