I’ve been working up to doing some more dressmaking for a while now (I’ve even bought a dressmaker’s dummy, but it needs some, um, padding to make it even vaguely the same shape as me – more of that to come at a later date) and on Thursday last week I stumbled across the Sew Direct website, which sells McCall’s, Butterick and Vogue patterns at half price if you take out a subscription to their magazine. They have a handy trial sub – for £5 you get two magazines, and half price patterns for two months, so for just over £12 I got two patterns and two magazines, which seemed like a good deal to me. And I can’t fault their service, the patterns and the first magazine arrived on Saturday morning.
I’d picked a couple of patterns for skirts of a type I wear quite a lot, which looked pretty straightforward, and decided to start with the McCall’s one on the left (M5591). I had 1.4m of a Free Spirit fabric I bought at Liberty a couple of years ago, and with a bit of juggling (and leaving out of pockets) I just about had enough for the skirt shown with the yellow band round the bottom. I didn’t have any contrasting fabric, so I did it all in one fabric. I also used plain fabric for the facings, as I didn’t have enough of the patterned.
It took longer than I expected, as I did quite a lot of thinking and working out along the way (the first thing to work out was the bizarre sizing which pattern manufacturers seem to use – I measured several of my skirts which are a size 14 to have a 34”/35” waistband, but according the pattern that makes me a size 20. Not brilliant for the ego!) Ironing the pattern pieces before cutting them was fiddly but unavoidable too.
I decided to use this as a practice piece as much as anything, and try a few techniques, including an invisible zip. I have done them before, but this is the neatest I’ve ever managed. I couldn’t work out how to sew the seam up to the bottom of the zip (you put the zip in before seaming), but I did the last inch or so by hand and it looks fine.
I also put a ribbon trim round the bottom, which looks pretty.
And I used bias binding for a nice neat flat hem – I’ve not done that before, but I will again. I ironed one side of the binding out, then machined sewed it to the bottom of the skirt, right sides together. Then I ironed the hem up and slip stitched it by hand.
So, so far so good. Technically I’m very pleased with the skirt. The trouble starts when I come to actually wear it. I hadn’t realised that the question of using quilting fabric for clothing is in the sewing community akin to the question of using acrylic yarn in the knitting community, and now I can see why – the fabric is just too stiff for anything that needs a bit of drape. It was okay for the A line skirt I made last year, but the pleats in this just stick out at funny angles. I tried washing it with lots of fabric conditioner, but it didn’t seem to make any difference.
It is wearable, but I’m not thrilled by it, sadly. It doesn’t help that I desperately need to lose some weight from my middle region, but that’s not the skirt’s fault!
The pleats are a bit odd too, going into the centre section – perhaps they’d work better in a more drapy fabric, but my instinct would be to change them round so that the centre panel is in front. It’s also reminding me (and not in a good way) of the clothes Maria makes for the children out of curtains in The Sound of Music. But that’s entirely down to my fabric choice – it looks better close up!
Hey ho, it was all a learning experience. I’m off to peruse fabric websites something more suitable!
What a shame you’re not too happy with it! The fabric is so pretty and spring-like, although I can see what you mean by it not having enough drape. I think it photographs quite well on you, but again, as a kid I was always rather fond of Maria’s curtain clothes :P
It’s not all lost if you can chalk it up to a learning experience, and at least it means that you get to go shopping for more fabric – always good!
I still love the fabric, although I do think it looks better close up than from a distance!
I think it looks nice on you, but I guess the key thing is how it makes you feel when you wear it. It’s all a learning experience anyway. I’m learning to sew at the moment, although I am way behind you!
It’s not horrendous, just not as drapy as I’d envisaged! Good luck with your sewing – I’m trying to remember stuff I knew years ago but haven’t used for a looong time, and add in new bits as I stumble across them.
I think it looks lovely, but I know what you mean about quilting fabrics, having used them a lot for clothing myself. All I can say is that they do improve with age – the more you wash them, the softer they get.
I also know what you mean about the sizing issue. I’m also a size 14 in the shops, but usually sew from a size 18 or 20 pattern.
I love the ribbon detail and the bias binding hem – very smart!
I’m going to keep washing it and hope it softens up! I might try stitching the top of the pleats down too, to see if it stops it sticking out so much.
I’m very pleased with the ribbon and the hem :)
Such pretty material, how annoying that it doesn’t meet your expectations. I guess you are at least learning lots of new skills in the meantime.
It’s all experience! Now I know to use fabric that’s a bit softer and that has a bigger pattern…
The fabric will soften with a bit more washing – fabric softener won’t actually make fabric drapier at all. Next time you do towels or sheets in a hot wash stuff the skirt in with ‘em, and if you put stuff in the dryer, add that too. It’ll suddenly lose all it’s stiffness and act like you want it too.
It’s very pretty and springlike!
It had one trip through the washer and drier last night, I’ll just keep putting it in and hope for the best!
Oh my goodness, your skirt is gorgeous!! I’ve had my eye on that pattern for a while. I love the ribbon and hem details. The fabric pattern is really pretty, and your invisible zip is fantastic!! I’ve yet to do a zip that looks that good!
I find the sizes on sewing patterns to be a bit strange too, and I know what you mean about quilting fabric. I do like the acrylic comparison! But I think it’s harder to pick fabric on the internet that it is to pick yarn. At least with yarn, when you see the content, you know what you’re getting. Fabric seems a bit more random to me.
Thanks for the heads up on both pattern sizing and the perils of quilting cotton. Ahem, I might have quite a bit of that handing around, so I shall save it for quilt backs rather than clothing!