Weekend Review: Skirt A Day Sewing

Skirt-a-Day Sewing / Nicole Smith 

This is a bit of an older book but I found it in the library! It's an interesting concept and would be a fun one to work through bit by bit. 

The author sets it up with some basic sewing info, then spends time showing you how to draft a custom pattern for yourself, so that you can start altering your skirt block into the 28 designs she's created for this book. 

After that beginning (including the nearly 40 page chapter on drafting, which includes many illustrations to help you out), the book has four further chapters, each taking on one style of skirt, then expanding it into a full week of patterns that you can adapt from the basic design, using your own block. 

The four chapters focus on Wrap Skirts, Straight Skirts, Flared Skirts, and High-Waisted Skirts. The cover image shows off a few of the variety of options included. I like the idea of this book, and think that by creating your block and then taking on some drafting challenges to make some of the variations shared, you could really learn a lot. She is good at explaining things and makes it sound quite achieveable. There are photos of each skirt, and lots of diagrams and clear instructions for every variation, too. 

The skirts show variety and how to change up a plain pattern to incorporate a range of features. Of course you're probably not going to like all of them -- many just aren't my style, but I still read about how they were made from the original pattern. That info was fascinating. And it gives you some knowledge about tweaks you can make to patterns you already own, to add in or adjust features (like pockets, pleats, gores, waistbands, ruffles, etc) that you'd like to have in your garments. If you like skirts, this would be a great book to check out! 

 

Altering a thrifted skirt suit

Last week I shared how I shortened the sleeves of two thrifted blazers to make them fit right and look like they were made for me. And one of the blazers was part of a skirt suit. The skirt needed a bit more work than just shortening in order for me to be able to wear it, but the suit together made it worth going to the effort to get this just right. 

When I tried on the skirt, I found it a good fit across my hips and posterior, but the waist was too large. The waist is finished with a bias binding, essentially, so it's pretty easy to unpick. The zip is at the centre back so I could easily adjust the side seams without too much extra fuss required. I unpicked the binding for about 4 inches, pinched in the side seam and the lining seam by 1/2" and stitched it down in a wedge about 4 inches long, trimming both and the binding (including the interfacing under the binding). Then I folded everything back down, stitched the binding back on to the outer skirt, and then basted, pinned and hand stitched the lining back onto the inside of the waist binding, as it had been originally. 

I forgot to get a pic of the skirt all unpicked but here it is
 ready to have the lining stitched back on

After this the skirt both fits and is much more functional. After about an hour of work or so, I have a great suit that fits and that I can mix and match with things already in my wardrobe. I think that's worth it! I may still shorten it at the hem by another 1/2" but I'll try it all together to see if I really need to. 

Skirt all done! And the hanging loops sewn back onto the side seam area

Now that it fits properly at the waist, I may still add in some side seam pockets. The seam allowances are pretty wide (at least 1/2" each) so it would be easy to stitch on some pocket bags. But I do wonder if that might throw the fit off. The matching jacket does not have pockets because of its design (pleats from shoulder to hem) so I might have to try it if I actually want to wear this as a complete outfit.  I will think on that idea a bit longer!

Weekend Review: Skirts: Fashioning Modern Femininity in the Twentieth Century

 

Skirts / Kimberly Chrisman-Campbell
NY: St. Martin's, c2022.
254 p.

Women wearing trousers was not the only big fashion story of the 20th century. Kimberly Chrisman-Campbell's book looks at the changing fashions in skirts and how they also shaped and reflected social norms for women throughout the decades. 

It covers most of the 20th century, from Fortuny to Versace to Leger's bandage dresses -- talking about the skirts and styles that women wore while they did big, important things, no pants required. She talks about Chanel's influence, about the Wrap Dress, about politicians, sports figures, society icons and others outside of fashion who wore unforgettable dresses and skirts. And about some of the social significance of the choice of these outfits. 

