Bunny's post made me realise too that it's been a long time again since I posted, without intending to leave so much time in between. December is of course a busy time for most of us and January... well, I can't wait till it's over and days are getting longer.
I'm certainly not planning to put a schedule on my blog posts, but will try to document my sewing a bit more. Let's start with one of my recent makes, a skirt from the May 2012 Burda issue.
One of my sewing friends traced it for me (thanks Viv) as I didn't have the issue.
Though it looks like a wrap, initially I thought it was, it's a pegged pencil skirt with some lovely features:
- asymmetrical seamline at the front
- high/low hem
- high waistline in the back, lower at front
Here's my version.
I made it in a heavy ponte knit in size 42. I ended up making it shorter and taking in the waist a lot. Think it was at least two sizes. As you can see in the first photo, which is not the most flattering, but the one where you can see the detail best, my difference in waist/hip ratio is substantial.
When I had sewn the base of the skirt and only had to do the facings, I tried it on, not having altered the depth of the darts. It looked ok and I finished it, including top-stitching.
The horror of putting it on then. It was far too wide in the waist. Probably it had set a bit lower when I tried it on. It meant taking all the topstitching out, taking the waist in by sewing wider darts AND making seam lines in the facing to remove the extra width.
Something that would have make me throw it in the wastebin when I was younger...(my mother knows!) but now I'm really happy I didn't.
Dark blue is difficult to make photos from, It's close fitting but the ponte knit makes it quite comfortable.
Nice skirt with interesting details so I can see why you chose this pattern. Sorry you had to remove lots of stitching but as experienced sewists we realize that it's worth the effort to achieve a proper fit giving a garment that is actually worn. Thanks for your blog. Karen
ReplyDeleteA proper fit is important, at least to me as well. I wouldn't have worn it the way it originally was.
DeleteThank you for your kind comment.
I always enjoy your posts on sewing although we are very different shapes. You make me see details and lines and introduce me to pattern lines I may not be familiar with. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteIt's nice to know the blog posts are enjoyed. Thank you.
DeleteI really love that scooped waistline, I think it's really flattering (that pattern has wone a spot in my wishlist now). The skirt looks terrific on you. I've also read Bunny's post and I also felt the urge to write about it, but like you I feel there's too much to be said and I postponed it. Mainly I feel that not much has changed for me. I still write the way I did back in the early starts. I've found many like-minded spirits thanks to blogging and I still believe in sharing knowledge and inspiring others to sew. Now there's more into it, some business, yes, but it's still an unselfish activity for many of us. The sewing Divas was the first blog that I noticed was running ads back then, and I didn't felt it as being wrong either. There's space for all styles, and blogging as we used to blog is not dead, thankfully. It just depends on us.
ReplyDeleteThe skirt would look terrific on you! Sharing knowledge and connecting with like-minded spirits is still the core of our blogging I suppose. I've no advertisements on my blog and don't object to them, as long as there is no screaming pop up "subscribe to my mail list" every few seconds. I've unfollowed a few blogs because of that.
DeleteReally cute skirt. I wonder if I have that one in my collection. I only have old Burda's which are still current in my eye. I am glad you still blog even if it is only on occasion. It is like visiting a friend and seeing what you have been up to.
ReplyDeleteThat is a very nice thing to say. Thank you.
DeleteI often find things in old Burda's that are wonderful. In the new ones too, but apparently "aging" of patterns sometimes helps too. A pattern that I didn't notice at the time, can look so good now.
Sigrid, thank you for posting about this. I'm in the middle of making a skirt for my daughter. Initially I thought that I would be taking it in quite a bit, but as it turned out, it "just" fits. She's a size 2 in rtw. I cut out the largest size that the remnant of fabric would allow, size 10, and thought it would need taking in. Fortunately, I didn't stitch the seam allowances at 3/4's as I'd planned. Went ahead and finished the skirt, added a lining, serged the tops together at the waist. Now I have to undo all of that, stitch the seams as narrowly as possible and see if there's enough wearing ease. I had to set it aside for a bit before admitting that it needed disassembling and restitching. Thanks again for the post. Good to know that there's someone else having to do the same alterations. Oh yes, and Happy New Year. :-)
ReplyDeleteFully agree that it's good to know that others face the same problems. Good luck with the alterations and keeping my fingers crossed for you it will work out for your daughter's skirt. Happy new year to you too (I thought it was a bit late to start with that in my post ;) )
ReplyDeleteI learn so much from your blog posts, Sigrid! So I am delighted that you still blog. I think it is particularly kind of the expert sewists to keep blogging and inspiring those of us who aspire to be as good as you. Thanks for the blog posts.
ReplyDeleteThank you for these kind words!
ReplyDeleteAn interesting skirt and like you I would have thrown it out a few years ago but it is so worth taking the time to sort out the issues for a perfect fitting skirt.
ReplyDelete