Since I can’t find skirts I like, and my wear-all-the-time skirts are wearing out too much to fix easily, I have finally drafted a pattern and made my own…
…the first being a wearable toile (cheap material, stitched and re-stitched to fit).
The post image shows the skirt (poorly laid out, dark kharki linen, slightly wrinkled because I’ve been wearing it non-stop since it was made earlier this week) on top of some pretty leaf-patterned linen fabric which is just one (of the many) other fabrics I have ready to make more, similar skirts. I like the way the semi-patched pockets break up the plain skirt. The patterned skirts will have pockets set into the side seams and waistband (the latter to improve weight distribution, see below) instead.
The pattern I drafted myself was based on the skirts I’ve owned for ages (and worn to death). There are just four pieces to the pattern: front (cut on fold), back (cut on fold), waistband (cut on fold) and pocket (x2 for semi-patched and x4 of a different shape for the inset version).
The result was too big at first (because I always add too much ease up front and then realise that things can be more fitted with a better line, yet still comfortable to wear). I tacked the pieces together with my sewing machine, noted the sizing issue, and then… with much trepidation… got out my overlocker (serger) for the first time and used that to both re-stich and cut down the side seams (and the pockets in fact, because these were also too large so could take the same reduction). Most things I read about overlockers imply you should practice with them, take your time to learn, etc, but I just jumped straight in… and it was fine on the cheap, linen/cotton fabric I was using!
The overlocker is a revelation. The seams and finish are just great. I guess I might have issues in the future if I don’t take a bit more care to practice with stretch materials, for example. Then there’s the whole question of re-threading… although if you pay attention then you can cheat by pulling the new threads through the machine after knotting them to the existing ones.
I ended up using this simple method to attach the waistband, rather than the more complex one I learnt ages ago. With the overlocker to finish the edge the simple method works well and allows for adjustment.
The inset pocket alteration I’ll be using for the patterned skirts took some time to research. I found I’d saved a reel that described what I wanted. As the video explains, the advantage of this design is that it distributes the weight of the contents into the waistband, thus allowing you to put your heavy phone (or whatever) into the pocket without destroying the line of the skirt. The drafting information took a while to find, and then an example where it is used for a skirt took even longer to locate, but it all makes sense now.
So… once I have resized the pattern itself (because I’ve been too busy wearing my skirt and doing other things to get around to that yet) and made a few other alterations (mainly a wider waistband to accommodate wider elastic for a flatter finish and the alternate inset pocket piece) I’ll be making more. I’ve got material for at least two more plain in other colours and two patterned. Finally I will have all the skirts I have ever wanted.