This is a pretty short book, though, and written in a very conversational style, so it has to skim over a lot. There are black & white photos throughout, with a centre section of colour photos that include images beyond the twentieth century -- moving into iconic moments of the 21st, like J Lo in her Versace dress in 2000 or Billy Porter in his tuxedo gown in 2019. In her conclusion, she points out that men are wearing skirts -- is that the future? (this book was published in 2022 but since then the trend of men in skirts seems to have mostly died down.)

I enjoyed this quick tour of skirts, hemlines and important innovations in women's wear over the last century. I mostly wear dresses and skirts myself, so found this one entertaining and relatable. It's great to talk about the garment that most women wore for most of the last century. In one part of the book, she says, "It has become a lazy cliché of costume drama...to put a heroine in pants or breeches to signal that she is sporty, adventurous, rebellious, or somehow 'not like other girls'...But suffragists and soldiers marched in skirts. The heroines of the civil rights movement...took a stand in skirts. ... Even as they were increasingly given the option of wearing pants...women continued to wear skirts, this time by choice." 

This book celebrates that choice and the changing fashions with appreciation and respect. A fun read that doesn't feel like academic writing at all; it will appeal to the general fashion reader, like me! 

Basic Black with Burda

November brought a new contest challenge over at PatternReview, the Mini Wardrobe challenge, in which you were to make 5 coordinating items in 5 weeks. I was thinking about it for a while, and realized it would be very unlikely for me to make that many things in such a short time frame. However, I did put together some fun ideas, the initial one being the Merchant & Mills Factory top that I just shared. The whole concept was built from that piece. 

I thought of making a red blouse, a cream sweater or jacket, and a black skirt to go with it, and maybe a fun print dress. Of course I just finished the top, but now have completed the black skirt. The other projects will have to have their turn another day ;) 

But I am very pleased with the black skirt that I chose for this outfit. I had just enough black twill left from another project to make a new Burda pattern - I used #117 from the Dec 2022 issue. This skirt has everything I like - slash pockets, a waistband that sits at the natural waist, and a lining. I was able to make the whole skirt from fabric from my stash, which was an added bonus. I realized after I'd cut the waistband that I added seam allowance to it, as with all the other pattern pieces - but the waistband is a rectangle that already includes S.A. so I had an extra wide and long piece. But this worked out in my favour! 

The front of the skirt has two pleats on each side, just before the pocket openings. This is quite nice. I did find the pocket bags a little shallow and will extend them if I make this again; I like to be sure my keys aren't going to fall out. 

The zip closure is at centre back, and is supposed to be a 9" invisible zip that goes up to the top of the waistband. I find that messy sometimes, though, so I used the 8" zip that I had and inserted in only in the skirt piece. 

This is where the excess waistband came into play. Because my waistband had extra length, I was then able to create a 2" underlap on the left side, and add a skirt hook and eye. I prefer this closure over trying to force a zip up past a bulky seam. Plus I like to add the waistband after the skirt and lining are sewn/basted together, as I find it's a much neater finish, for me. It worked out perfectly but I do find in wearing that the back is a little tight and so I have wrinkles - should have added another inch to the back width. Still wearable though, especially if I iron it before taking pictures ;) 

I also lengthened it by 2" but because there is a slight A-line shape to it, I didn't have to add a walking slit to the back (the shorter length wouldn't need it so there wasn't one in the pattern). I actually love this skirt a lot and would definitely make iy again. I love the way it fits (slightly higher waisted to work with shorter tops like my Factory top) and the pocket/pleat combo sits really nicely on the body, no puffy bulges to worry about ;) I can always use a basic black skirt, and this pattern might just be my new winner. It's comfortable, pretty easy to sew, and I like the details. Very happy with it. 

Weekend Review: Your Skirt, Your Way

 

Your Skirt, Your Way / Jenniffer Taylor
Search Press, c2020.
128 p.

This is another book by a former Great British Sewing Bee contestant. It's the second book by Jenniffer Taylor, whose first book, Girl With a Sewing Machine, was published in 2020 shortly after her GBSB appearance. 

