A little over a month ago now, I took that pattern-making class at the local art college and in the weeks leading up to our Philly trip I tried my hand at my first pattern-drafting project. As one might expect for a first go, this one had its ups and downs and a number of changes along the way.
Big change #1 – this started out as a dress. I’d carefully drafted and sewed together a bodice and had started doing some draping with a skirt when I realized that this pattern was waaaaayyy to busy for a head to toe garment, at least for me. As
just a top I wasn’t digging it, so I turned my focus to skirt portion. (As I side note, I wouldn’t recommend using a heavily patterned/directional fabric like this for your first drafting project, but then again I never did anything the easy way).
Over all it’s a pretty basic high-waisted a-line skirt, but it’s rather fitted. The most major design feature in it’s construction is the inverse pleats at the waist.
Big Change #2 – the pleats were originally mirrored on the reverse side for shaping, but that made the posterior region look terrrrrible. So again, we adapt. I ended up moving the shaping into the zipper seam and let me say that it’s an interesting experience trying to put tailoring/pins marks on the backside of something that you are wearing and then trying to take it off. That said, it only took three round of basing stitches to get a well fitting seam that didn’t make me look like I was wearing a bustle.
After that it was just finishing, which was easy. In honor of clean lines and hand-sewing month at Sew Mam Sew! I handstitched both the waist band and hem, which looks really sleek.
Overall, I’m really happy with the way it turned out. It fits really well, though in hindsight, I think I would have added an additional inch of ease in the hips (is that a pun?). But not too bad for a first try. I’m looking forward to doing more of this in the future!
August 10, 2009 at 7:41 AM
This looks totally fab. Well done. And I love your porch!
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August 10, 2009 at 8:07 AM
Thanks! It’s a shared porched, so we don’t spend too much time on it, but I love porches!
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August 10, 2009 at 10:35 AM
Bravo!!! 🙂 You did an excellent job–skirts can sometimes be the trickiest things to fit, and you did great. I love the fabric you chose–very fun! 🙂
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August 11, 2009 at 10:40 AM
I believe “extra inch of ease at the hips ” would be considered a double entendre. (There should be a frenchy accent thing on there but I am too lame to know how to put it up.)
The skirt looks awesome and those zigs and zags in all the right places.
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August 15, 2009 at 9:18 PM
I love that pattern. So perfectly fitted!
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August 16, 2009 at 8:31 AM
So pretty!
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