This past summer I decided to make myself the Utu skirt in Breaking the Pattern from Named Clothing. I had admired Spool River's version but also noted her warning that the overlap of the wrap was narrow. I have always shied away from wrap skirts - there was a wardrobe malfunction years ago - luckily I was wearing a slip. However, I love the look of the wrap and so I set out to turn the pattern into a faux wrap.
Doing so is quite simple. First, the wearer's right skirt front and facing are cut as the pattern directs. The wearer's left skirt front is going to be a whole skirt front as you can see in the picture above. In order to draft this pattern piece, simply lay the left skirt front pattern piece and the right skirt front pattern pieces over the skirt back pattern piece, lining up the side edges. Trace off this new pattern piece, eliminating the overlap. Draw in both darts. The facing piece for the left front should be extended to the same width (with the darts stitched) as the new whole front skirt piece.
It can be cut to the length of the narrow portion of the facing - there is no need to have a facing to finish the side edge. It will get caught in the side seam. Serge the side seams of both the back and whole front skirt pieces to finish them. Follow the pattern directions to finish and hem the right front overlay piece. Sew the skirt back and whole skirt front pieces together by sewing the left side seam as normal. On the right side seam, place the wrong side of the overlay on top of the right side of the whole skirt piece, matching up the side seams.
With wrong sides together sew all 3 pieces from the hem edge for about 9 inches, (the overlay is sandwiched between the front and back skirt pieces) continue sewing the whole skirt front to the whole skirt back up to the waist keeping the overlay free above the initial 9 inches. Just catch the overlay in the side seam for the first 9 inches. (The picture above shows the overlay on top rather than sandwiched between the front and back skirt pieces - yes I did it wrong the first time and had to rip it out!)
The skirt still closes like a wrap - you step in and then button it on the side. The button and button hole that attaches the whole skirt at the inside waist will now be at the side seam. I love my Utu skirt and enjoyed wearing it on Crete this past fall.
Best of all, on a very windy evening, there was no fear of a wardrobe malfunction!