Here are the two skirts I actually finished. Beautiful 70 degree weather out here in California made it possible to wear a skirt without boots and a short-sleeved shirt to church today. I almost wore sandals. I could have worn sandals. But out of respect for those in more frigid parts of the country I wore regular dress shoes ; )
These skirts are from Simplicity 3881. I made views A (in blue) and view C (pink). Super easy pattern and nice to use when you don't have a lot of a couple different fabrics. In fact, the blue skirt fabric came from this previous disaster. I made the following changes:
*I lined the top piece. After I sewed the dart in the top fabric I used it as a pattern piece for the lining.
*I put in an invisible zipper instead of the one in the pattern. Mostly because I tried doing it the other way, but it didn't work - and I know how to do the invisible zipper so that's what I did.
*After sewing the flounce/ruffle I sewed that seam to the top piece of the skirt. Make sense?
*Because I lined the top piece I didn't finish the waist the way the instructions say (bias tape I think). You just sort of sew the two pieces together, flip them right side out, and top stitch.
If/when I make the skirt again I think I'd only do view A. The bottom part is a "flounce" instead of a ruffle. The ruffle feels sort of kid-ish to me - plus gathering is a pain. The flounce is fun to twirl in when dancing with the 4 year old too.
Oh! I have a questions for anyone who sews from sewing patterns from the big companies. How do you choose the RIGHT SIZE?? Let me tell you my process - according to the measurements on the back of the pattern my waist was a size 14. My hips a 12. Knowing that patterns run big I made a 10. It was too big so I made some adjustments to that skirt and then made the second skirt a size 8. I think I could make a size 6 next. I wear a size 0-2 at the Gap. Why!? Why!? is it SO difficult to pick the right size. I've heard making the size from the Ease shown on the actual pattern piece - which would have worked had I done that in the first place. I know this is the purpose of making a muslin. . . but it would be nice to at least get close to the right size. Any thoughts? Anyone??
4 comments:
I've been sewing for about 6 months now, and I still haven't figured out the sizing thing on patterns. My strategy so far has pretty much been to only choose patterns where the sizing doesn't have to be all that exact to begin with. (A-line skirts, peasant-ish tops, etc.) This fits pretty well with my personal style, but I'd LOVE to figure out the sizing thing so I can try some more fitted patterns!
Cute skirts! You're so talented. You make me want to attempt to make a skirt!
I have no input, except if I were a size 0-2 and had to make a size 10,12 or 14 skirt I think I would faint!
Jen
The sizing sucks on the big four. My answer (for me)? I don't sew from them!! Ottobre and Kwik Sew are some good ones to sew from - much more consistent sizing. Once you figure out your size, you can go with that for most of their patterns!
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