Free Lana Pencil Skirt Pattern: Sew a Stunning Fitted Skirt at Home
There is something endlessly satisfying about a well-made pencil skirt. It is one of those wardrobe staples that has never really gone out of style — it was elegant in the 1950s, powerful in the boardrooms of the 1980s, and it remains just as relevant today. The tailored silhouette flatters a wide range of body types, transitions seamlessly from office to evening, and pairs with nearly everything in your closet. If you have been wanting to sew your own, the Lana Pencil Skirt pattern is a wonderful place to start. This free pattern is designed for sewists of all experience levels, and with the right guidance, you can go from fabric selection to finished skirt in a single weekend.
In this post, you will find everything you need to bring the Lana Pencil Skirt to life, including a breakdown of the pattern pieces, fabric suggestions, cutting instructions, step-by-step sewing guidance, fitting tips, and ideas for customizing the design to make it your own. Whether you are sewing your very first skirt or adding to an already impressive handmade wardrobe, this guide is here to walk you through every stage of the process.
What Is the Lana Pencil Skirt Pattern?
The Lana Pencil Skirt is a classic fitted skirt pattern that sits at the natural waist and falls to just below the knee. It features a smooth, structured silhouette that is achieved through careful dart placement and a center back seam with a kick pleat that allows for easy movement. The pattern includes a waistband, an invisible zipper closure at the center back, and a fully lined interior for a polished, professional finish.
What makes this pattern particularly appealing is its versatility. In a heavy wool crepe, it reads as a formal work piece. In a bright floral cotton, it becomes something playful and summery. The construction is straightforward enough that intermediate beginners will feel confident, while experienced sewists will appreciate the clean lines and the opportunity to work on their fitting skills.
The free Lana Pencil Skirt pattern is available in sizes 0 through 20, drafted for a hip measurement of 34 to 46 inches. If your measurements fall outside that range, there is a section later in this post on grading up or down.
Fabric Selection: Choosing the Right Material
Choosing the right fabric is one of the most important decisions you will make before you cut a single piece. Because a pencil skirt relies on structure to hold its shape, the fabric you choose will significantly impact how the finished garment looks and moves.
Woven fabrics are the traditional choice for pencil skirts, and for good reason. They hold their shape well and are easier to press into the clean seam lines that define this silhouette. Excellent woven options include:
Ponte knit is a popular choice for beginners because it has a small amount of stretch, which makes fitting easier and gives the skirt a little extra comfort. It behaves like a woven but forgives minor fit issues without the same risk of pulling or dragging.
Wool crepe is the classic suiting option. It drapes beautifully, presses sharply, and gives a polished, elevated result. It is a little harder to find and more expensive, but if you want a skirt that looks truly professional, this fabric delivers.
Cotton twill or denim works beautifully for a more casual version of the Lana. A medium-weight fabric in the 6 to 8 ounce range will give you a structured result without being stiff or heavy.
Satin and charmeuse can be used for a dressier skirt, though they require more careful handling during cutting and sewing and do not press as sharply as woven suiting fabrics.
Avoid fabrics with a lot of vertical stretch unless they are labeled as stable knits, as they can cause the hemline to drop unevenly or the skirt to grow longer with wear.
How much fabric do you need? For most sizes, you will need 1.5 to 2 yards of your main fabric and an equal amount of lining. If your fabric has a print or a plaid that needs to be matched at the seams, buy an extra half yard to give yourself room to align the pattern correctly.
Supplies and Tools
Before you begin cutting, gather everything you need so the process goes smoothly from start to finish.
You will need your printed and assembled Lana Pencil Skirt pattern pieces, which can be downloaded from the link at the bottom of this post. You will also need your main fabric, lining fabric, and a medium-weight fusible interfacing for the waistband. An invisible zipper approximately 22 inches long, a hook and bar closure for the waistband, and matching thread complete the hardware list.
