I've been in a bit of a sewing slump due to the heat and daydreaming about (totally impractical to August in the south) fall clothes! So in an effort to pull myself up by my bootstraps and get back into reality sewing, I raided the ol’ pattern stash the other evening to find something quick and easy that appealed. Of course, is it surprising that the above pattern—view C—jumped out at me? Not that I need another nautical or blue skirt (see further evidence here and here), but I had some navy blue broadcloth and was willing to overlook this addition to the blue collection in order to promote the return of Sewing Mojo. (Note: I only realized after sewing this up that it's insanely similar to the Ginger skirt--so take note Ginger-lovers for variation ideas!)
I couldn’t make this straight out of the package, of course. First I had to grade the pattern up a couple sizes (I haven’t ever been close to a 24” waist in my teen/adult life), which was a breeze. I also shortened the length to my preferred 22 1/2"-23" length (knee on me). One thing I would adjust if I make this again is the back hip ease. There is a minute amount, but I don't like how it makes the back slightly "puff". I'll eliminate it in future versions for a smooth fit. Because this was an “easy” pattern, it wasn’t terribly complicated. Which meant I was able to concentrate on things like doing my top stitching evenly, and attaching some hem tape for a pretty hem (since this skirt is a washable sort, I also serged the edge before attaching the hem lace, to prevent any further raveling).
My only issue is that the waist feels a teeny-tiny bit big. Like only a 1/4” at the most. Considering right now I’m somewhat swollen thanks to the heat (an odd summertime phenomena that only showed up when I moved to FL… Probably not helped by the gallons of water I drink to stay hydrated.), this isn’t a bad thing. SH convinced me to just leave it as is, instead of becoming mental and unpicking the waistband that went in flawlessly. I swear I did fit this thing before attaching the waistband—but I blame doing it shortly after dinner as giving me a false sense of security. Lesson learned: don’t eat a big dinner and fit afterward.
Now I have a darling (albeit somewhat redundant from a wardrobe perspective) 70s nautical inspired skirt. No, the tabs are not functional—I did mention I was looking for something easy to jumpstart my sewing again? It’s just applied to the top of the skirt. I meant to have six buttons, but all I had were four, so I made do. I think in total, this took about 2 1/2 hours to complete—can’t argue with that!
Whether my Sewing Mojo is back (or if my head is still stuck in the clouds with fall sewing) is still up for debate…
Pattern: vintage 70s McCalls 4589 (thrifted???).
Fabric: cotton/cotton-blend broadcloth in dark navy (thrifted as well, I believe).
Alterations: graded the pattern up from a 24” waist, shortened the hem to my preferred 23” (knee) length. In future I would also reduce the ease in the back that is worked into the back waistband; it puffs just a bit over the upper hip.
Techniques: centered zipper application and topstitching. (This pattern is marked “easy”, so it really isn’t too fancy!)
Make Again? Considering I have a weakness for 70s a-line skirts (we won’t go into how many patterns I have that look similar to this), and this has a few variations I love, the likelihood is yes. Especially now that I’ve perfected the fit!
Please drop by my blog for more sewing fun!