Finished Jenna's costume on Friday so I let myself make Wool Skirt #2. I can't believe that I intended for these wool skirts to be my reward (and, thus, motivation) for finishing the girls' Halloween costumes. I mean, it's not like they're a delectable chocolate-nutella cupcake in which one indulges after, say, a marathon. Skirts are work, too, right?
The last one wasn't, really (it came together in a few hours). That's the one I made after finishing Kate's costume. But this one was. It's bias-cut and diagonal-striped woven.
So it drapes wonderfully (better on me - I have actual thighs - but you get Fleur today, because it's snowing outside and I'm a coward). But there are so many seamlines at which print needed to be aligned.
Like the center front, for instance - and I didn't even get that middle junction perfect. Oh well.
Every seam had to be hand-basted, not just for the print-matching but because bias cut seams are so fluid and crazy. And bias-cut garments fit differently than regular-grain cut ones, meaning that additional ease had to be removed from unusual places depending on how the fabric draped. And then the seams re-hand-basted and re-pressed. So you might not be surprised that it took close to 10 fittings to get the drape and fit just right. And that's before we added the lining (also bias-cut).
And yet, yes, this did feel like a nice reward-ish break from costume-sewing, simply because it was different. A different kind of garment, different grain, different skills involved, different level of precision. Not as delicious as a chocolate-nutella cupcake, but I know which one I'd rather wear on my hips, eh?
Skirts ARE work, for sure. Yours is definitely worth your efforts... it's beautiful! Your greatest reward will be in the wearing... enjoy!!
ReplyDeleteIt looks very comfortable and practical. I don't do bias cut anything. I'm scared of the way it moves and stretches. I'm looking forward to hearing about how you resolved your sleeve dilemma on the Kate's Halloween costume.
ReplyDeleteI LOVE it, good job!
ReplyDeleteIts SNOWING already?! I better step up my knitting.
ReplyDeleteYour skirt looks incredible. Love the fabric, love the cut, and very impressed with your diagonal matching skills (aka patience). Well worth the effort!
ReplyDeleteAnd thank you for mentioning the snow. I am feeling slightly less New England homesick now.