Another wearable muslin, in process (main seams done, that's it). This is a gorgeous peach French provincial cotton I got on sale at Pierre Deux in Manhattan many, many, many years ago. Flash washed out the color; I've tweaked it almost right. The fabric was going to back a large quilt, but that never happened. I came across it not long ago and thought, "wow, would that be wasted on a quilt back." 
I have high hopes for this pattern. American patterns have such a ridiculous amount of ease built in, and are so much too short for me (I'm only 5'8" but that seems to be at about 4 inches taller than whatever "standard" height they design for) that I haven't had much luck finding any that truly work for me, even with adjustments.
So far this is my best bet for a future "TNT" (tried and true") skirt pattern. Burda stated somewhere they design for 5'6" so we're starting out a bit closer in the height department. If I were as slim as their models I'd be all set.
I cut this out yesterday (short length) and stitched up the seams for a test fit this morning. Would have been super fast and easy if I hadn't fussed so much over cutting and pinning and stitching to get the center front and back seams to match for that perfectly symmetrical effect.
I also plan to put a lapped zipper in the left side seam, rather than a center back zip. I'll leave that for when I've mastered invisible zippers. I haven't even done one yet, and am not sure I have an invisible zip presser foot for my new machine...
In the meantime, I've encountered a problem. This pattern has a tulip shape, nipping in just a teeny bit below the hips, before flaring out again. It's a subtle shift from a straight seamline, but happens to narrow in right at the spot where I flare out a little. It's not like I have a horrible saddlebag problem, but there's a bit more to my outer thigh than this shape accommodates.
Oh well. That's what a muslin is for, right? I'm gonna rip out the top half of the side seams and eek a little extra there. Could do the center front/back seams, too, if this were a different fabric, but no way am I gonna mess up my perfect match job:
After trying this on and discovering the thigh-fit issue, I changed to go do some errands and realized that my every-day all-purpose white chino skirt fits perfectly just where the Burda encounters problems. Aha! I can do a flat measure of the chino skirt and use that to get the Burda to fit.
That's the plan, anyway. If I conquer fit issues, I think I will love this skirt. And if I love it, I'm gonna make a bunch of 'em. Yeah, I know this pattern's been around for years, but STYLE is all about knowing what looks good on you and sticking with it. Fads are just fashion (not the same thing!) and don't interest me much at all.
Am I crazy to think this skirt might finally answer the question of what to do with another length of stash fabric? Specifically, this Amy Butler Nigella twill, an impulse addition to an online buy over a year ago...
I have high hopes for this pattern. American patterns have such a ridiculous amount of ease built in, and are so much too short for me (I'm only 5'8" but that seems to be at about 4 inches taller than whatever "standard" height they design for) that I haven't had much luck finding any that truly work for me, even with adjustments.
So far this is my best bet for a future "TNT" (tried and true") skirt pattern. Burda stated somewhere they design for 5'6" so we're starting out a bit closer in the height department. If I were as slim as their models I'd be all set.
I cut this out yesterday (short length) and stitched up the seams for a test fit this morning. Would have been super fast and easy if I hadn't fussed so much over cutting and pinning and stitching to get the center front and back seams to match for that perfectly symmetrical effect.
Photo above has just the main seams done, no darts yet. I need darts, being a curvy gal, but decided to try pin-fitting them this time. Pattern has one generous dart on each side front and back, but -- inspired by the most flattering/best-fitting skirt in my closet -- I've decided to try two smaller darts each side. That's eight darts to sew, rather than four, and sewing darts is not one of my fave tasks, so fingers crossed it's worth the effort, too.
I also plan to put a lapped zipper in the left side seam, rather than a center back zip. I'll leave that for when I've mastered invisible zippers. I haven't even done one yet, and am not sure I have an invisible zip presser foot for my new machine...
In the meantime, I've encountered a problem. This pattern has a tulip shape, nipping in just a teeny bit below the hips, before flaring out again. It's a subtle shift from a straight seamline, but happens to narrow in right at the spot where I flare out a little. It's not like I have a horrible saddlebag problem, but there's a bit more to my outer thigh than this shape accommodates.
Oh well. That's what a muslin is for, right? I'm gonna rip out the top half of the side seams and eek a little extra there. Could do the center front/back seams, too, if this were a different fabric, but no way am I gonna mess up my perfect match job:
It's only a little bit snug through the thighs, so worst case scenario I can stash this in the closet while I exercise a bit more and eat a bit less for a while. I probably only have to shed 3-5 lbs to take care of the fit problem. (Hah, like that's gonna happen in a hurry! I can dream, though, right?)
After trying this on and discovering the thigh-fit issue, I changed to go do some errands and realized that my every-day all-purpose white chino skirt fits perfectly just where the Burda encounters problems. Aha! I can do a flat measure of the chino skirt and use that to get the Burda to fit.
That's the plan, anyway. If I conquer fit issues, I think I will love this skirt. And if I love it, I'm gonna make a bunch of 'em. Yeah, I know this pattern's been around for years, but STYLE is all about knowing what looks good on you and sticking with it. Fads are just fashion (not the same thing!) and don't interest me much at all.
Am I crazy to think this skirt might finally answer the question of what to do with another length of stash fabric? Specifically, this Amy Butler Nigella twill, an impulse addition to an online buy over a year ago...
I was thinking of doing a plain old pencil style with it, but I think it will really shine with that extra touch of shaping.
This print will be an even bigger seam-matching challenge, and frankly the design is so big I don't know if I have enough yardage to match it. But if I do, it could be truly great.
This is a great pattern. I have made both versions and I love it. The short one I wear all summer and the long one is great with boots in the winter.
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