Hello dear ones,
Today, I’d like to sew the wonderful “Umi” skirt from the BERNINA Inspiration magazine with you. “Umi” is a long wrap skirt with pleats. It is closed with buckles or duffle coat fasteners, which is a really great detail. Something a little different. Depending on the fabric, the skirt is perfect for year-round wear. Muted patterns are great for winter, while bright and bold patterns make a striking impression in summer. I decided to go with a slightly wintery version in classic plaid. I’ll also show you how to make your own fastener to match.
Sewing the “Umi” Skirt – Let’s Get Started
Materials
First, you need the pattern for this skirt. You can find the pattern in a previous issue of the BERNINA Inspiration magazine or online for purchase.
Here’s the link to the relevant issue of the magazine: inspiration Issue 3/2022
Here’s the link to download the pattern as an individual pattern: Individual Pattern “Umi” Skirt
To sew the skirt, you’ll need a flowing fabric like viscose. The amount needed will depend on size and pattern, but it’s generally two to three times the length of the skirt.
Additionally, you’ll need:
- Interfacing G710
- 2x Duffle coat fasteners or leather scraps, 2x D-rings, and 2x ball fasteners
- 2x snap fasteners
- Fabric marker or tailor’s chalk
- Wondertape or water-soluble washi tape
Step 1: Pleating
First, pin and sew the pleats of the skirt. Following the markings you transferred from the pattern, fold the pleats on the skirt pieces. The direction of the pleats is also indicated in the pattern.
Then, fix the pleats in place within your seam allowance using the sewing machine.
Step 2: Hemming the Front Edges
Before hemming the front edges, it’s a good idea to overlock all the edges with an overlocker if you’re using a fabric that frays easily. I used the wide 3-thread overlock stitch for this. Be sure not to cut into the seam allowance!
Then, press the seam allowance of your skirt’s front edges to the left. For me, it was 4cm. I then folded the overlocked edge another 2cm on the inside to give the skirt a neat look from the inside. Next, sew the edge with a straight stitch from the right side, leaving the bottom 10-15cm open as these will be closed when hemming.
Step 3: Attach Outer Waistband Pieces and Close Side Seams
Here, I am deviating from the instructions in the magazine. I personally prefer this version, but feel free to follow the method from the magazine if you prefer.
First, I sewed the outer waistband pieces to the corresponding skirt parts. The seam allowances at the front edges extend beyond the overlocked edge.
Next, I closed the side seams of the skirt. To do this, place the front pieces right sides together with the back piece and sew along the sides.
Step 4: Prepare Inner Waistband Pieces
Now, prepare the inner waistband pieces for the “Umi” skirt. First, fuse all the inner waistband pieces with interfacing according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Next, sew the two front waistband pieces right sides together with the back waistband piece.
Press the seam allowances of the sides open. The allowance at the bottom edge is pressed to the wrong side of the fabric.
Step 5: Attach Inner Waistband
Now, sew the inner waistband to the “Umi” skirt. Pin the inner waistband right sides together to the already attached outer waistband. The folded lower edge should be sewn as it was pre-pressed.
Start at one of the front edges. Begin exactly at the hemmed edge of the front piece and sew the short edge. Then, sew completely along the upper edge, leaving the needle in the fabric. Next, sew the short edge down to the skirt’s waist. The seam should follow the extension of the hemmed edge. You may want to mark this with chalk before sewing.
Trim the seam allowances if necessary and turn the inner waistband to the inside of the skirt.
Press all the edges carefully and then pin the pre-pressed lower edge in place.
Now sew it in place along the seam, or alternatively, you can hand stitch the edge.
Step 6: Hem the “Umi” Skirt
Now you can hem the skirt. For this, fold the open edges of the front pieces (the ones that run vertically and are already hemmed for the last few centimeters) by your hem allowance to the right (for me, this was 4cm).
Then sew a stitch along the hemline (I chose 3cm, folding 1cm of the overlocked edge).
Trim the seam allowance at the corner and turn the front edge. Carefully shape the corner with a pointy object.
Now the remaining hem can be pinned and sewn in place. The edges of the front pieces can now also be sewn in the last few centimeters.
Step 7: Make the Duffle Coat Fastener
If you have a purchased fastener, you can skip this step and continue with step 8.
Unfortunately, I couldn’t find a fastener I liked. Most were too large or not washable. So, I decided to make one myself. It’s actually quite simple.
Cut two leather strips for each fastener. The width should fit your D-ring. The length can be customized to your preference. If you like, you can round the corners or cut them into a different shape.
If you like, you can also glue a piece of grosgrain ribbon on the inside of the leather with leather glue, so it won’t stretch as much over time. Leather is a natural material and may stretch depending on how it was tanned.
Now, attach a D-ring to one of the leather strips. Simply thread it through and it will sit in the fold. Pin the leather pieces with clips—avoid using pins as they leave holes. Leave the second strip for the fastener as it is for now.
Sew closely around the leather piece without the D-ring. For this, I used the Zipper Foot #54 with Glide Sole. It works well for transporting leather.
The leather piece with the D-ring is also sewn closely around the edges, but it remains folded with the D-ring in the fold.
Now, attach the long leather strap with the ball fastener (for me, it was screwed in) and cut a small slit in the other end of the long leather strap so that, when closed, the fold aligns exactly in the center of the leather strap. For the second fastener, follow the same steps.
Step 8: Attach the Duffle Coat Fastener to the “Umi” Skirt
Now, attach the fastener with the D-rings to the overlap of the “Umi” skirt. For this, Wondertape or water-soluble Washitape works well. Also mark the position on the underlap where the other part of the fastener will fall when closed. Mark these positions with chalk or a fabric marker.
Now, sew exactly along the previously marked seam all around. Repeat this for the second fastener.
The second part of the fastener, with the ball closure, is sewn on after it is unfolded. It is important that you have marked the correct position beforehand. Again, the water-soluble washitape is a big help here to prevent shifting. The zipper foot makes it easy to sew around the bulky ball fastener.
Now, sew two snap fasteners on the other side of the underlap to prevent it from hanging down due to the weight. Your “Umi” skirt is now ready to wear.
I wish you much joy in recreating this!
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