Over the past seven years, we’ve released sewing patterns intended to be true staples of a handmade wardrobe. From a classic shirt to the perfect winter coat, the definitive everyday trouser to a statement dress, they’ve become instant classics with our community. Now, as summer warms our sun-bathed studio, it feels like the perfect time to introduce our first ever skirt design (yes, really!). Meet the Rowan Skirt sewing pattern and online workshop.

The Rowan Skirt is the perfect mix of playful and functional design, with a real emphasis on precision sewing techniques to create a high quality, long lasting garment you can be proud of. 
Designed to sit slightly below the natural waist, this skirt design gently flares into an A-line shape, with deep hem facing providing structure and weight at the hemline. It’s fastened seamlessly at the back with an invisible zip and hook & eye, for a clean finish.

The defining feature of the Rowan Skirt is gathered side pockets with adjustable tie details. Not only do they look beautiful edged with textured gathers, but they’re also deep and functional. For Hetty, it's a personal requirement that every The Modern Sewing Co. design features pockets that, unlike fast fashion designs,  really are fit for purpose. We tested these around the studio with our phones, keys, tape measures and can attest that your essentials won't interrupt the clean lines of the skirt.

Skill Level

The Rowan Skirt is an intermediate sewing pattern, or for ambitious beginners who have sewn at least 1-2 items before. If you’ve already taken one of our online workshops, this is ideal for building on your existing sewing skills. 

As with all The Modern Sewing Co. patterns, the Rowan Skirt is available in a range of sizes: UK 4-28 / US 2-26 / EU 32-56. If you're unsure, you can double check against our standard sizing under the 'Body Measurements' dropdown here.

Construction Techniques

• Adjustable tie pockets

• French seams

• Ties

• Bar tacks

• Edge stitching

• Waist facing

• Overlocking
  
  
• Inserting an invisible zip
  

If it’s your first time sewing a skirt pattern with pockets, you might need a little expert support. Alongside our PDF sewing pattern, we’ve also launched the Rowan Skirt Workshop, an online course designed to help you learn and thoroughly understand the principles of skirt-making.

The workshop includes in-depth video tutorials drawing on our Founder Hetty’s 12+ year career in fashion, plus step-by-step photo guides and fitting guidance. The workshop course includes lifetime access to pattern and guides that never expires, plus automatic access to any future hacks or additional Rowan Skirt Workshop content. Find out more here.

The Rowan Skirt Inspiration

We’re often asked about where we find inspiration for The Modern Sewing Co. designs. A piece dreamt up collaboratively between our Founder Hetty and expert pattern cutter Hanni, the Rowan Skirt is softly romantic, whilst still staying true to our utility fashion mindset. Over to Hetty:

“I wanted to add a really cool skirt to our lineup that had an A-line fit and I knew I wanted gathered details - I think it looks so elegant. I initially played around with some ideas, then I worked with Hanni to make the gatherING functional instead of just decorative. We came up with the idea of creating pockets out the beautiful gathered detail and it was Hanni’s idea to add an adjustable feature: the tie detail. Like every The Modern Sewing Co. design, we wanted it to feel cool and classic with an element of interest. It’s not as stripped back as our other designs, which rely on tailoring and clean lines. I wanted to add something more feminine and fun - our collection needs something like that!."

Fabric Recommendations

Local family owned fabric shop, Cloth House, kindly gifted us the Cotton Poplin in Tan, which works beautifully for the Rowan Skirt, and is perfectly light weight for summer days. Alternatively, we'd suggest choosing a linen fabric, which is a little heavier but hangs beautifully with the structure of the design.Behind the scenes of our trip to Cloth House, where we chose the beautiful Cotton Poplin in Tan (plus this lovely Chalk Stripe Seersucker that we used for a brand new pattern coming very soon...).

We curated some of our favourite places to shop for fabric here on Instagram. Take a look and you can also find our community's recommendations all around the world, too.

As always, we’d love to see your makes. Please do tag us on Instagram and use hashtag #msrowanskirt, or drop us a photo to hello@modernsewingco.com and you could feature in a future Inspiration Board.

Want more?

• Shop the Rowan Skirt sewing pattern with pockets now.

• Want to elevate your sewing skills with expert support? Sign up to the Rowan Skirt online workshop here.

• Build the perfect handmade wardrobe: pair the Rowan with a beautifully tailored jacket from our It Tailoring workshop, or a classic everyday trouser from The Art of Trouser Making.

• Dream of the perfect handmade winter outfit? Explore The Perfect Winter Coat workshop and wear it straight over your Rowan Skirt.

• New to The Modern Sewing Co.? Start with The Art of Dress Making and build your skills ready for the Rowan.