Vogue 1292 View B, a Sandra Betzina Skirt

I bought this pattern when it first came out because I was fascinated by the origami flounce of View A. I'm still fascinated with it, but this time I made View B, the "other" skirt in the envelope, which you can see in the smaller picture below.

It seemed like it would work better with the fabric I wanted to use, a textured zig zag stripe that I bought at Santa Fe Fabrics last year (along with some black ponte and a couple of zippers).

It was just too busy for cutting out all those little geometric pieces (there are 12 of them!). It really needs a simple stripe, or even a solid.

I made full pattern pieces of the front and back panels. I didn't think such narrow pieces could be cut effectively on the fold, plus I wanted to be able to line up the stripes as well as I could. The pattern for the side panels is already a full piece, so why not print front and back the same way too?

I cut out the main fabric at Material Girls, where I had a huge cutting table and lots of space to work in. I'm so glad I did! The layout took some time to plan for the best effect, and that's easier to do when you have plenty of room. When I took the pieces home, I let them rest, flat, on my cutting table. While this isn't a particularly wiggly knit, I knew that having the pieces folded up in a tote bag didn't help. I did end up "trueing up" the edges after the fabric had relaxed for a few days.

The guide sheet recommends basting the pieces together first to test the fit because the construction is atypical. No changes needed for me, but if you are making this skirt according to the pattern, don't skip this step. The lining is sewn to the skirt at the waist and the hem so it would be hard to adjust later on. 

I was initially unsure how long too make the skirt. I realized when testing the fit that the 33" finished measurement of the pattern was going to be too much for me. I left the striped pieces alone, but made the lining pieces shorter. I came up with this solution because I had I smallish remnant I wanted to use for the lining and the amount was too small if I cut the lining per the pattern pieces. In addition, the lining doesn't exactly "go" with the stripe so I wanted a deeper hem to hide that. Here's a photo to explain what I mean.

The lining is a poly knit that I think came from Emma One Sock several years ago. I believe I originally made a t-shirt out of it. The price was right (free), and it has the slippery texture I wanted. As a bonus, it's a fun print, and I like having that little surprise for myself. I cut the lining on the lengthwise grain, again due to having short yardage to work with.

I like the hem technique although it took a while for me to wrap my head around how to adjust the length. But it worked out fine, with a finished length of 26". It's below the knee, so long enough to wear with boots, but not too long.

The skirt has an elastic waistband, and Sandra provides two options. I picked the simpler one, which is similar to the technique Loes Hinse uses. I always feel like I need three hands when I do this because the elastic is being stretched while being attached, but it does result in a nice waistband.

I hope to get a picture of this on me soon, but today was not the day, since it's a dreary and windy weekend again. That's been the pattern although it's nice during the week. I think I'm going to like this skirt. The pattern will be versatile too, since it's a basic shape that could be used with many knit fabrics. 

TSW Zen Shirt, Version 2 is Complete

This has been an a ongoing project for quite a while, but made in fits and starts. Unlike the previous version, I made this one according to the recommended techniques on the pattern's Guide Sheet with French seams, miters, top stitching, and so forth. Every once in a while it's nice to make a project this way to renew  fine sewing techniques. I especially like the hidden placket, which I will need to adapt to other patterns in the future.

It does look a bit plain on Miss Acme (and she's definitely looking worse for wear), but I assure you that it's a beautiful fine cotton in real life, with a hand that's crisp yet silky to the touch.  How I miss the day's when JoAnn's would buy such nice things from its jobbers! Here's a view of the back with its deep pleat:

Just for fun, I played around with various ways to style the most notable feature, the double collar.

Straight up

Both folded down

One up, one down

And most likely, open at the neck

If I make this again, I'm leaving off the button and loop detail at the neck. I want to like it, but it's a challenge to sew through all the layers involved, and not really that functional. Other than that, this shirt offers some nice details and as sewn, it will be a good base for accessories.

I'm not sure what's next. Spring has arrived, although it's still a bit chilly. I'm feeling the need to sew up spring-like fabrics such as linen. Perhaps a re-sort of the Sewing Cave is in order.