How to add a zipper to Cleo
Here's a modified version of the Cleo Skirt that I've been wearing a ton lately. Instead of using elastic, I gathered the back skirt to fit into a flat waistband, and added an invisible side zipper. The great news is that adding a zipper doesn't even interfere with the View A pocket!
Here's a how-to:
Cut out Front Skirt, Back skirt, and View A pockets according to pattern.
Cut out *two* Front Waistbands out of fabric (no back waistband)
Cut two Front Waistbands out of interfacing
Press and interface BOTH waistband pieces as directed for the front waistband in Step 1 of pattern
Attach and sew View A pockets as directed in Step 2
Choose which side you want your zipper on, then only sew the side seam of the *opposite* side.
Gather front and back skirts as directed in Step 4
Prepare waistband as directed in Step 5, but only sew together at one side. Try it on by putting it around your waist and pinning it together 1/2" from the ends to make sure it will fit (adjust length if necessary)
Attach the skirt to the waistband, matching side seams and adjusting skirt gathers to fit the front and back waistbands. Your skirt should look like this:
*TRY YOUR SKIRT ON* at this point, you'll want to make sure the waistband fits you just right, and that it stays where you want it on your waist. Safety pin the open side of the waistband 1/2" from the edge. Adjust your seam allowance if necessary!
Now you'll install a zipper. I used an 8" invisible zipper and just followed the package directions. I placed the top of my zipper at the fold in the waistband, with the 1/2" of zipper tape extending past the fold. Here's a good tutorial if you need a little guidance.
Once the zipper is installed, you can sew the rest of the side seam.
To finish the waistband, follow the directions in Steps 7-8; you can sew the whole waistband down at one time here because you don't need to add elastic! Hand stitch the waistband for a tidy finish at the zipper.
Hem skirt as directed, and you're done!
This version of Cleo has a couple of other modifications: it's a mashup of the View B length with View A pockets, and the skirt is a good bit more full than the pattern calls for. First, I cut out my pockets so that I could use almost all the rest of the fabric for the skirt. Instead of folding the fabric in half and cutting pockets out of two layers, I just cut them out separately, end to end, along one selvage of the fabric.For the front and back skirt pieces, I followed the View B length of the pattern pieces, but made them each the full width of the fabric that remained after cutting out the pockets. (This rayon is 54" wide, so the finished width of this skirt is well over 90"!)
I've had this Anna Maria Horner rayon stashed away for quite some time now (as evidenced by its total unavailability on the internet), and I'm so glad I finally got around to making a Cleo Skirt with it. Sometimes the simplest design is the best use for a lovely bold print like this; and rayon is simply delicious for a Cleo. Let us know if you try it yourself!
Use the tags #cleoskirt #raemademedoit and #madebyrae to share your creations on Instagram. We'd love to see them!