I’ve had a few people asking if the Boxgrove Skirt is available in a longer length. This is a fairly common question about skirt patterns in general, so I thought I’d provide a quick tutorial on how to lengthen skirt patterns, using the Boxgrove as an example.

Although I’ll be using the Boxgrove Skirt, these basic principles can be used for most skirt patterns, and you can also lengthen some dress patterns using the same techniques.

There are two basic ways to lengthen a skirt pattern:
1) Extend the side seam lines downwards.
2) Split the pattern in half across the hip and insert a new section.

There are pro’s and con’s to each method, so let’s have a look at both.

Lengthen A Skirt Pattern - extending the Side Seam Method

This is the simplest approach and works best if the skirt is fairly narrow to start with, like the Boxgrove, as it gives more fullness to the bottom of the skirt, enabling freer movement. If you are wanting to lengthen a very full skirt, this method is less appropriate as you run the risk of making the pattern too large for your fabric, especially if you need to lengthen it considerably.

Here’s how to lengthen a skirt using this method.

First, place your pattern piece onto the fabric in the position you wish to cut. The piece in the picture is placed to a fold.
Measure down from the hem of the pattern the amount you wish to lengthen your skirt by.

Draw a line parallel to the existing hem.

Then extend the side seam following the angle of the pattern piece with your ruler.

It should look like this.

Add any extra hem allowance, and finally pin the pattern piece in place before cutting out.

Then just repeat the same process for the front skirt. With the Boxgrove, this piece is not cut on the fold. When you are finished it should look something like this. Just pin and cut out.

And that’s it!

Now let’s take a look at the second method.

Lengthen A Skirt Pattern - Split And Insert Method

The second method works well if you just wish to extend the skirt length by a small amount, or if you need to extend the length of a very full skirt. It’s less well suited to narrow skirts, as it can make the overall fit too narrow and impede movement.

Here’s how to lengthen a skirt using the split & insert method.

Draw a line across your pattern, just below the hip, and at a right angle to the fold line.

Cut the pattern along this line.

Place the top piece of your pattern onto your fabric where you’d like to cut it out. Measure down from the bottom of this piece by the amount you’d like to lengthen your skirt. Place the bottom half of your pattern piece here , keeping it in line with the top section.
(Using pattern weights will help to keep your pieces in place while marking out the alteration, alternatively you could pin the pieces at this point).

At the side seam draw a line from the bottom of your top pattern piece to the hem of your bottom piece. Then simply pin and cut out. In this example, the piece should be cut on the fold.

For the front skirt pieces, we need to ensure that the cut is made at the same distance from the top of the pattern as it was for the back piece. So measure down from the top of the pattern such that you place the cut line at the same distance from the top as for the back piece.

Cut the pattern piece across the line as before.

Then simply repeat the same process to extend the front skirt section by the same measurement as you did the back section. Finally pin and cut out.

That’s it, your skirt pattern is lengthened!

Hope that was helpful. You can also check out our latest skirt patterns below.

Sussex Seamstress is an independent pattern maker, based in Sussex, UK.

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