Paige Sewing Pattern

NOTE – If you have purchased both the child’s and ladies patterns, the instructions are very similar but have some differences. Please make sure to refer to the correct instructions for your size.

Pattern Markings 

Transfer all pattern markings. Mark the darts on the Skirt Front, Skirt Back, Lining Front and Lining Back using either tailors chalk or a disappearing fabric marker.

Interfacing

Apply iron-on interfacing to the Front and Back Facing pieces using the manufacturer’s instructions.

Pleats

Transfer the pattern markings for the pleats from the back left lining, back right lining and Front Lining pattern pieces onto the fabric.

Fold each pleat together and baste in place using a ¼ inch seam allowance. Press.

TIP – If you haven’t done basting before, it’s where you use a long loose stitch (like a gathering stitch) which you can remove later to just hold the fabric in place. If you have a basting stitch on your sewing machine, use this. Otherwise lengthen your stitch to as long as possible and check you can remove the stitches again later. Leave a thread tail approximately 1 inch long either side of the pleat.

With right sides together, fold the fabric of the Front Skirt down the centerline of one dart. Stitch along the dart line markings from the raw edge of the fabric, to the point of the dart.

Repeat for the second dart on the front of the skirt.

TIP – To get a very neat dart, do not backstitch at the tip of the dart. Instead leave your threads long and tie them in a knot by hand when you have finished stitching. Check the knot is very secure then trim the threads. 

Press both darts toward the center.

Repeat step 1.1 for the darts on the back skirt, as well as the pleats on the Front Lining and Back Lining.

Press the darts on your fabric towards the center. 

Press the pleats on your lining towards the side seams. This will ‘nest’ the darts, so they are pointing in different directions on the exterior and lining of the skirt and create less bulk in the finished garment.

With right sides together pin the Front Facing to the top of the Front Skirt lining and stitch using a ½ inch seam allowance.

TIP – The longest edge of the facing piece should match the top edge of your skirt lining piece.

Press the seam allowance open.

Repeat steps 2.1 to 2.2 for the Back Facings and back lining pieces.

Next, we are going to add Tailors Tacks to the markings on the skirt vent. This is a very traditional method, but it is the one we have found best to complete this style of skirt. If you have a different method you would prefer to mark your vents with, do this now from the pattern pieces and skip to step 4. 

Otherwise follow below the next few steps, keeping in mind that for our tutorial we have labelled the back pattern pieces by the way you look at them when making up, not how as worn.

Place tailor’s tacks on the vent markings using the following steps:

Thread a needle with a contrasting thread and pull through so that you have a double layer of thread.

There are two tailor tack markings on each pattern piece so you will need to repeat each step to do both.

Insert the needle into the fabric where you have marked it and come back up through the fabric about ⅛ inch to the right of where you first inserted the needle. Pull through and leave a tail of about 2 inches.

NOTE – For some sizes, you’ll find the top of the vent is more diagonal, others it’s more horizontal. The method is still the same. The tailors tacks get placed along the seam line (1/2 inch in from the raw edge).

Go back down through the fabric at the top of the marking and then come back up ⅛ inch under where you last inserted the needle. Pull part way through, however leave a loop of thread.

Cut the thread leaving a tail of about 2 inches.

Repeat for the rest of the vent markings on both the skirt and lining pieces.

Stay stitch just inside the seam allowance of the left back skirt.

Repeat for the right back and both Lining Back pieces.

NOTE – If you haven’t done stay stitching before, it is where you stitch inside the seam allowance so that it won’t be seen on the finished garment. It is just to stabilize the fabric and isn’t actually stitching anything together. You will only be stitching through one layer of fabric to stop it from stretching or moving around.

Unzip your invisible zipper. Place it teeth face down onto your ironing board.

What you want to do here is iron the zip so the teeth are as unfolded as possible. The best way I find to do this is press the teeth towards the center with my fingers gently, then butt the iron up against them before sliding the iron along the rest of the zip. The zip will look a little odd now, but the teeth should now lay flat (vs being curled upwards as they are when the zip is done up).

NOTE – Use a warm dry (no steam) iron. Be careful not to iron directly on top of the teeth as it can damage or melt them. The goal is just to flatten the zip a little to make it easier to attach.

Press a ½ inch seam allowance along each center edge of the skirt.

Unfold the seam allowance. With the skirt right side up, place your zipper teeth side down onto the skirt.

