The Assembly Line Sewing Patterns • Skirts

Skirts are definitely having a moment this season, many of my favourite ready to wear brands have some great shapes this season including a-line, maxi and asymmetric. The Assembly Line have several skirt sewing patterns to choose from and so I've matched some of my favourite skirt shapes, pictured below, to their patterns.

I've seen a beautiful asymmetric wrap skirt from the Uniqlo collaboration with Comptoir des Cotonniers, with a wrap detail at the front in a really dark greyed off blue, almost an airforce blue, see model below right.

The Asymmetric Skirt sewing pattern by The Assembly Line achieves a very similar look, it wraps around the front and has different length front pieces that create a modern asymmetric silhouette. It features back darts to ensure a good fit and a rounded waistband that closes with snap buttons in the sides. The fabric looks structured, and I think our Cotton Plain Weaves would be perfect for this style. 

There are some beautiful maxi skirts around this season, including the one shown below from Cos. I love that they've used a tightly woven fabric to give the skirt a structured silhouette, however if this look isn't for you this could easily be softened by using a fabric with more drape.

The Elastic Waist Maxi Skirt sewing pattern is a great match for this style. Both have an elasticated waist, the sewing pattern uses a 10cm wide elastic, however if you feel that this is perhaps too wide you can easily reduce it to 5cm. Both feature decorative top stitching which really elevates the elasticated waistband and creates a modern look. For a structured look, this skirt would look very impactful made up in the Dandy Velvet fabrics by Atelier Brunette. So much so that I've added it to my 'to make' list in the Night colourway. 

Over on Instagram, this lovely three pleat skirt pictured below keeps popping up in my feed. From Italian brand Lunatica Milano, it looks fantastic no matter what fabric it's made up in whether that be plains, textures or large scale florals.

 A lengthened version of the Three Pleat Skirt sewing pattern by The Assembly Line would achieve the same look. It has a pleated front and a plain back which gives a flattering fit and it falls to just below the knee but could be lengthened relatively easily. The sample made by The Assembly Line is in the Cotton Plain Weave in Black which works perfectly.

Finally I've seen several quilted skirts over the past two seasons including the fabulous version below from Japanese brand Taion. I love the idea of elevating a relatively simple shape with the use of an unexpected fabric.

The A-Line Midi Skirt sewing pattern by The Assembly Line has the perfect shape to re-create this style. As the name suggests it has an A-line fit and is detailed with an elasticated waistband and side slant pockets. The pattern comes with several versions to choose from - the regular elasticated waistband, the paper bag waistband with belt loops and a belt, the regular straight hemline, the rounded hemline and the elasticated hemline. As you can see, this is a really useful and versatile sewing pattern.

I liked the idea so much that I made my own version using our Mind the MAKER Thelma Quilted fabrics in Black. Shown pictured below, I tweaked this pattern slightly having contacted Anki, the founder of The Assembly Line. Because of the vertical stitch lines I tilted the pattern pieces for the skirt so that it was cut on the fold. I also swapped the side slant pockets for in-seam pockets using the non quilted version of the same fabric to make it less bulky and am really pleased with the finished skirt. Other fabrics that would work well include the Cotton Plain Weaves and Denims, I think this shape will work well in most mid weight fabrics. 

I hope this has inspired you and given you some ideas for your next sewing project. For me, the Elastic Waist Maxi Skirt in the Dandy Velvet is definitely going to be next on my list... or maybe the Asymmetric Skirt in the Dark Navy Plain Weave....