Blue Prints For Sewing A Frame Pencil Skirt

Fabric: African Wax Print from Liberia - A friend brought it back from his travels
Pattern: Blue Prints For Sewing A Frame Skirt - Version 1 (pencil skirt)

When I first saw this pattern I fell in love with the idea of color-blocking and different arrangements of stripes and pattern pieces to make a really unique skirt.  I've had the fabric for about 6 months if not closer to a year and hadn't decided what to make with it because it's such a bold print. Usually I'm not a print person at all. I knew being able to incorporate a solid would help tone this down a little bit and add some fun to my wardrobe. I used some black linen I had leftover from my Tessuti Alice Top for the side skirt front pieces that actually form pockets with the lower side front pieces. I didn't have enough linen left to incorporate any contrasting on the back side pieces of the skirt but I like the solid look on the back.

As far as sewing goes this was pretty straightforward to make. Nothing too challenging or technically involved. I cut a size B for the waist and graded out to an F I believe through the hips. From the bum up to the waist the skirt fits great. I feel like it's a little loose/not as much pencil shape below the bum and down to the knees due to it being graded to an F. I have a wide hips and a round derriere but my legs aren't that big. I think next time I'll grade back down to a C/D by the hem. I did take it in a few inches at the bottom but think it can still stand to be taken down a few inches more. Ignore the chalk in the picture. I didn't wash it post making and marking before I decided to wear it. Woops. Another woops happened when I was ironing my waistband after attaching. I guess I had my iron turned up to high because it burned right through the fabric exposing the interfacing inside (see the bottom left picture?). I didn't want to cut another waistband so I did some 'visible mending' with some orangeish thread I have. I kind of like it and think it adds some fun detailing. I think this might've been my first time sewing a lapped zipper and it was pretty straightforward and lines up nicely.

 You can see what I was talking about in the middle picture, the skirt doesn't curve back in below my bum like a traditional pencil skirt should. I think I might leave it as is because I'm lazy and I don't want to unpick the side seams to take it back in. It still fits nicely and has a nice shape from the front. Just like my last post this skirt can be worn in the summer or spring and in the winter or fall with tights and layers. I was looking through some of my old blog posts and man the pictures and quality of the pictures is just horrible. I feel like i'm able to take better pictures now that I have my dress form to hang my clothes on while I photograph them. It really makes for a world of difference and I want to be able to share all of those small details with you. Thanks again mom for the awesome gift it's very well loved. 

Fabric: African Wax Print from Liberia - A friend brought it back from his travels
Pattern: Blue Prints For Sewing A Frame Skirt - Version 1 (pencil skirt)

When I first saw this pattern I fell in love with the idea of color-blocking and different arrangements of stripes and pattern pieces to make a really unique skirt.  I've had the fabric for about 6 months if not closer to a year and hadn't decided what to make with it because it's such a bold print. Usually I'm not a print person at all. I knew being able to incorporate a solid would help tone this down a little bit and add some fun to my wardrobe. I used some black linen I had leftover from my Tessuti Alice Top for the side skirt front pieces that actually form pockets with the lower side front pieces. I didn't have enough linen left to incorporate any contrasting on the back side pieces of the skirt but I like the solid look on the back.

As far as sewing goes this was pretty straightforward to make. Nothing too challenging or technically involved. I cut a size B for the waist and graded out to an F I believe through the hips. From the bum up to the waist the skirt fits great. I feel like it's a little loose/not as much pencil shape below the bum and down to the knees due to it being graded to an F. I have a wide hips and a round derriere but my legs aren't that big. I think next time I'll grade back down to a C/D by the hem. I did take it in a few inches at the bottom but think it can still stand to be taken down a few inches more. Ignore the chalk in the picture. I didn't wash it post making and marking before I decided to wear it. Woops. Another woops happened when I was ironing my waistband after attaching. I guess I had my iron turned up to high because it burned right through the fabric exposing the interfacing inside (see the bottom left picture?). I didn't want to cut another waistband so I did some 'visible mending' with some orangeish thread I have. I kind of like it and think it adds some fun detailing. I think this might've been my first time sewing a lapped zipper and it was pretty straightforward and lines up nicely.

 You can see what I was talking about in the middle picture, the skirt doesn't curve back in below my bum like a traditional pencil skirt should. I think I might leave it as is because I'm lazy and I don't want to unpick the side seams to take it back in. It still fits nicely and has a nice shape from the front. Just like my last post this skirt can be worn in the summer or spring and in the winter or fall with tights and layers. I was looking through some of my old blog posts and man the pictures and quality of the pictures is just horrible. I feel like i'm able to take better pictures now that I have my dress form to hang my clothes on while I photograph them. It really makes for a world of difference and I want to be able to share all of those small details with you. Thanks again mom for the awesome gift it's very well loved. 

