Thursday, January 19, 2012

This Skirt Was Sewn Almost Entirely With The Zipper Foot




'Tis true.

I think I used the regular presser foot to sew about 2% of the seams in the beginning, and then left the zipper foot in for the rest of the time. 

I also sewed this skirt in backwards sequence. Not by accident - but because it was actually necessary.

Sewing for the kids became a little old this week, so I thought I'd take a break and make something for me. I tend to do this whenever I'm about to go to Singapore. I suspect it's because I will be, once again, in the company of real seamstresses like Mum/Auntie Laura/Jen and I need something that doesn't look like it came from the 49 cent clearance rack of Old Navy (yes, I actually own 49 cent Old Navy skirts. Two, in fact.). 

So I consulted my pinterest boards and saw this:




And decided I'd copy it. Not exactly, since I didn't have black or grey fabric that was nice to wear. Found a sad bit of denim in my stash and thought I'd just put piping everywhere because I have no self-restraint whatsoever with piping.

I also thought it would be a fast project. I'm such a fool.

You see the pocket?

I decided to add that in halfway. And by "halfway", I mean "after the side seams were already sewn up".

And (see earlier note on lack of self-restraint) I also decided it should have piping on both edges, to be coherent with the rest of the piping everywhere. And by "decided" I mean "after I'd already cut open the welt".


If you've never heard what bad planning sounds like, you do now.

The um.... faux flap button placket thing

is just a faced hem, right?

Pretty, very neat, no raw edges etc. 

But it had to be sewn first, not last. Who hems their skirts first before sewing the zippers? Only crazy people, that's who.

So yes, that invisible zipper has to be sewn last. And by "last", I mean "only the buttons and waist facing were more last than it".

Too cold today to actually model this outdoors for you, so I made Fleur do it. She's not a coward like I am. 

I'm working on one more skirt for me. 
It has batik in it. But no piping. 

28 comments:

  1. I LOVE your version of the skirt! The piping is beautiful.

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  2. Oh my goodness that's AWESOME!! I may need to make one... :) Great job!

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  3. Gorgeous, just gorgeous. You are so talented!

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  4. This is awesome. I like yours much better than the original. You may need to do a tutorial on that pocket.

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  5. I love it--seriously, such a great skirt. And you are crazy. Those details are beautiful, and killer.

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  6. Very cute! I wish skirts fit and looked good on me because I'd take one in a heart beat! (DH likes skirts and dresses on me, I like pants and shorts.) ;)

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  7. You are one heck of a seamstress!! That skirt is awesome, as is your blog. Thanks for the inspiration!!!

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  8. Yep, I think you're crazy! But your craziness always turns into something wonderful, so don't ever get too sane! The skirt is sooo cute!! And backwards sewn or not, it looks perfect!

    Actually, I think you're more crazy for going outside to photograph it in the temps we had today!!! :)

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    1. Yes, GG: my desperate quest for the perfect outdoor lighting knows no bounds. Did you notice that I my hand was exposed in that pocket shot? I.e. mitten-less? I couldn't feel my fingers for a while after!

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  9. what a fun skirt! The top of your invisible zipper looks so nice. I've yet to master that and have to put in a hook and eye sometimes. Very nice!

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    1. liza jane - I still do put hooks and eyes in with my invisible zippers. Mostly for dresses, though, because I get lazy with skirts. The piping plus denim with this skirt were so bulky that the top of the waistband wasn't as pointed a corner as I'd like.

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  10. This is a great skirt! I love it. It has a retro casual feel. Great idea!

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  11. I love this skirt! Your tailoring is awesome.

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  12. So cute! Geat work, Thais for being so inspiring with all that you do. :)
    Heather

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  13. This skirt is beautiful. That piping and shape were worth all that extra work!

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  14. LOVE the skirt. You are amazing!!

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  15. Can I tell you how much I love that skirt?!? Even better than the original! Oh, how I would love to be able to follow a tutorial or buy a pattern:)

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  16. Love it. That's something that could easily be made very dressy with the right fabric/button combination, too.

    Also, I have totally hemmed things early in the process. I tend to finish projects faster if I don't leave all the handwork till the end. (I knit and cross-stitch, so there's no good explanation for why I dislike hand-sewing so much, but things tend to languish once they're off the machine but not quite done yet.)

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  17. Happy Chinese New Year! What a lovely skirt! Hope you have a great trip back to Singapore. We are back for the holidays too. It's so nice to eat new year goodies made by someone else.(We made our own pineapple tarts last year out of desperation.)

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  18. i L.O.V.E. that skirt!!!! I want one too!

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  19. Is there a pattern for this skirt by chance?

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