For tools, have on hand sharp fabric scissors or a rotary cutter with a cutting mat, sewing pins or fabric clips, a seam ripper (every sewist’s best friend), an iron and ironing board, and a sewing machine with an invisible zipper foot. A tailor’s ham and a seam roll are not strictly necessary but make pressing darts and curved seams much easier.
Printing and Assembling the Pattern
The Lana Pencil Skirt pattern is formatted as a print-at-home PDF. Print all pages at 100% scale, without any page scaling or fit-to-page settings enabled. Each page includes a 1-inch test square — measure this before assembling the pages to confirm your printer scaled the pattern correctly.
Once printed, trim the edges of the pages along the marked trim lines and tape the pages together, matching the alignment marks. When fully assembled, the pattern includes the following pieces: a front skirt panel, a back skirt panel (cut on fold for the upper portion, with a seam below the pleat opening), a waistband, and a lining front and back.
All seam allowances are 5/8 inch unless otherwise noted. The hemline includes a 1.5-inch seam allowance.
Cutting Your Fabric
Prewash and press your fabric before cutting. This is a step many beginners skip, but it is genuinely important. Most fabrics, particularly cotton and wool blends, will shrink the first time they are washed. If you skip prewashing, your finished skirt may shrink after its first laundering and no longer fit as intended.
Fold your fabric with right sides together and lay it flat on your cutting surface. Arrange the pattern pieces according to the layout diagram included with the pattern. Pay close attention to the grain line arrows on each pattern piece and align them parallel to the selvage.
Cut the following pieces from your main fabric: one front panel (cut on fold), two back panels, and one waistband (cut on fold). Cut the same pieces from your lining fabric, omitting the waistband. Cut one waistband piece from your interfacing.
Transfer all markings — dart legs, notches, and zipper placement marks — to your fabric using tailor’s chalk or a water-soluble marking pen.
Sewing the Lana Pencil Skirt: Step by Step
Step One: Fuse the Interfacing and Sew the Darts
Begin by fusing the interfacing to the wrong side of the waistband piece, following the manufacturer’s instructions for heat and press time.
Next, sew the darts on the front and back skirt panels. The Lana pattern includes two front darts and two back darts. Fold each dart along the center fold line with right sides together, matching the dart legs. Stitch from the wide end of the dart toward the point, ending with a few hand stitches or a very small machine stitch to secure the tip. Do not backstitch at the dart point, as this creates a small bump that is visible on the right side of the fabric.
Press the front darts toward the center and the back darts toward the center back seam. Use your tailor’s ham for pressing so the curve of the dart is not flattened.
Step Two: Sew the Side Seams
With right sides together, pin the front panel to the back panels at the side seams, matching the notches. Stitch the side seams and press them open. At this stage your skirt should look like a tube — open at the top and bottom, and open at the center back.
Repeat this step for the lining pieces.
Step Three: Install the Invisible Zipper
Installing an invisible zipper is the step that makes many sewists nervous, but with a little patience and the right foot, it is very manageable.
Press the zipper tape with a warm iron to uncurl the zipper coil, which makes sewing it close to the teeth much easier. With the skirt right side up and the zipper face down, position the zipper along the right side of the center back seam, aligning the zipper stop with the waistline seam allowance. Using your invisible zipper foot, stitch the zipper tape to the right back panel as close to the coil as possible.
Close the zipper and bring the left back panel to meet the other half of the zipper tape. Open the zipper again and stitch the second side in the same way. Finish by stitching the remainder of the center back seam below the zipper using a regular presser foot, backstitching carefully to meet the end of the zipper stitching.
Step Four: Sew the Kick Pleat
The kick pleat at the center back hem is one of the Lana’s most practical design details. It gives you the freedom to take full strides without straining the skirt.
The center back seam is sewn as a standard seam down to the pleat opening mark, then the extensions are folded and pressed according to the pattern instructions. Baste across the top of the pleat to hold it in place temporarily until the lining is attached.
