Pattern Description: Variations on a lined, straight skirt with princess seams
Pattern Sizing:
Came up larger than I plannned for in Version 1, the straight skirt with a back flounce. By the 'Finished Garment' meaurements I should have been an 18/16. I cut a 16/14 for Version 2 and I still needed to tweak the princess seams.
Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it?
Yes it did.
Were the instructions easy to follow?
So-So. I'm a beginner and this pattern was classed as 'Easy', but I confess to being flummoxed by some of the instructions. I resorted to searching the sewing blogs for more information, alongside my Readers Digest 'Complete Guide to Sewing".
On the other hand, the instructions for my first centred zip were great. Thanks Vogue!
What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?
Liked:
The princess seam that made fitting straightforward;
The flouncy back panel that removed the need for a back vent;
The gathers around the hips, giving a novel look to a basic pencil shirt shape;
Disliked:
The perplexing facings instructions
The lack of detail when it came to hemming a lining that had been cut at different levels (the flouncy lower back panel isn't lined).
Fabric Used:
1. A gorgeous cotton-lycra in a crazy print from Abakhan's, Bolton, Lancashire, UK
2. A medium weight wool mixed with a bit of lycra from Minerva Crafts in Darwen, Lancashire, UK
Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:
I gave up on the waistband facings. Not only was my fabric too bulky to make this fabric-lining-facing combo look good but the construction didn't make sense either. Instead I put seam tape along the waist, sewed the fabric to the lining, flipped it right sides out and ran two narrow lines of topstitching across the waistband area (thank you, thank you blogosphere!)
Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?
I've sewn it twice, but you would be hard-pressed to guess that both skirts came from the same pattern. The first is the simple pencil skirt, enlivened by the print and flouncy pelmet; the second is a dependable black wool skirt with quirky details. I will get tons of use from both. My next version will be a basic pencil work skirt for my tall, slender daughter (yikes!) and the one after that will be in stretch denim - for me, me, me.
Conclusion:
This pattern provides good value for money and is a good investment for me. In the past year, I have tried and failed to make a couple of skirts where there were only two or three pattern pieces. I mistakenly believed that the less pattern pieces there were, the easier the project would be. I was wrong. I've learnt that more pieces and seams expand the range of fitting and design opportunities.
I hope to post photos in due course. (Need a new camera, sigh!)
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