1000 Things to Do with a Sewing Machine / Denim / DESIGNIN' DENIM / Indie sewing patterns / Sewing / sewing machine feet / sewing patterns / Skirts

I’ve decided to make a denim skirt…

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from my Sewaholic Hollyburn skirt pattern.  I cut this pattern out last week from some 100% pre-washed cotton I found in my stash.  I still have a good metre or so left so I’ll have to think of another project for it.  Do any of you have a favourite tank top pattern that could use the remainder of my 100% cotton denim?

Since this is the fourth time I have cut out a Sewaholic Hollyburn, I think it is definitely one of my TNT patterns.

My skirt is coming together well.  The thought of topstitching and revits and Jeans buttons makes me SMILE!  

I started this skirt by making my interfaced back pockets.  I just cut a large rectangle shape, as the Hollyburn didn’t have a pattern piece for this.  I precisely measured for my angled corners.  I marked the centre point of the bottom with my Chaco liner and I measured two inches up on each side and made marks there too.

Here my corners are ready to be cut off at the marks.

I zig zagged the edges to prevent fraying and sewed down a 1 inch flap at the top, which I turned and pressed.  I then pressed a 1/2 ” hem all around the four sides. 

Pressing the pockets made them so sturdy, they could quite possibly stand up on their own. I love pressing fabric to mold it into a shape you desire!

I am so persnickety that I lie my finished pockets on top of each other every which way to double check that they are EXACTLY the same shape and size.  

I drew and sewed a few trial designs for my back pockets on scrap fabric, before making a decision on which to use.  Drawing the first line on with my Chaco liner (corner to corner) helped ensure that the first line and all that followed would be very straight.  I used my 1/4″ seam foot to topstitch my pocket design.

My finished back pocket design – simple, but I love it!

There are four seams on my skirt, all sewn on the diagonal – I want to make them all flat felled seams.  I sewed the front and back centre seams first.  I used a strip of interfacing to stabilize the seam.   If I wasn’t so lazy, I would have looked for my rotary cutter and cut uniform, straight strips of interfacing!


Pressing is important.   First I pressed the seam open.  Then I carefully cut one side of the seam allowance down to 1/4 inch.

Then I pressed the wider seam allowance over the narrower one.

I tucked the wider seam allowance under the narrower one and pressed again.

I sewed it down with my 1/4 ” seam foot and my topstitching thread.

Now on to the next steps!

Are you a fan of topstitching like me?  Do you have any tips to share?

Happy Sewing!

44 comments

  2. Ooo, someone else who likes top-stitching! I think this very much depends on your machine as to whether you like it or not. My old Singer, doesn’t mind top-stitch thread and it never causes me any pain, but I know there are plenty of machines that really hate top-stitch thread. Love your pocket design – simple but effective.

    Liked by 1 person

  4. Love top stitching, love that pocket detail. It’s very effective. I prefer to topstitch on the right side of the fabric so i know how the outside finished side looks. However your looks even anyway. Great job

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thanks! It might be hard to tell from the photos but I do topstitching on the right side. I use the topstitching thread on top and the bobbin has regular thread in it. It makes it run more smoothly through my machine and I find topstitching thread to be expensive so I’m not using it on the top and the bottom. I do like using my 1/4″ and edge sewing feet to help with the straight lines! 😊

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      1. Good grief. Did you press underneath then flip over and sew!!! Needed to have another look! Ok, so I would do it all from the front! That’s pretty tricky top stitching that you do! Again, looks great.

        Liked by 1 person

          1. That’s brilliantly sewn if you do it that way. I would just do it in reverse and press under and stitch all on the top side. I’m sure that there must be yet another way. If i find one I’ll let you know. It’s going to be a lovely skirt, looking forward to seeing it finished. 🙂

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              1. Hey I’m even older. As we both now it’s good to see new or other ways of doing one thing. In my mind, you’ve sewn the seam blind, if you see what I mean, and that’s really tricky!!

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  6. This is gonna look so cool! I just love your pockets! I love topstitching too, not a top stitching tip, but for pressing – I couldn’t live without my clapper!! It just makes everything so crisp and flat 🙂

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  7. I really like the diagonal pattern on the pocket that you did with the red thread. Your pockets are perfect and that seam is so clean. 👍👏👏

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  9. You are doing an amazing job on the skirt, can’t wait to see the final results. I have always been nervous to try sewing with denim, your post is inspiring me to face my fear. Cheers, Michele

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      1. Between my procrastination (I’ve never made real trousers, never mind jeans before) and general loss of sew-jo they haven’t been finished or blogged yet. Hopefully I’ll get some work done soon and put some pics on twitter or instagram in the meantime……I’m going to do a quick afternoon project when the jeans are done….I’m no fan of topstitching!

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  12. Ooooh this does look gratifying! How do you do the rivets? Do you have a special tool or do you do some old-fashioned hammering? I have never done any, although my daughter did some grommets on a costume recently, the hammering method. I am intimidated…

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  13. Oh, this is going to look fabulous! I do the same thing with pockets to make sure they match perfectly..love your topstitched design too!

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  15. So far, it is beautiful! The pockets are so cool!! I don’t mind topstitching (or flat felled seams, for that matter–they always look so clean and professional when done well), but haven’t had tons of occasions to do it yet. (But with more jeans on my to-sew list, that will change!) It really does add an extra touch to a garment, so I can see why you love the look. =)

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