Monday, December 14, 2009

BWOF 12/09 #114 Skirt

Pattern Description: This pencil skirt is anything but stiff, prim and proper! The deep, diagonal, unpressed pleat in front is both a special feature and the waist fastening.

Pattern Sizing: BWOF sizes 38-46. I'm generally a 38 in BWOF patterns and this was no exception. This would be a great skirt for grading either up or down, though - the pieces are really, really simple.

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it? Absolutely. This is a pattern that by design can't stray too far from what BWOF intended.

Were the instructions easy to follow? For BWOF, they were stellar. That being said, if you noted the marks on the pattern pieces while tracing, they really weren't necessary. Though I do think their method of buttoning the wrap on the skirt was overdoing it.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? I didn't actually like it at first. I made another one of BWOF's folded/pleated front skirts and felt a little like a wad in it, but after looking at it closely, and then seeing Elizabeth's review of hers, I decided that it was much more flattering than I'd anticipated. And off I went. I wanted a quick and relatively simple project, and this was, though that doesn't explain why I didn't sew the closures on it until this morning, standing in the sewing room in my tights.

Fabric Used: A wool woven (not quite wool flannel but that was the closest classification I could come up with) purchased 2 days before at Kincus Fabrics in Philadelphia. Possibly one of shortest periods any fabric has ever stayed in stash. I bought it, not knowing what it would be other than an eventual skirt, and by the time I took it out of the bag, it knew what it was going to be and I was just along for the ride.

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made: I thought about lining the skirt, but I didn't. Mainly because I wanted quick and lining would have slowed me down, though not that much. I knew I had a short black slip around that wouldn't stick to the wool or my tights, so I allowed myself a lazy. I lengthened the skirt by a smidge - this puppy was shorter than I expected - and when it still wasn't quite as long as I wanted (I wanted it to hit the tops of my boots), I added a strip of black rayon seam tape from my aunt's stash to lengthen it and then hand-sewed the hem. Instead of using BWOF's laborious button/buttonhole through various layers method, I followed Elizabeth's brilliant lead and used skirt hooks instead. Much easier, and a smoother line at the waist. I'm probably never going to tuck a top in anyway, so it would have been a waste of a button. Because I have so few of them, ya know.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? I don't know if I'll sew it again, but only because it's pretty distinctive. Although it would be a GREAT black skirt. But for some reason, it really wanted to be plaid by the time I got to it.

If I made it again, I'd eliminate the whole closure kerfuffle and add an invisible zip in a side seam and just sew the fold down and add the waistband and not have to worry about hooks or buttonholes or any of that.

Conclusion: Quick and easy, two words rarely associated with BWOF. Add easy-to-comprehend instructions, and it's a winner.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

awww... thanks for linking to me. :) *blushing* I can't believe you didn't tell me you finished the skirt!

It looks amazing! I love it in the plaid. I think the plaid shows off the drape even better and makes it look intentional.

I think I might make it up in some kind of plaid or houndstooth too and take your recs on sewing the pleat down and inserting the invisible side zipper. Pure genius!!!

Little Hunting Creek said...

I like it in plaid - you should always do what the fabric wants - the fabric knows best!

Carolyn (Diary of a Sewing Fanatic) said...

What a great skirt! My two are still laying in pieces on my cutting table but I've already improved on Burda's directions...while the button idea is kewl, I really just love the drape!

I can see you getting a lot of wear out of this!

Audrey said...

Every version of this skirt I see in blogland looks really great. I love how yours looks made in a plaid fabric.

Debbie Cook said...

Really nice skirt! I like it in the plaid.

Susan said...

I really like your plaid version. I have some silk plaid that may need to be made into this skirt, especially since I've already traced the pattern!

gwensews said...

That skirt is very interesting made up in plaid. I'v only seen it in solids but the plaid is distinctive.

meredithp said...

Looks really great. Mine is still laying in a stack waiting to be sewing. I definitely like the idea of doing a plain waistband with a zipper. Certainly would be less bulk.