Kelly Skirt

Pattern: Kelly Skirt - Megan Nielsen
Fabric:  Plaiditudes Collection - Brush Cotton Herringbone Brown & Black - JoAnn Fabrics (they no longer have this color)

I'd been wanting to make more skirts and dresses that had a 'fall/winter' feel to them so when I saw this heavier herringbone fabric I knew that it was destined to be a skirt. This was a fairly straightforward sew, and one of my favorite parts is that it has lined pockets! I'm not sure why it is but I love dresses and skirts that have pockets on them. In addition to the pockets the skirt buttons up the front and has pleats in both the front and the back. In hindsight I wish I had chosen lighter buttons for the center front so that they'd stand out a bit more. My buttonhole foot was working this time and so getting those button holes done was a breeze.

I was having a horrible time with lighting when I tried to take these pictures so they look a little washed out

I lined the pockets with this malachite cotton silk I had leftover from this tote bag project. Unfortunately I only had a few scraps left otherwise I think I would've lined the entire skirt. The pattern doesn't call for a lining, or include a pattern for one; however, you'd just need a rectangle, but having one would make it a little heavier for colder days. I ended up hemming it about 4 inches more than the pattern called for. I don't think I'd hem it that short again, probably just 2 inches next time, but the original hemline wasn't flattering as it was hitting mid knee. I thought about unpicking the hem and making it a little longer since I realized it  looked pretty short once I put it on, but then I decided I'd most likely be wearing this with tights or leggings this winter and decided to leave it. Interestingly it is finger length (did you guys have that rule in school about shorts/skirts/dresses needing to be finger length too?) but the bell shape because of the pleats makes it look shorter than it really is.

I'm not sure how big of a fan I am of the pleats on the back, from the side at least I feel like it adds to my back side but not in the most pleasant way. I interfaced the waistband and next time would also interface the center front placket in order to avoid stretching with the buttonholes. The only problem I had was that my waistband ended up really tight, so much that it was gaping and I had to sew a snap closure underneath the top button. I'm pretty sure I cut my pattern pieces out correctly, however when you sew on the waistband you leave some overhang that gets trimmed off when you turn the pieces right side out. I think next time I'd leave the overhang and sacrifice the look of everything being lined up down the center. I'm okay with the waistband buttons being a little off center from the center placket. Especially if it means I can eat, move comfortably, or breath when wearing the skirt. I made another version of this for my roommate out of some scrap fabric she had and hers fits perfectly. I'll have to take some pictures of it because it's very different than my version: side zipper, faux button placket, scalloped hem, faux pockets! As always, thanks for reading.

Pattern: Kelly Skirt - Megan Nielsen
Fabric:  Plaiditudes Collection - Brush Cotton Herringbone Brown & Black - JoAnn Fabrics (they no longer have this color)

I'd been wanting to make more skirts and dresses that had a 'fall/winter' feel to them so when I saw this heavier herringbone fabric I knew that it was destined to be a skirt. This was a fairly straightforward sew, and one of my favorite parts is that it has lined pockets! I'm not sure why it is but I love dresses and skirts that have pockets on them. In addition to the pockets the skirt buttons up the front and has pleats in both the front and the back. In hindsight I wish I had chosen lighter buttons for the center front so that they'd stand out a bit more. My buttonhole foot was working this time and so getting those button holes done was a breeze.

I was having a horrible time with lighting when I tried to take these pictures so they look a little washed out

I lined the pockets with this malachite cotton silk I had leftover from this tote bag project. Unfortunately I only had a few scraps left otherwise I think I would've lined the entire skirt. The pattern doesn't call for a lining, or include a pattern for one; however, you'd just need a rectangle, but having one would make it a little heavier for colder days. I ended up hemming it about 4 inches more than the pattern called for. I don't think I'd hem it that short again, probably just 2 inches next time, but the original hemline wasn't flattering as it was hitting mid knee. I thought about unpicking the hem and making it a little longer since I realized it  looked pretty short once I put it on, but then I decided I'd most likely be wearing this with tights or leggings this winter and decided to leave it. Interestingly it is finger length (did you guys have that rule in school about shorts/skirts/dresses needing to be finger length too?) but the bell shape because of the pleats makes it look shorter than it really is.

I'm not sure how big of a fan I am of the pleats on the back, from the side at least I feel like it adds to my back side but not in the most pleasant way. I interfaced the waistband and next time would also interface the center front placket in order to avoid stretching with the buttonholes. The only problem I had was that my waistband ended up really tight, so much that it was gaping and I had to sew a snap closure underneath the top button. I'm pretty sure I cut my pattern pieces out correctly, however when you sew on the waistband you leave some overhang that gets trimmed off when you turn the pieces right side out. I think next time I'd leave the overhang and sacrifice the look of everything being lined up down the center. I'm okay with the waistband buttons being a little off center from the center placket. Especially if it means I can eat, move comfortably, or breath when wearing the skirt. I made another version of this for my roommate out of some scrap fabric she had and hers fits perfectly. I'll have to take some pictures of it because it's very different than my version: side zipper, faux button placket, scalloped hem, faux pockets! As always, thanks for reading.