This book is a really interesting one for adventurous beginners, or those more accomplished sewists who want to create their own block to then make into a variety of skirts. There are 10 distinct skirts included in the book for readers to create.

The book starts with an intro, recommending necessary tools and basics, then moves into how to create your block based on your measurements. This section includes how to measure, how to draw out a block and how to create a toile to check fit. 

Then the following sections cover six shapes of skirt, waistbands, facings, zips and buttons, and then a section on pockets, yokes, hems and vents. There is a lot of info for sewists to use here. 

The final 40 pages are the actual skirt "recipes", as she calls them. They are not quite patterns, but the instructions about how to make the pattern based on your block -- and then how to construct them. I think there are many options here, with a style to suit every reader. And the details are cute too - I love the pockets on the flared Kate skirt.

I thought that this book was really well done, at just the right level for an ambitious beginner, straightforward but not overly simple. Skirts are a great starter project, and are also a good way to take a stab at pattern making. There is solid instruction, lots of photos, and some creative yet very wearable projects in this book -- a winner. 

Skirt Repair for Continued Wear

Happy Vyshyvanka Day! 
Mine worn with my re-hemmed red skirt

I've had a number of skirts sitting in my mending pile for a while now. This MeMadeMay I decided that I'd focus on looking at my wardrobe, seeing what I enjoy wearing, and also fix some of those pieces that are patiently waiting to be worn again! 

The skirts I've worked on all had minor issues - needing to be rehemmed, bottoms of zips fixed, etc. Nothing hugely construction heavy. And yet they were all languishing. So I grabbed a few of the easy ones and got to work! 

First was this grey skirt from the famed Vogue 1247. The fabric around the zip was weakening slightly, and it wasn't very invisible to begin with - it's an early make. So I simply restitched it closer to the zipper tape to make it more invisible and to reinforce that pulled fabric. It worked just great. 

Before

After

Then I shortened a red knit skirt that I made last year - it's just the wrong length, both too long and too short to be either effectively! So I cut off the current hem and just folded it up again so that it sits at the knee rather than under it. I like this much better. 

Too long and too short and the same time!

Cutting off an inch

I haven't worn this black and white skirt, Simplicity 4236, much since making it in 2014. I put a pocket into one side but it never sits properly. Even though I am staunchly behind adding pockets to everything, this one just doesn't work, so I gritted my teeth and removed this one! It does lie much more smoothly across the hip now, and I think I may wear it again! 

Original

Depocketed!

I still have to shorten and narrow this blue skirt slightly (also a Vogue 1247) 

and make the walking slit in this magenta skirt much longer (and add a modesty panel at the same time - I saw a recent tutorial on adding a Dior pleat to a skirt, and I'll be adapting that here.)

But those are a little more involved so will take a bit longer -- still planning on having them done by the end of MeMadeMay though! 

Sweater Knit Skirt with Butterick 6525

After I made my Burda sweater recently, I had enough fabric left over to cut out a skirt. I didn't want to waste any of this fabric, so before putting the fabric away I found a suitable skirt pattern to try out! 

I have had Butterick 6525 in my stash for a while; I bought it for the dress view. However, the skirt included is a quick pull-on, elastic waist style, which was also just the right size for my leftovers. So I cut it out, with a few alterations. 

I didn't really like the hemline style -- so I left the hem straight but marked the curved lines on the fabric in case I changed my mind and wanted to follow them. Once it was done I really liked the straight hem so pulled out my thread markings and left it plain. 

I also used only one piece of 1/2" wide elastic at the waist instead of making two narrow channels. This fabric was just a little too squidgy to easily sew two neat channels and I didn't feel like futzing around too much! 

And then I also added some side seam pockets. Of course! I cut the pockets out of some black broadcloth, and made sure that the tops of the pocket bags were secured into the stitching when I folded the waist casing down. That way they are anchored neatly and always stay put in the front of the skirt. 

