True Blue Skirt

February 3, 2015 by steelyseamstress 10 Comments

I have been admiring all the 1960s A-line skirts that have been cropping up on-line here and here, not to mention the Delphine skirt from Tilly and the buttons. There are some seriously chic numbers by Handmade Jane and from Crafty Red.

About a year ago, I made a skirt sloper which I used to make a pencil skirt. So, sorry Tilly, I think I’ll try to create an A-line skirt from my sloper. It’s a real test for me; do I actually have any pattern cutting skills? Here’s the result.

My skirt is made from just four pattern pieces – the back, the front, a front yoke and a back yoke. Very simple. I used the sloper to get some basic measurements, such as the waist, hips and distance between waist and hips. I then translated that into the four pattern pieces.

The skirt fastens with an invisible zipper at the back and has a couple of small buttons on the front for interest.

The fabric is a linen and cotton blend from Truro Fabrics. I also bought some matching cotton lawn to line the yoke. I just couldn’t believe how well this fabric matched. It seems almost a shame that it will only be seen on the inside.

The lower hem is finished with cotton bias-binding, and I found another excellent match. I did think that I could make my own bias-binding from the matching cotton lawn, but in the end I was feeling lazy and went with pre-made bias-binding.

I decided to line the skirt and as it as a winter make I will generally wear it with tights. I’ve come to realise, that “slippery” fabric might be a necessity to stop the lining from riding up with tights. It hasn’t been too much of a problem with my other skirts to use cotton sheeting, which I prefer, but the looser fit, may necessitate the use of a proper lining.

True to form, I didn’t make a muslin, but I think it is a pretty good fit. After the last make, the Jordan jacket, it was such a relief to make something easy. It just shows how much I have moved on with my sewing, that this wasn’t a particularly challenging project, even with the pattern drafting.

It was extremely cold in the park and I was trying really hard, not to hunch shoulders or look like I was shivering. By the way, you wouldn’t know, but I am still wearing my beanie hat!