Line the zipper teeth up with the folded seam allowance and so that the top stop is 5/8 inch down from the top raw edge. Pin the left side of the zip to the skirt.

TIP – Take a moment here to check you’ve got the correct side of the zip on the correct side of the skirt. Also, that the zip and dress are right sides together.

INVISIBLE ZIPPER FOOT OPTION – If you have an invisible zipper foot, put this on your machine now. Line up the zipper teeth in the left side groove of your foot. Stitch from the top of the zipper all the way down to the notch. 

REGULAR ZIPPER FOOT OPTION – If you don’t have an invisible zipper foot, install your regular zipper foot. Stitch the zip to the skirt, as close to the zipper teeth as you can. Stitch from the top of the zipper all the way down to the pattern notch.

NOTE – The notch is the little marking on the center back edge of the pattern piece which says ‘Zip’. This is where your zip will end.

Close the zipper and then place a pin on the right zipper tape where the bottom of the stitching is. This pin will line up with the notch to ensure that your zipper stays lined up when you sew it to the right side of the skirt.

Repeat steps 4.4 to 4.5 with the right zipper tape on the right side of the skirt.

It may feel awkward but do still stitch from the top of the skirt downwards, stopping at the notch.

TIP – If your zipper is longer than you need, you can hand sew around the zipper to make a new zipper stop. Then trim your zipper down to the length you need.

Close the zipper and make sure that it is not visible from the right side. If there is a gap that shows your zipper, you can sew another line of stitching closer to the zipper teeth. You do not need to remove your first line of stitching.

Now you will stitch the back seam from the end of the zipper stitching down to the tailor’s tack you made at the vent using a ½ inch seam allowance. 

TIP – Use your zipper foot for this step. It will make it easier to continue the down from the bottom of the zipper stitches.

Open the zipper and place your skirt correct side of fabric up.

Flip the right side of the skirt over so that you can see the zipper tape and the rest of the center back seam.

Place the back right lining piece on top of the back left outer skirt piece, with the correct sides of fabric together.

….this may seem odd to have the right with left , but keep going ….remember the note about labelling the back pieces so they are the correct way when looking at them, not as when worn.

Match the edge of the lining with the edge of the zipper tape and pin together. Make sure to place a pin or mark on your fabric where the zipper notch is (e.g. where you’re stitching for the zip stops).

Stitch down to the zipper notch using your zipper foot. Do not stitch past the zipper notch.

This will attach the back right lining to the zipper tape so that when we turn it through later, all the raw edges are neatly hidden.

TIP – When you have stitched about half way down, leave the needle in the down position and then lift up your presser foot. Close up the zipper and continue stitching. This allows you to stitch all the way down to the notch without the zipper pull getting in the way.

Repeat steps 4.9 to 4.10 for the other side of the lining. This time baste the lining in place first. 

Then check to make sure that the facing seams are lined up.  Then when you are happy with it, stitch in place and pull your basting stitches out.

Now you will stitch the back seam of the lining from the end of the zipper stitching down to the tailor’s tack you made at the vent.

To do this, separate the skirt from the lining. Place lining pieces right sides together and the skirt pieces right sides together. 

NOTE – The vent pieces won’t match up at this stage. They will look strange. Just leave these, we will only be stitching from the zipper notch down to the tailors tack at the beginning of the vent.

Stitch from the zipper notch down to the tailors tack at the vent using a ½ inch seam allowance.

Then open the skirt out flat again to check the zip and back seam is complete and neat from the waist down to the vent section.

The method we have used here to finish the back vent is a very traditional one and gives a beautiful finish. If you have a different method you would prefer to use to finish the back vent, do this now and skip to step 6. Otherwise follow below the next few steps, keeping in mind that for our tutorial we have labelled the back pattern pieces by the way you look at them when making up, not how as worn. 

TIP – If you are unsure which piece is left and which is right, please refer to your pattern pieces. It’s important to get them the correct way around or the vent will not line up easily.

Arrange your skirt so that the linings are right sides together and the main skirt is right sides together.

On the right lining only, clip into the two angles. These are marked in blue on the first photo.

You will need to clip in at a 45 degree angle from the seam allowance. Use the very tip of your scissors for maximum control. You will only be cutting one layer of fabric.

You are snipping from the seam allowance into the Tailors Tack. Do not snip all the way up to the tack, but instead, as close to it as you can comfortably get. This is to allow the fabric to be opened easily in a later step.

