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Monday, March 14, 2016

Simplicity 1484




I love skirts. But skirts mean legs and years of working on my feet during 12 hour shifts have taken their toll. But now there are awesome boots, leggings with flats and even Sally Hansen leg makeup, which I adore, by the way! So I am on a skirt tear. I've ordered some black cross dyed linen for a vintage look pattern but it won't be here until later this week. In the meantime, this stinkin' skirt bug has hit bad.

I pulled out all my bottomweights, opened them up and started measuring. I also pulled out all my skirt patterns. Could I find enough yardage to make the skirt I wanted, once I figured out what that was? It was like haggling at a yard sale, but eventually we had a meeting of the two participants. It would be Simplicity 1464  and the blue denim border  print you see above. I had just enough to make it in a longer length. I think it would be cute in the shorter length but it was the waist I was concerned about and I had thoughts that it could make this project one condemned to the back of the closet.



It's been a while since I've worn a full profile skirt with a waistband. This could be one of those reality moments that hit post meno. Fingers crossed, I proceeded.  That style was one of my favorite and most flattering in younger years as my waist to hip ratio worked well with that look. This pattern says the waistband sits one inch below the natural waist. I didn't want that. I was going to make this sit higher, closer to my natural waist. It needed to be fairly stiff so it wouldn't wrinkle with bending and would keep its crisp look. I would not do the band shown as the border print would add interest.


Fabric:

This fabric was purchased long ago, I think maybe from the now departed Fabric Fix in Manchester, NH. ( tears ). It is 100 cotton denim but very lightweight. It looks just like jean fabric but is the weight of a chambray, so nicer for the skirt.  It has little snowflakey motifs and a border. I like that I had to run the border on the length as I think it's probably a better look for my height. Where the little snowflakey motifs hit near a seam and in one case, the bottom of the lapped zipper, they looked more like unravelling denim. I took out a Tee Juice fabric marker and painted the motif that peeked out of the bottom of the zipper making it look like a poor installation. Worked like a charm!  Sewists need permanent markers nearby for these sorts of moments!  There is no lining, none really needed and the waistband is backed with a medium weight fusible cotton interfacing. It's working well to keep it all upright in the waist. I thought about doing boning but the interfacing has it under control. 

Pattern:    

This is Simplicity 1464. It has pants, shorts and  long and short version of this skirt, having bands decorating the lower part of the skirts. There are three box pleats in the front, three of the same in the back and a side lapped zip. It is unlined.  I added 8 1/2 inches to the short version to get the length I wanted. I like that the skirt is curved at the hemline, therefore falling much better than a simple tube. The pattern has shape to the sides, no tube here!




Construction:

This was really Sewing 101 and would make a great beginner pattern. I did things a bit differently to make sure the waist fit. I sewed the front waistband to the front skirt panel, then did the same for the back  pieces. The notches and seams  matched perfectly. There are only three pieces to this pattern, front and back being the same. This way I was then able to baste the two sides together to check fit. Good thing.....seems I imagined my waist to be much bigger and ended up taking out another inch on each sewn side seam, down from the size six. That was blended down into the hipline and also made the waistline raise, my goal. . This skirt has a really nice hipline curve. 

Seams were all serged before sewing started. They were then machine stitched and pressed open. The waistband facing was the last thing to happen and was serged at the bottom and then ditch stitched on the public side in the waist/skirt seamline. That made the waistband finished and the innards hidden. This has a lapped zipper that I ran to the very top edge, no snaps, tabs or buttons. I do that almost all the time as it gives a cleaner look. The 5/8ths inch hem was serged and topstitched, all very simple.


In conclusion:

This project gave me great pleasure. That is because it was very simple, great fabric, it fit in the end and most of  all went quickly. I don't espouse sewing fast nor do I belong  to the Make It Tonight, Wear it Tomorrow Club. But I really enjoyed starting cold turkey on something at 11.30 in the morning and having it nicely completed at 4:30, the same day.  I can't tell you the last time that has happened for me and I took my time, too. I think my lesson is: let the pattern and fabric talk. Choose a simple design, Don't race and just enjoy the process. And don't always feel you have to change it up, "make it better", embellish it further, or use a couture technique. This is real sewing that anyone can achieve. I like that. Highly recommend this one, a very enjoyable make. ...Bunny

28 comments:

  1. Lovely skirt! I really like the fact that you used the border print vertically - it really makes your skirt so unique. Enjoy!

