This skirt actually came out better than I expected. It started with the fabric...doesn't it usually? I liked the diagonal crepe "Dress Materials" I found and liked the green coordinating fabric that came with it. Unfortunately, I had a heck of a time deciding what to make with the diagonal print once I got home. I thought that a tunic would be a little busy near my face, and I didn't know how a straight diagonal would look on a skirt. Eventually, in a moment of inspiration, bravery, insanity, or something else, I thought of Simplicity 4149 and the skirt with the center front seam. If I worked the fabric correctly, I could make a "V" down the center front of the skirt with the diagonal fabric! And maybe, just maybe, the diagonals would work to elongate me, much like the horizontal lines in Elizabeth's ruffled skirt did for her. Ah HA! The decision was made. :)
Once I had the fabric spread out on the floor, I realized that it's not so easy to work with diagonals, much less to line them up to (more or less) make a V down the front of the skirt. There was only one pattern piece for the skirt, which had to be cut out 4 times. In order to get the diagonals to be high at the side seams and low at the CF and CB, I had to cut 2 of the pieces on the cross grain of the fabric. In order to be sure that I could line up the white diagonals, I extended the top of the pattern pieces by a few inches, so that I'd have more fabric to work with. Lets just say that I spent more time planning to cut, than I did actually sewing the skirt together.
I sewed the 4 seams up and discovered another issue with using a diagonal print. The skirt flares at the bottom, so that the angle of the diagonals on the fabric changed from being approximately 45' to being more vertical. It did not look that great. I am a mild perfectionist btw...so I pulled out the seam ripper and undid the lower portion of the CF and CB seams and realigned the diagonals, before sewing them up again.
All in all the pattern is quick and easy. It is longer than I am used to, since I normally wear skirts at knee-length, being a whopping 5'-2" tall, but I like it. It's not too crazy with a black top.
Once I had the fabric spread out on the floor, I realized that it's not so easy to work with diagonals, much less to line them up to (more or less) make a V down the front of the skirt. There was only one pattern piece for the skirt, which had to be cut out 4 times. In order to get the diagonals to be high at the side seams and low at the CF and CB, I had to cut 2 of the pieces on the cross grain of the fabric. In order to be sure that I could line up the white diagonals, I extended the top of the pattern pieces by a few inches, so that I'd have more fabric to work with. Lets just say that I spent more time planning to cut, than I did actually sewing the skirt together.
I sewed the 4 seams up and discovered another issue with using a diagonal print. The skirt flares at the bottom, so that the angle of the diagonals on the fabric changed from being approximately 45' to being more vertical. It did not look that great. I am a mild perfectionist btw...so I pulled out the seam ripper and undid the lower portion of the CF and CB seams and realigned the diagonals, before sewing them up again.
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| Fluttering in the wind |
All in all the pattern is quick and easy. It is longer than I am used to, since I normally wear skirts at knee-length, being a whopping 5'-2" tall, but I like it. It's not too crazy with a black top.
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