Holyoke Maxi Dress and Skirt Sewalong: Day 9

Welcome back to the Holyoke Maxi Dress and Skirt sewalong! Last time, we sewed the button plackets and attached our waistband. Today we’re finished up the skirt by hemming and sewing on our buttons!

(Need to jump to a different day? Head over to the main Holyoke Maxi Dress and Skirt sewalong page.)

Let’s start by hemming the skirt. We’re going to first fold up the hem to the wrong side by 1” (2.5 cm) and press.

Let’s fold it over again, this time by 1 1/2” (3.8 cm) and press. Pin that in place or use Wonder Tape.

Time to sew our hem! Topstitch from the right side, but check as you go to make sure you’re catching the folded edge in the back.

For our final step, we’re going to sew on our buttons and also sew the button plackets closed at the same time. You can make the button placket functional by sewing button holes into the left side (as worn) of the skirt, but we don’t need to (thanks to the elasticated back waistband!) so we’re just going to sew our button plackets closed.

I’m going to grab the front center skirt pattern piece and use it to mark the placements of the button with chalk on the left side of the skirt (as worn). Don’t forget to place one of the buttons at the center of the waistband.

Line up the left button placket over the right button placket. As we sew our buttons on, we’re going to go through both plackets to sew them closed.

Time to sew on the buttons!

You may also want to hand-stitch the two button plackets closed between the waistband and the first button or two, as the skirt has a tendency to stretch here and pull the two button bands apart.

And now our skirt is done and it’s time to try it on! Depending on your fabric and your body shape, you may need to put the skirt on over you head instead of stepping into it.

You are a sewing sensation in your new Holyoke Skirt! Give yourself a pat on the back and go for a twirl around your sewing room!

Now your next step is to take a photo of your finished Holyoke and share with us on social media using the hashtag #HolyokeSkirt. We can wait to see your maxi skirts!