My new skirt
Apr. 18th, 2014 09:52 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
catsittingstillSo I found some fabric at the thrift store, and it was navy blue instead of brown but what the heck it was $2 for a yard and a half and another 2$ for another yard and a half and I bought it. Because I'm a bit too big for my favorite performing skirt right now plus it was getting a bit shabby anyway.
And I found a pattern for a Victorian divided skirt that could be made to riding length or bicycle length, and bicycle length looked about like my old performing skirt, which was good since I spent so much on those Cute Boots and I want them visible.
And the fabric and pattern languished for a while while I did other things / got up my nerve to start, because this is one of the more complicated garments I have made.
But a couple of weeks ago I washed the fabric, ironed it very carefully, and started cutting out the pattern pieces. I thought I was going to have to use both pieces of fabric to make the skirt, but it turned out there was only one corner of the two back pieces I couldn't get from the single bigger piece. And then it turned out I could piece that in from the scraps. I ended up with about a square foot of useable scraps (not in a square piece.) I was very pleased that it worked out that way because the second piece of fabric turned out to be a slightly different weight. I will likely make a vest out of it at some point, and it will probably go with the skirt nicely but I'm not sure it would have been quite right as part of the same garment.
Part of what made this skirt intimidating was that there were ten buttons down the front and five on each side. The ten down the front are because the divided part will button across to look like a skirt from the front when you're not actually riding. (And the legs are partially hidden in the back by four generous pleats that run from the waist to the hem.) The five on each side are to button the waistband closed. So that meant *twenty* buttonholes to sew, which took me several days because I did it by hand. (Sewing machines do not get along with me.) And in the middle of the project I took a couple of days off and went to Larry's housefilk.
Once I had the buttonholes all done, the rest went faster. In one day I got both front-side seams done and one of the side-back seams. The next day I did the other side-back seam. The day after I did both leg seams and the crotch seam. The next day I put on the waistband. The next day I sewed on the buttons--which involved taking loose one of the front-side seams and resewing it so that that closure didn't pucker. Today I hemmed both legs.
I'm toying with the idea of stitching down the pleats--not stitching them together but putting a little line of stitching down each pleat, about 1/16th from the edge, to make a ridge to make it easy to find them and iron them after washing. It would take me between 4 and 8 hours I think, but it might make caring for the skirt easier.
To get the waistband right, and the button closings, and the hemming, I have tried it on *many* times. I am very pleased with it. It is comfortable, it is flowing enough that my steps aren't restricted at all, even with the front buttoned closed--indeed I can do full side kicks in it when it is buttoned up (and wouldn't that be a suprise for someone; not that it is likely to be an issue.) I was worried that the blue would look funny with my brown Magnificent Hat but I really think it looks okay. And it looks great with the Cute Boots.
So I guess I have a new skirt for Easter. I may even wear it that day. :-)
And I found a pattern for a Victorian divided skirt that could be made to riding length or bicycle length, and bicycle length looked about like my old performing skirt, which was good since I spent so much on those Cute Boots and I want them visible.
And the fabric and pattern languished for a while while I did other things / got up my nerve to start, because this is one of the more complicated garments I have made.
But a couple of weeks ago I washed the fabric, ironed it very carefully, and started cutting out the pattern pieces. I thought I was going to have to use both pieces of fabric to make the skirt, but it turned out there was only one corner of the two back pieces I couldn't get from the single bigger piece. And then it turned out I could piece that in from the scraps. I ended up with about a square foot of useable scraps (not in a square piece.) I was very pleased that it worked out that way because the second piece of fabric turned out to be a slightly different weight. I will likely make a vest out of it at some point, and it will probably go with the skirt nicely but I'm not sure it would have been quite right as part of the same garment.
Part of what made this skirt intimidating was that there were ten buttons down the front and five on each side. The ten down the front are because the divided part will button across to look like a skirt from the front when you're not actually riding. (And the legs are partially hidden in the back by four generous pleats that run from the waist to the hem.) The five on each side are to button the waistband closed. So that meant *twenty* buttonholes to sew, which took me several days because I did it by hand. (Sewing machines do not get along with me.) And in the middle of the project I took a couple of days off and went to Larry's housefilk.
Once I had the buttonholes all done, the rest went faster. In one day I got both front-side seams done and one of the side-back seams. The next day I did the other side-back seam. The day after I did both leg seams and the crotch seam. The next day I put on the waistband. The next day I sewed on the buttons--which involved taking loose one of the front-side seams and resewing it so that that closure didn't pucker. Today I hemmed both legs.
I'm toying with the idea of stitching down the pleats--not stitching them together but putting a little line of stitching down each pleat, about 1/16th from the edge, to make a ridge to make it easy to find them and iron them after washing. It would take me between 4 and 8 hours I think, but it might make caring for the skirt easier.
To get the waistband right, and the button closings, and the hemming, I have tried it on *many* times. I am very pleased with it. It is comfortable, it is flowing enough that my steps aren't restricted at all, even with the front buttoned closed--indeed I can do full side kicks in it when it is buttoned up (and wouldn't that be a suprise for someone; not that it is likely to be an issue.) I was worried that the blue would look funny with my brown Magnificent Hat but I really think it looks okay. And it looks great with the Cute Boots.
So I guess I have a new skirt for Easter. I may even wear it that day. :-)
