1 Download and print the pattern at sewmag.co.uk, then cut according to the cutting guide. Overlock the side and centre edges of the back skirt. Fold and stitch the darts in place using the notches on the top of the pattern, then press towards the centre back. Match the pieces together through the centre back, right sides facing. Pin and stitch from the base of the skirt up to the zip notch.

2 Lay the flaps together, then stitch around the curved edges leaving the top straight edges open. Trim the seam allowance close to the seam line, then turn the flaps right sides out, teasing out the curves, then press and overlock the edges. Position the flaps where marked on the front skirt and stitch in place; the neatened edges should sit between the dots, and the curved ones should point towards the waistline. Press the flaps down towards the skirt base and stitch a button in each to secure.

3 Overlock the front skirt side edges, then match the front and back pieces together along the side edges. Pin and stitch in place. Overlock one long edge of the belt loop and fold the raw edge towards the centre of the strip, then fold the overlocked edge over the top, pin and edgestitch on each side to secure. Cut into four equal pieces and position as indicated on the front and back skirt pieces, then pin and stitch.

4 Fuse interfacing to the waistband and overlock one of the long edges. Position the waistband along the skirt waistline, raw edges together and the centre back edges of the waistband running in line with the centre edges of the gap left for the zip, then pin and stitch. One end of the belt loops will be sandwiched in between the waistband and skirt.

5 Use a standard or concealed zipper foot to stitch the zip into the centre back opening and half of the waistband. Fold and press the seam allowance along the open two sides. Open out the seam allowance and, with right sides facing, place the opened zip face down, matching the teeth to the seam allowance crease line, then pin.

6 Stitch the zip to the waistband fold line: if you’re using a concealed zipper foot, place the teeth into the groove and the foot will uncurl it. If you’re using a standard zipper foot, you have to uncurl manually. Back-stitch, then sew the other side of the zip in place. Thread the zip pull through to the right side and close it.

7 Fold the waistband in half lengthways inside the skirt, and the centre back seam allowances over the edge of the zip, then hand-stitch in place. Pin alongside the waistband on the right side of the skirt then, edge-stitch to secure. Fold the belt loops onto the waistband, turn in the raw end, pin and edge-stitch along the top edge of the waistband to secure the belt loops. Add a hook and eye.

8 Overlock the base of the skirt, then press a 4cm hem to the inside. Machine-stitch along the top of the hem, then sew another row 1cm below this. Fuse a buckram strip to the wrong side belt piece and position it 1.5cm away from one of the long edges, leaving 1.5cm around the buckram point. Press both spaces over onto the buckram, and fold the fabric over and around the point.

9 Fold the remaining side of the fabric over, turning in the raw edge and aligning it with the opposite edge. Press all of the edges firmly and edge-stitch around the belt, then stitch another row 1cm below, as before, and trim the straight end of the belt. Make a hole in the centre and 5cm away from the straight raw end of the belt. Thread on a buckle and push the prong through the hole.

10 Fold the raw end back into the belt and machine-stitch across to secure. Position one eyelet on the belt to suit your waist measurement, and one on each side 3cm apart. Thread the belt through the loops to finish.