I'm absolutely in love with this skirt. It's by far the best and most comfortable, wearable thing I've ever made.
The fabric is a wool crepe I picked up on clearance in the summer. Locals might recognize it - there were still bolts of it available at the Boxing Day sale! Either they had stocked way too much of it, or I'm just the only person in Vancouver who actually wanted to buy bright fuchsia wool. In any case, it was the best of all worlds because it was a fabric I actually wanted to work with at a price that let me justify approaching this as a "wearable muslin."
I'm very glad I approached it that way, because this project felt so much more straightforward and fun. I fall between a size 8 and 10, but closer to the 10, so I followed Colette's advice and cut that size. In the end, it was too large and I had to take in two inches all over (I simply took in the side seams). Otherwise, the fit is perfect. The proportions are correct and I absolutely love the straight silhouette - not pencil, not a-line. I love it so much, I plan to turn it into a TNT pattern with a solid front and a side zip. I also want to make another true-to-pattern version in a more neutral colour.
I lined it with bemberg rayon and actually really enjoyed working with it - perhaps I'd just heard too many horror stories so my expectations were low. The only real mistake I made was picking too dark a colour. In person you can see where the lining meets the facing although, happily, the belt distracts enough that it's not really an issue. I had already hemmed this once, before realizing it definitely needed taking in, and I did the machine "invisible" hem. It was a little too visible, so this time I did it by hand. I chose to omit the twill tape in the waist, which I may regret, but I didn't have it on hand and wasn't willing to make another trip!
My next project is a dress (Lonsdale), and I'm trying to decide how to approach it. After this experience, I'm really keen to continue forgoing the muslin altogether. It really does drain a lot of the fun out of sewing for me. I suppose ultimately it depends on the complexity of the pattern and the cost of materials. Since the Lonsdale is relatively simple and the fabric was on sale, I think I'm going to go straight to fashion fabric. Wish me luck!
It's perfect! What a beautiful color. I love the Beignet pattern but have been intimidated by all the details. Worth the effort, though, if I can get my version to look half as good as yours. :):)
ReplyDeleteDon't be intimidated! I'll admit I procrastinated on the buttonholes but once I started doing them they were easy. For me the hardest part was attaching the lining to the facing in the front panels, my brain totally doesn't work that way! But all the other details were actually just really fun and engaging, I thought.
DeleteThis is super cute! You did a beautiful job, it looks very tailored :) I love the colour.
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you finally finished it! I love it! Isn't it just a wonderful pattern? I, too, want to try it with a solid front and a side zip, and this time in grey. I also think it would look great with a bow a la Lady Danburry (Pinterest link). I'm even tempted to see if the princess seams could be turned into long darts... So many ideas!
ReplyDeleteSo wonderful, I can't say enough good things about it! I love the bow idea!
Deleteit looks awesome! and fabric covered buttons...impressive!
ReplyDeletei say just jump into the lonsdale - with so many versions around the blogosphere, I'm sure you can get a good idea of how it'll fit.
Don't be fooled, those buttons are so easy to make! Though I did get one dud package, so glad I bought a spare just in case!
DeleteThanks for the encouragement! I'll be diving in on the weekend, we'll see how it goes!
Such a beautiful color!
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad people are liking it. Seeing so much of it still there on the clearance table six months later made me question my taste, lol.
DeleteStunning! This is one of the most beautiful Beignets I've seen! Love the hot pink!
ReplyDeleteWow, thank you so much!
DeleteEek, this is beautiful! The color is so vibrant and gorgeous-- I can't believe it didn't sell out right away! The style looks great on you, too.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you about muslins-- while I want my garments to fit correctly, the whole muslin-making process sometimes sucks all the joy out of sewing (and let's not talk about how many things I haven't sewed yet because I'm dreading tracing all the pattern pieces!). The Lonsdale is pretty easy to fit with the adjustable straps, so as long as you don't cut it too small, you should be able to get away without making a muslin. Looking forward to seeing yours! It's such a fun pattern to construct and was so easy with Tasia's step-by-step tutorials!
I hear you - I've mostly stopped tracing patterns as well, to be honest. The only time I do it is when I'm going to try something pretty significant, like an FBA. Otherwise, I risk it. (Admittedly I haven't been working with vintage patterns, though!)
DeleteUtterly gorgeous! From cut to colour. It looks terrific on you. Well done.
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteOh I love that skirt. It's a beautiful colour, the covered buttons look lovely.
ReplyDeleteI'm a fan of the wearable muslin. I have some white broadcloth around if I really want to find out if it's going to work at all, but it's pretty rare I will. And when I do, it's often just the bust I'm concerned about. So much of making a pattern work is in the drape and weight of the final item, I may as well cut into something that's ah.. .cheap and cheerful I suppose.
Yes, I will definitely continue to muslin for the bust. The only reason I'm willing to forgo it for the Lonsdale is because it doesn't have shoulders! I figure that, because I'm so short-waisted, that the need for length for bust will be offset by the extra length I don't need in the waist. Because there's no fabric between the shoulders and the bust, I'm hoping I'll get away with this :)
DeleteAbsolutely gorgeous and it's the right shade of pink ;) I also have a Beignet and love it. It's so sturdy and lends itself to wear with a variety of things. Great work!
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteYou've done a brilliant job with the skirt. It's perfect! I bought the Beignet and I can't tell you how scared I am. I've never done buttons before and there are so many wonderful versions of this skirt out there!!
ReplyDeleteDon't be scared! There are so many wonderful versions because it is a wonderful, easy to follow pattern. I was terrified until one day I just decided to go for it - it's actually quite straightforward. Just make sure to test out whatever buttonhole function your machine has on a scrap of fabric first so you feel okay about it. And even then - if it screws up, you can unpick it and redo it before actually cutting the buttonhole, so it's really not so bad.
DeleteI love the color and the fit is perfect! I have wool gab set aside for a 3rd Beignet skirt that I need to start working on. Your wool crepe has inspired me :) I was going to comment on this post yesterday while reading it on the subway but then it went underground and I lost signal!
ReplyDeleteOoh I'll be excited to see it. (Your previous Beignets inspired me!)
DeleteIt looks great! I love this pattern (though I'm still not convinced it'd work on me.)
ReplyDeleteI don't think you'll have any trouble with the Lonsdale (like you said, no shoulders)---the only change I made was to shorten the bodice for my short waist (and even that could've been done in fitting)
I definitely wasn't convinced either, but finally just impulsively bought the pattern one day because I loved it so much. I'm so glad I like it! I would have been really disappointed if I didn't.
DeleteThat's good to know. I'm curious how much you had to shorten it? I've been playing with the tissue this morning and it seems like I'm going to have to take out nearly two inches! (Though I'll probably err on the side of caution to begin with, of course.)