Step Five: Attach the Lining
With the main skirt right side out and the lining wrong side out, slip the lining inside the skirt so the wrong sides are together. Match the side seams and the center back. Baste the lining to the skirt along the waistline within the seam allowance.
At the center back zipper, fold the lining edges under and hand-slip-stitch them to the zipper tape on each side. This gives the inside of the skirt a neat, finished appearance.
Step Six: Attach the Waistband
Fold the waistband in half along the long edge with right sides together and stitch the short ends. Clip the corners, turn right side out, and press.
With right sides together, pin the unfolded long edge of the waistband to the top of the skirt, matching center front, side seams, and center back edges. Stitch along the waistline. Trim and grade the seam allowance, then fold the waistband over to the inside of the skirt. The interfaced side of the waistband should sit against the inside of the skirt. Slip-stitch the inner edge of the waistband to the waistline seam by hand, or stitch in the ditch from the right side for a quicker finish.
Attach a hook and bar to the waistband extensions to complete the closure.
Step Seven: Hem the Skirt and Lining
Try on the skirt and mark your preferred hem length. The pattern is drafted to fall just below the knee, but you can adjust this to suit your preference. A knee-length or midi version of the Lana works just as beautifully.
Trim the hem allowance to 1.5 inches, press it up, and finish the raw edge with a serger, zigzag stitch, or Hong Kong finish. Slip-stitch or machine-stitch the hem in place.
Hem the lining approximately one inch shorter than the main skirt hem so it does not show below the hemline.
Fitting Tips for a Perfect Pencil Skirt
Fit is everything when it comes to a pencil skirt. Even small fitting issues are visible in a skirt with this much structure. Here are a few adjustments you may need to make.
If you have a full seat, you may find that the back of the skirt pulls horizontally across the hip and upper thigh. Adding a small amount of width to the center back seam and blending it into the waist can resolve this. Similarly, if you have a smaller seat relative to your waist measurement, you may have excess fabric at the back — reducing the width of the center back will help.
If horizontal wrinkles appear below the waistband at the front, you likely need a sway back adjustment. Remove a small horizontal wedge from the center back, just below the waistband, and re-stitch.
If the skirt feels tight across the hips but fits well at the waist, adding a small amount to the side seams at the widest point and blending up to the waistline and down to the hem will give you the room you need.
Always make a muslin — a test version in inexpensive fabric — before cutting into your good material, especially if you know you have fitting challenges.
Customizing the Lana Pencil Skirt
One of the great pleasures of sewing your own clothing is the ability to make it exactly what you want. The Lana pattern is a beautiful blank canvas.
You can add patch pockets or welt pockets to the front or sides for practicality. A contrast waistband in a bold color or a complementary print adds a striking design detail. You can experiment with hem length — a midi version that falls to mid-calf has a very different feel from the classic just-below-the-knee cut. A leather or faux leather version of the Lana makes for an edgy, fashion-forward piece that pairs beautifully with an oversized sweater.
For an evening version, try a jacquard, brocade, or a metallic woven. For a casual weekend version, a chambray or a soft cotton poplin will keep things relaxed and easy.
Care Instructions
Always follow the care instructions for your specific fabric. Most wool and wool-blend skirts benefit from dry cleaning or careful hand-washing in cool water. Cotton and ponte versions can generally be machine-washed on a gentle cycle and hung to dry. Always store your finished skirt hanging, not folded, to prevent unwanted creases in the structured fabric.
Download the Free Lana Pencil Skirt Pattern
The Lana Pencil Skirt pattern is available as a free download in sizes 0 through 20. Click the link below to access the PDF, which includes all pattern pieces, a size chart, a measurement guide, and a full illustrated instruction booklet.
Whether you are sewing this skirt for a job interview, a dinner date, or just because you wanted something beautiful and well-made in your wardrobe, the Lana is a pattern worth keeping. It is the kind of thing you will sew once in every fabric you love, and still want to sew it again. Happy sewing.
