I ordered the fabric for this skirt back in August. It’s a textured woven plaid that Mood Fabrics titled “Park Avenue Wool-Blend” and is now sadly sold out (hence the reason I selected it in August when there were only a few yards left.) It sat around for several months until I discovered a pattern I had, Vogue 9209, that used this exact fabric for their envelope example drawing, and I suddenly knew what it would become.
I cut a size 14 for the waist tapering out to between a 12 and 14 for the hips. Probably I could have cut a straight size 12, but the waist measurements on the pattern are really small and I was afraid it would be too little. After all the Christmas goodies I ate I need the extra room. This should be my after-the-holidays skirt lol.
What I really liked about this pattern was the interesting button closure at the waistline, making the design unique and not just another fitted skirt. Those buttons, though, took a good long time to sew on. If you are planning to make this skirt, use ball or half-ball buttons for the outer areas. I didn’t think of it, so I had to make thread shanks for 7 out of the 12 required.
I made the shortest view, which is drafted to be right above the knees. However, after it was completely finished and I tried it on, I decided to chop off a few inches and make it more of a mini skirt. I like my winter skirts on the shorter side.
The buttons on the right side are purely decorative. I used baby blue thread throughout. After using this type of fabric for multiple garments over the years, I have found that it’s best to use some color that can be easily seen in case you need to rip it out. The thread sinks into it and can’t be seen except under extremely close inspection. And the baby blue matches with some of the textured yarns anyway.
I really love the colors in this fabric, especially the metallic copper thread woven throughout. These buttons were purchased locally and are gray, although they appear slightly blueish in these photos.
I left this skirt unlined as drafted. The facings I cut from a baby blue solid wool twill I had on hand, also from Mood Fabrics. I am always doing this with facings and other bits of a garment that don’t show on the outside. Why use the expensive fabric for those parts? Plus I like how the blue is just barely visible when the overlay flaps open a bit as I’m moving around. It adds another element of interest.
The seams were finished with the overlocking stitch on my regular machine. I whip-stitched all the facings, button reinforcements and bottom hem by hand. None of that shows on the outside because of the nature of this fabric, and I don’t have anything flipping up or out or otherwise getting in my way.
This skirt was fast to make and I quite like it. I should be nice and warm on a cold winter day, not that we’re presently having those. I was about to sweat to death this afternoon.
This last picture is of me and my cat, Sage Marie, who wanted in on these photos. She’s an old girl – turns 16 next month – but is still a super sweet kitty and isn’t showing any signs of slowing down. She was my first baby before I had any human babies, so of course needed a first and middle name. Haha!