This is a very basic skirt, and I've made it even more basic by leaving out the hem detail. However, I really like the fit, and the gathering is just the right amount, not too bulky at all. It's very comfy and cozy -- I just hope there isn't too much stretching out of shape as it's worn. Sweater knit isn't really known for its recovery. Still, I thought I'd give it a try and get another wardrobe item out of this fabric. I'm pleased with it and think this will get a fair amount of wear. Now to make the other items in this pattern!

Red Remnant Skirt

I have been trying to use up my stash as much as possible in my recent sewing. And after I finished the red ponte dress for the Sewing Bee, I found I still had just over a metre of this fabric left. I didn't want to put it back into the stash to languish, so I decided to make a basic knit skirt to use most of it up. 

I chose New Look 6977, as I've made it previously and have worn it quite a bit. I like a good pull-on skirt that you can feel comfy in! I made it with the same addition as the last time I made it -- I added side seam pockets. I used some black broadcloth, and anchored the pocket bags into the waist seam. This time I followed the pattern and just inserted a thinner piece of elastic into the wide waistband rather than stitching one down; that just makes it easier to alter in future. 

I really like the fit of this skirt. It sits comfortably and securely at the waist, but also skims over the hip/butt area fairly well. This fabric is soft and stretchy, and it's a colour that goes with a lot that I have in my wardrobe. I was pleased with the way this went together without much struggle, and now I have one less piece of remnant knit in my stash, and one more useful basic skirt in the closet. This wardrobe pattern has a lot of good options, and I do recommend it if you can find it. 

Garibaldi Skirt in vintage cotton

As mentioned previously on this blog, I'm one of the members of the Liesl & Co. Advisor's Circle this year. So, every now and then I take one of their patterns and make something with a bit of a twist to it. One of the new Fall patterns is an A-line skirt with 3 length options, a waistband or facing option, and some wonderful deep pockets, even with a side zip. It's called the Garibaldi Skirt, and it's my latest project! If you want to check out the original post on Liesl's blog, you can find that here.

So I decided to finally use a piece of fabric I've had for ages; my aunt gave it to me years ago (probably about 20 years!), found somewhere on one of her many travels. It's long and narrow, with this large print along one side. I knew I'd have to use it crossgrain to use the pattern but didn't have a clear vision for it. But this pattern suddenly made me remember this fabric and I knew it would be perfect.

The Garibaldi has no front or back seam to break up a print – the zipper is in the side seam. But unlike many skirts with a side zip, this one also has pockets, a must-have for me! The pattern pieces fit onto the print perfectly, with just a bit of care to get the pattern placement right. But because I am so short, I didn’t get much of the solid black at the top of the fabric. But the knee-length version was the one that suited me so I went with it.

I used a vintage invisible zip from my stash (the first one I’ve ever seen that has metal teeth!). This zip was only 9″ long, while the pattern calls for a 12-14″ one. To give myself more room, I installed the zip only on the skirt portion, not into the waistband as the pattern directs. I then stitched a large hook and eye onto the waistband portion. If I'd thought ahead a bit more, I might have added some overlap to the waistband and put a button in, but this works!

The other change I made was to add a lining. This fabric is a fairly lightweight cotton, and it sticks to itself very easily. I thought a lining would solve any issues with bunching as you walk and also add some body to the fabric. I used some basic black lining and just cut the front and back pieces of the skirt from the pattern. I sewed this on in my favorite way to line a skirt – I stitched the lining to the zipper opening, then flipped it inside and basted around the waistband. I then sewed the waistband on and hand-stitched down the inside of the waistband. It might take a little longer, but I really like the control I have when I do it this way, and the finish is very clean and neat.

I love the fit of the skirt. I didn’t have to adjust the pattern much once I’d chosen my size according to the pattern; sometimes, I find skirts hard to fit with my hip/waist ratio, but this was perfect. There are two small darts in the back for shaping and somehow it all worked for me. I love the waistband version (there is also a waist-facing option), and the pockets are just right, nice, and deep. I’m so pleased to have found the perfect pattern for this admittedly unusual fabric.