Press the center back seam above where you have snipped open. Leave the fabric flat below the snip. There is a zoomed in photo below to show this.

NOTE – The blue lines below are not stitching, they are to denote the seam allowance so you can see how far in to snip. The tailors tacks are right on the seam allowance so snip as close to them as you can without actually touching them.

Cut into the left lining only at the 2 angles as you did on the right lining, using the point of your scissors for maximum control.

You need to snip at a 45 degree angle from the corner of the seam allowance in to the Tailors Tack, going as close to it as you can, without actually touching the tack. You will only be cutting one layer of fabric.

On the main skirt, clip the 45 degree angles going through both layers at the same time, from seam allowance to just before the tailors tack on the inner and outer parts of the vent as picture

Lay your skirt with the lining side up. 

Take your left lining piece and fold it over so it is right sides together with the right lining piece.

Pin the left lining piece vent to the skirt underneath, making sure to match up the tailors tacks. You will be pinning through two layers of fabric only.

Stitch from the tailors tack along the short edge of the vent and down the long edge to the end of the lining.

NOTE – Your main skirt will be ½ inch longer than the lining. This is correct. The extra length is for the hem.

We will now be sewing the other side of the vent. 

Match the tailors tack from the back right lining piece to the tailors tack on the back left piece. 

Once the tailors tacks are lined up, pin down the vent and stitch. You will be stitching through 2 layers of fabric only (the back right lining piece and the back left skirt piece).

TIP – If you are unsure if you have the correct pieces for this step, stitch using a temporary basting stitch, turn the garment right side out as in step 5.7, check it and then turn back through and stitch it using a normal straight stitch.

With the lining side up, reach in between the layers and push the vent out so that it now overlaps the other side of the vent. Press this seam flat. 

Grab the angled piece at the top of the vent, slide it into the opening and press.

Baste along the angled fold to keep all the layers in place. 

Then move the lining out of the way and reach in between to grab the angled piece from the inside. 

Stitch along the angle as close to the basting as possible. 

Carefully remove the basting stitches and all of the tailor’s tacks.

If you are doing the OPTIONAL Ties, follow the steps below. Otherwise skip to step 7.

NOTE – The Tie pattern pieces come to a central point on each Tie. If you prefer, you can cut them the same length but on an angle to the side as per the photos below.

Pin the Ties right sides together. Stitch along one of the long edges, around the pointed side and down the other long edge. Leave the short edge open for turning.

Clip corners, turn and press.

Topstitch around the long edges and pointed edge.

Pin the open edge of the Tie to either side of the Front Skirt and baste to hold in place using a ¼ inch seam allowance. 

The top edge of the Tie should be ½ inch down from the top edge of the skirt to allow for the seam allowance when we finish the waistline.

Unzip the zipper and then take the lining and flip it to the other side of the skirt through the opened zipper. 

Pin the lining to the main skirt and stitch along the top edge using a ½ inch seam allowance.

Clip the corners and turn right side out. Press.

Repeat steps 7.1 to 7.2 for the other side of the back of the skirt.

Pin the Front Skirt to the Front Lining along the top edge and stitch together. Turn right side out and press.

Pull your lining and skirt apart so they are flat and not together.

With the right sides together, pin the front to the back along the side seam. 

Stitch both the skirt and the lining side seam using a ½ inch seam allowance.

FIT CHECK – Try the skirt on and check the fit. If you are at the lower end of your size range, you may need to adjust the side seam by making your seam allowance larger, so the skirt is tighter. If you are unsure, try it on, pin, baste the seam and try on again to confirm. 

Press the seam allowance open.

Repeat step 8.1 for the other side seam.

SERGER / OVERLOCKER OPTION – If you are using a serger, serge along the bottom edge with a ¼ inch seam allowance. Turn the hem under ½ inch, press and topstitch in place.

REGULAR SEWING MACHINE OPTION – Follow the steps below:

Turn the hem under ¼ inch and press.

Turn the hem under another ½ inch and press. 

The raw edges of the lining will now be enclosed in the folds. 

Then topstitch or hand stitch in place by stitching close to the folded edge. 

TIP – If you are going to topstitch using your sewing machine, you want your stitching to be the same distance from the bottom of the skirt as much as possible so that it looks nice and neat from the outside. To do this, use your presser foot or a marking on your foot plate on your sewing machine to line up your fabric so you get a nice even stitch all the way around.