I have used some very old fabric for this skirt
To indulge my nostalgia here are my previous uses of the fabric (beautifully soft fine wale corduroy from Linda's Silver Needle, um about 1997...)
That is my currently quite grown-up university girl at her 3rd birthday party.. the corduroy smocked beautifully.
And here is my not quite so currently big 10 year old boy when he was 5 or so
I find it quite amusing to make myself a skirt from the remnants of my children's clothes.
I also found it interesting to make this excellent skirt again, differently. In version 1 and 2, I left the skirt unlined, as Burda instructs. In version 3, I underlined the skirt, which I found pretty effective, but not conducive to fitting. In my experience, no fabric fits quite the same as the last version of any given pattern.
This time, I wanted to line the skirt, but also allow for fitting at the side seams during construction. I also wanted a neat finish inside.
This is how I did it.
The tricky section of the lining is the partial front yoke.
I left the facing of the yoke in the fashion fabric, as Burda instructs, but did not sew all the way to the vertical joining seams when I was attaching the facing to the outer front yoke pieces. I then added the lining to the lower section of the front, joining at the yoke seam, but making sure that the seam was cut at the overlap of the yoke pieces so that I could turn it under neatly at the yoke seam.
I attached the side seams last - leaving the seam allowance free at the facing meant that I could then sew across the side seams with a neat join at the waist.
I understitched the facings as far as possible, and bound the facing with a remnant bias strip of duchess silk satin (those formal dress scraps are coming in handy) as I do not trust corduroy at all - every seam is either overlocked, bound or pinked and stitched with zig-zag.
I attached an inner button tab across the side seam zip to reduce strain on the opening during wear
This time, the buttoning front is decorative, not functional. To allow enough room to accomodate my waist/hip difference, I used an extra long zip in the side seam.
This skirt is not very exciting, but I am sure it will be a real workhorse garment - plain, comfortable, and goes with lots of things, an excellent start for next winter's wardrobe....
Stashbusting statistics, approx. 1m of corduroy, 1996, and approximately 1m of synthetic lining, maybe 1999,
16 comments:
I love this colour - it goes with everything, in my experience. It works with all the traditional shoe colours and most of the colour spectrum. (in fact I have a sixties advice to girls book which puts it with the standard wardrobe neutrals). And it makes paler skinned blue-eyed people look spectacular. Unfortunately for me it's the current colour my daughter is hollowing out from my wardrobe.
In short,another lovely piece, which should go well with your coat.
Also, on a side note, or maybe a side bar, you made my day yesterday when I saw my blog on yours!
A fabric and pattern with "provenance" how special!
Um - I love that skirt. I don't know why it's not stylish or whatever you said. It looks perfectly fashionable to me. Thanks for the info on lining it. g
I'm in the that looks super lovely camp! Well fitting easy wearing clothes are always fashionable in my book.
Lovely coloured fabric made into a classic style...can't see a problem with that! Your daughter was very cute in 1996 in her handcrafted dress. I remember that year well. It was the year I became a parent!
I just used the last of fabric I knew I bought in 2009... you really blew me out of the water on this one. I bet that corduroy is much nicer than anything you can buy now! Love that skirt - I have two versions of it!
Wow, that has really held up. The color is fabulous, the style is quite relevant, I'm in the hearty applause camp.
Love the butterfly top too.
I love this skirt, I have 3 myself, and the colour is wonderful. Thank you for showing how you lined your skirt as this is always an issue when working with corduroy.
This is a wonderful skirt, and not only because it is pretty and well fitted. It holds history for you and surely is magical :-)
Beautiful - love the color. It's a great pattern, I still wear mine and have a corduroy one planned, just need to get to it LOL
This skirt can't go out of style yet, because I haven't made it yet! hehe
I can see why it's a workhorse, since it's a good shape and classic style, and yet the buttoned yoke make it interesting.
I love your skirt and must have another go at this pattern. I made a rather unsuccessful version ages ago.
That's brilliant that the fabric has dressed your daughter and your son and now you! Well done! It looks like a terrific little skirt, a great colour and a useful shape. I would wear this a tonne :)
Adding another comment to say I chose to pass the Liebster award on to you!
http://tumbleweedsinthewind.blogspot.com/2013/09/liebster-award.html
It's a lovely colour and goes beautifully with that top. Nicely done. Also-'not so big boy'? I'm sure he disagrees! X)
Very clever finish! I would not have thought of leaving the lower edge of the front yoke facing to hang free, but it works perfectly here, especially with your lovely bound edges. I'm going to have to keep this in mind. Love the history of your fabric!
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