Hack: from pencil skirt to A-line skirt

Hack: fra blyantskjørt til A-formet skjørt

It only takes one simple little pattern change to turn the Sigrid skirt into an A-line skirt — most people can manage this. The tutorial shows two versions: an A-line skirt with a small flare and darts at the top (step 1 only), and an A-line skirt with more volume and no darts at the top (steps 1–7). You'll also learn the method for closing darts when you want to create volume elsewhere on a garment — a principle you can use on other garments too. The green wool skirt is the simple version with darts; the floral viscose skirt is the version with a little more flare and no darts.

Turn the Sigrid pencil skirt into a simple A-line skirt with darts.

1. Trace the pattern in the size closest to your waist measurement. If your waist and hips are different sizes, grade towards the hip from the size that fits your hips. Using a ruler, draw a straight, angled line from the waist, along the hips and down to the hem. Measure the length at centre front and mark the same length from the waist down along the angled side. Draw a slightly curved line at a 90° angle from that mark down to the hem. Make sure the length and angle of the sides match on the front and back pieces, so they fit when you sew. If you've added a lot of flare over the hips, add a corresponding amount to the sides of your facings too; if you haven't added much, there's no need to change the facings.

Patternhack. How to make an A-line skirt from a straight skirt. Closing and removing darts.

How to turn the Sigrid pencil skirt into an A-line skirt without darts.

2. To add more volume, close the darts like this: draw a line from the point of the dart down to the hem. Cut along the line from the hem upwards, along one side of the dart. Once all darts are cut, your pattern should be in five pieces.

How to turn the Sigrid pencil skirt into an A-line skirt without darts. Closing the darts.

3. Lay one side of the dart on top of the other so they form a single line. Make sure the pieces sit edge to edge along the waist and at the dart's end point before taping them together.

4. With the dart closed, a new triangle appears below the dart point, with an opening along the hem.

Closing darts on a pencil skirt, turning it into an A-line skirt.

5 + 6. Close all the darts this way.

Drawing the bottom hem of an A-line skirt pattern.

7. Draw slightly curved lines in the openings along the hem.

Follow the same instructions to sew the Sigrid skirt, but skip the darts if you've closed them.

Good luck with the pattern changes!

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