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  2. Beautiful. What a nice fabric choice, you really worked the print placement.

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  3. Makes me remember my favorite black wool gabardine skirt I wore repeatedly until it became too big and there was no way to make it work. Yours is just lovely, and lovely on you! Thanks for the inspiration.

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  4. Love, love, love it! It is very flattering too.

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  5. Hi Bunny! What a pretty skirt and it looks wonderful on you! The fabric is so pretty too!
    Be a sweetie,
    Shelia ;)

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  6. Looks great! I liked that you mention how long it took you to make this pattern. I take my time and I think I might be the world's slowest seamstress. I am always amazed when people say they finish projects in 2 hours. It has never happened for me.

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  7. Very flattering!

    I think it's good to note that not every garment needs to be couture quality, especially if you are testing out a shilouette that may not work for your body. There's nothing more frustrating than making a lovely garment that fits well but just looks meh.

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  8. This is lovely on you. I like the vertical use of your border print. Less expected .

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  9. This is so pretty!! I loved this pattern when it came out and never made it. Your take screams spring. I really love it.

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  10. Love this skirt and the way you placed the motifs. Beautiful! And oh, look at your tiny little waist! You look gorgeous!

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  11. How fab! Loving the border placed right on the box pleat. It's so much more interesting than running it around the hem. Not to mention that you get all the benefits of a shaped skirt panel doing it your way too. Huzzah for conscious sewing!!

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  12. I love this! You are so tiny, your pretty figure shows off the femininity of this design. I don't know if it will have the same effect on me but it never hurts to try. (Those that don't work out I call my Hippo Fantasia Look, ha!) Thank you for the reminder about the various types of sewing--they are all good and all serve a purpose :-)

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  13. What a darling skirt! The vertical border print looks so unusual and unconventional but very nice. I envy you can wear this, I certainly can't.

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  14. Love your skirt, the waistband works particularly well. I'll make note of that pattern!

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  15. Absolutely divine Bunny! Adore the placing of the border, so you to do something unexpected that makes it a beautiful one off.

    I love the complete look on you.
    Would you explain how you raised the waistline Bunny??
    Many thanks.

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  16. Looks fab on you! I love the border placement and the fabric!

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  17. Thanks, everyone for the nice comments. I've had a bit of an accident so didn't get to respond to each one. Visits to the Urgent Care and hospital and I am good now, just in a lot of pain. Don't fret. All will be better soon. It truly was a freak accident with friends here to see it and I will spare you the explanation that really defies description. Back to sewing and blogging soon.

    Marysia, the waistline raised by simply taking it in deeper at the side side seams. This is designed to sit one inch below. By making it tighter, to my actual waist measurements, it "rides up". That wouldn't work with a pencil skirt but does with all the fullness of the skirt.

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  18. Looks great. Love the placement of the border print.

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  19. What a cool skirt! I love your fabric, which reminds me of some vintage damask tablecloth prints I have. The waist band caught my eye too...I like full skirts but not the resulting bulk from gathers or pleating. This is a perfect solution to that! Great little pattern and you look terrific in your new skirt! Linda S.

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  20. Sorry you have injured yourself. I love this whole outfit. You really look beautiful, showing off your slim waist line and the white/blue/grey hair look is amazing. You just glow. I wouldn't have thought of putting the border vertically but it makes the outfit. Super, super work and good advice and sentiments.

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  21. Sorry you have injured yourself. I love this whole outfit. You really look beautiful, showing off your slim waist line and the white/blue/grey hair look is amazing. You just glow. I wouldn't have thought of putting the border vertically but it makes the outfit. Super, super work and good advice and sentiments.

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  22. Sorry to hear about your accident! You guys sure have had a run of it, lately, huh?
    The skirt is delicious...very stylish on you. I just bought some capris with a very similar pattern on them but no special border print like your fabric. You made wonderful use of that feature!

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  23. Oh no! So sorry to hear you have been injured. I wish for you a speedy recovery.

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  24. Nice skirt with the border placement. So nice to start and finish yet still sew slow.

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  25. Oh Bunny I really like this one! The pattern placement is perfect!

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