Burda D-Ring Pencil Skirt in Basic Black

My last project for the PatternReview mini wardrobe was this Burda skirt from 2019. It's a blend of pattern 109 & 110 from the November issue -- the length & back vent of 109 but the D-ring feature from 110. It was also my muslin for my intended fabric, a checkerboard canvas print, which I am planning to also make a matching jacket for because who doesn't want a checkerboard suit?

Anyhow, this first black version was made of some suiting that I thrifted a while ago, very nice quality. I cut a 44, but found that I needed to take the waist in by nearly 3" -- partly because I can't stand skirts that sit below the natural waistline. Size 44 fit very well everywhere else so just narrowing the waist was the main adjustment I made. I trimmed down the side seams by 1/2" on each side and took some width in on either side of the zip. For future, I adjusted the pattern so that the back width is reduced by increasing the dart intake, not trimming the zip edges! 

It's fully lined, and the Burda instructions have you attach the lining to the other edge of the folded waistband, flip it all inside and then topstitch the waistband seam from the front to finish. I hate that; it is so messy and frustrating! Next time I'm just going to use my favoured technique of basting the lining to the skirt at the top edge, then attaching the waistband. Much tidier in the end, at least for me. It just means you have to think ahead about finishing the lining edge at the zip, but that's pretty easy. 

But as a wearable muslin it worked out, and I love the cute little D-Ring accent in the front. Those are just tabs that you sew into the waistband but they give it a great look. Again, slant pockets, which I love. I really like the shape and fit of this pattern and think that with my adjustments it might be a go-to. 

Summer Capsule Wardrobe plans

I've been feeling more and more intrigued by the idea of capsule wardrobes, although I still think I'm rather more of a maximalist and like having lots of variety and standalone prints in my wardrobe. Still, thinking of sewing in capsules appeals to me. 

I've looked at some capsule planning guides, like the Canadian Capsule Planner by Couturious and the Mood Capsule Creator planning guide. Both are free, and downloadable and printable if you are also interested. They both gave me some really good ideas. 

And of course I've been playing with MyBodyModel since I first got my croquis back in March. So I decided to make a plan for next month's sewing using a capsule framework combined with the MyBodyModel 3x3 technique. 

I took a piece I just made, the Adrienne Blouse, as the keystone of this one, and looked at some of the other patterns and fabrics I've been wanting to make. Here is my plan, which I think is doable, to get some matching options in my wardrobe for the summer. 

I'm adding two more tops, a McCalls 4591 (a thrifted pattern c.2004) and the Edith Blouse by Maria Denmark. Both of these are stash fabrics, although I bought the fabric with the Edith Blouse in mind at least 3 years ago! Where does time go?? (But isn't this fabric fantastic?)

And I'm going to try out the Peppermint Pocket Skirt, a community hit, in a brick coloured linen that tones with all three tops. I'm going to add a fitted knit skirt (Pirate Pencil Skirt), and a pair of wide leg cropped pants from Vogue 9364 - both in black - for good measure. 

Well, at least that's the plan! I also have a big stack of dresses I want to make this summer, and with those I don't worry about matching with anything else :) I may want to make a couple of lightweight cropped summer jackets to go with the dresses but that's about as much matching as I worry about there. Dresses are a great way to be fully dressed without having to coordinate anything further than my shoes, so I love to use my bright prints and novelty fabrics for my multitude of dresses. 

Are you more into capsule planning or mood sewing? I haven't really been a plan maker in the past, usually just looking at my fabric and deciding what I wanted to make next by feel. But I'm kind of enjoying the sketching and fabric matching process, and while I don't think I'll ever plan every single make, I'm finding it fun and helpful to whittle down my huge mental queue of things I want to make into a reasonable month-at-a-time plan. I will always have more that I want to sew than time available to do it -- but this is a great process to prioritize things I need most in my wardrobe.