How to Make a Leather Skirt Bigger

If your skirt is too long, determine the newly desired length of the skirt. Measure and mark the new length around the bottom of the skirt with a piece of chalk.

Use a sharp pair of scissors to cut along the chalk lines.

To determine how much extra you'll need to add to the width of your skirt, measure the circumference around the largest part of your hips and write this measurement down. Now measure across the skirt at the same hip area, multiply this number by 2 to get the circumference of the skirt, and write this number down. Subtract the circumference of the skirt from the circumference of your hips. This is the amount of extra width you'll need.

Now determine how wide you'd like the fabric panel to be. Add an inch for the two 1/2-inch seam allowances of the fabric panel.

To determine how much to cut from the front of your skirt, you'll need to do some math. First write down the desired width of your fabric panel, then subtract how much you'll need for the extra width of your skirt that you determined in Step 3. Then subtract an inch for the two 1/2-inch seam allowances in the leather.

Use a sharp pair of scissors to cut along the chalk lines.

Cut out the width of the fabric panel using your measurements from Step 4. Add an inch to the length for a 1/2-inch hem on the top and the bottom.

Use a zig zag stitch to finish the edges of the fabric panel, or you can finish the edges with a serger, if you're lucky enough to have one.

Hem the top and the bottom of the panel by first pressing 1/2 inch toward the wrong side of the fabric.

Pin the hem in place, and then sew the hem in place. Be sure to remove the pins as you sew.

Use the cut-out piece of leather as a guide to determine where to place the darts in the fabric panel.

Measure and mark the placements of the darts on the fabric panel.

Fold and pin the placement of the new darts with the right sides together.

Sew at an angle along the pin line. Don't backstitch at the point of the dart; instead leave long thread tails.

Press the darts toward the center of the panel.

Hand tie the thread tails at the point of each dart to help it lay flat.

Since leather is so thick, use clips instead of pins to secure one edge of the fabric panel to one edge of the leather skirt. Clip with the right sides together and the darts at the top.

Use a leather needle (110/18) and a medium stitch length to sew one edge of the fabric panel to one edge of the leather skirt, using a 1/2-inch seam allowance. Remove the clips as you sew.

Clip the other edge of the fabric panel to the other edge of the leather skirt with the right sides together. This time, baste them together using the longest stitch length because this is the seam you'll be placing the zipper in.

If you're using a reclaimed zipper, use a seam ripper to remove it from its former garment. (This zipper is from an old leather coat.) If you're using a new zipper, you can skip this step.

To install the zipper along one edge of the fabric panel, follow the directions from the article, How to Sew a Zipper into Clothing. Make sure you are placing the zipper so it opens from the bottom of your skirt, so you can unzip it and reveal a little leg.