Hi! This is Veronica from sewVery, and today I’m sharing my daughter’s latest Schoolday Skirt with you. This is another great Blank Slate Pattern that can help you add a stylish staple piece to your child’s school or everyday wardrobe.
As I mentioned in my first team post last August, my daughter’s school dress code requires she wear standard school attire. This means she can wear shorts, pants, and skirts as long as they are black, navy, or khaki. Previously, I sewed for her school wardrobe two pair of Clean Slate Shorts but added bow pockets on the back. This time, however, she wanted a new skirt, and I chose to stick straight to the pattern and make her a new, khaki 100% cotton twill Schoolday Skirt.
I must admit that I’ve made this skirt before (read about it here) using a lightweight denim, and since Ella still wears it, I knew she would love one she could wear to school. Although the denim version is a size 5 and still fits in the waist because I used adjustable buttonhole elastic in it, the skirt is getting a little short. For her new Schoolday Skirt, I compared her latest measurements to the sizing chart and chose to sew up a size 7. The length is spot on and the waist and hip areas of the skirt fit well with a bit of growing room.
Most little girls love a skirt or dress that flares when they twirl, and the pleated Schoolday Skirt definitely fits the bill! The first thing Ella did when she tried it on was spin and spin and spin making this skirt a definite win-win-win!
You might think that all those pleats make this a difficult skirt to sew, but actually, the Schoolday Skirt is really very easy to make! Melissa’s pattern instructions and photos make it a cinch to mark and fold all those pleats correctly. So don’t be intimidated by all those pleats! Trust me!
The skirt has a flat front waistband with 4 buttons to secure the closure. Personally, I made buttonholes so that Ella could unbutton the front if needed, but honestly, I don’t think she has ever had to do that on the first skirt I made her. Since the back waistband is elastic, she has always been able to just pull the skirt on and off. So if you aren’t fond of sewing buttonholes, simply sew the buttons on to secure the front to the side front panels. I think it would work fine.
Here is a recap of the features of the Schoolday Skirt pattern:
- Sizes 18 months to 8 years
- 1 to 1 1/3 yards of fabric required (depending on size)
- Flat front
- Back elastic waistband
- Pleats
- 4 – 3/4″ buttons
- Buttonholes
- Easy to sew
Ella enjoyed wearing her new Blank Slate Patterns Schoolday Skirt to school this week. She received lots of compliments from the teachers on her new skirt (which we both love to hear), and she was comfortable and the most stylish kid in her class!
Now I’m off to make another Schoolday Skirt in black or navy!
