I hemmed the purple linen skirt last night – just in time to wear it to the Maker’s Fair in San Mateo today. It was a rather cold day so I wasn’t the most appropriately dressed but hey! I also had the most glorious plans to take photos of the skirt while there but my camera started acting up immediately – so all you get are some quickies taken this evening before the sun went down. I think my photographer needs to work on getting me to smile. I look rather downtrodden in these!
Fabric: Linen blend purchased at Hart’s Fabric sometime in 2009
Pattern: Self-drafted gathered skirt with straight waistband
Time to Complete: 4 to 5 hours (Not including the drafting or muslins)
Wear Again?: Certainly
What I like
- The weight of the fabric. It has a really lovely drape – there’s a heft to the garment but it moves when you move and rustles in the wind beautifully.
- The length. I really love knee length skirts but at 5’1 rtw rarely hits me perfectly so sewing for yourself is such a delight.
- The color. I’m such a sucker for plums.
What I’d do differently
- Sew the waistband’s buttonhole horizontally. The vertical button sagged terribly after wearing it all day. The waistband is interfaced with hair canvas and silk organza but I might need to start adding additional interfacing at the buttonholes.
- Raise the zipper 1/2″. There’s a hole in between the waistband and the zipper because I miscalculated the zipper placement. I do this often so it is something that I need to watch.
- Trim the excess bulk on the side seams before hemming. I used french seams at the sides and a bound seam in the back and I wasn’t entirely sure how to trim the bulk with these finishes but the hem is definitely bulky at these points. If you have any tips, leave me a comment.
I’m off to get my camera to the shop so that you all don’t have to look at blurry photos again! Hope you had a great weekend.
