That's why I was delighted when my efforts paid off in hacking the New Look 6843 skirt pattern into this perfectly fitted mini. I tested this already with my gold leather skirt last year - it proved to be a hit, but what I wanted now was a day-wear version that I was less scared of wearing 😅
The fabric was from the stash bins in Abakhan Manchester. I had been avoiding buying plaids for ages, simply due to a laziness that washed over me whenever I thought about pattern matching. I liked the dual sides to this fabric though, one side having this fibrous, wooly wintery look and the otherside being reminiscent of a pleated school uniform skirt. I knew which side I wanted the outside to be intantly, but I liked that there could be more than one option for any leftovers.
What I reminded myself, was that pattern matching with plaids can actually make the whole process easier, providing you cut out accurately in the first place. If you cut out symmetrically, sewing together is like matching up gridlines. The important places for me to pattern match were the horizontal lines at the side seams, and of course the centreback seam that would be spliced with the invisible zipper. The 2 back pieces must be prefectly symmetrical for this to work, and you must remember the seam allowance on the centre back pieces (ie, the two pieces must but cut from different parts of the fabric to allow for the seam allowance on both and the pattern to still match up).
The best way to ensure symmetry is to cut the pieces on a single layer, then flip the cut piece over and ensure all the 'gridlines' of the cut piece line up with the fabric below. This is made easier when the design is visible on both the front and the back of the fabric.
My take on the skirt pattern removes the waistband and opts for a hidden facing inside the skirt. I made sure this was well interfaced before stitching my fabrics together, as stability in the area likely to crinkle a little after being sat down in a few times is essential for a long lasting professional finish.
Attached to the facing on the inside is a satin lining, like a mini version of the skirt as the facing inside creates length too. There are tucks where the outside skirt has darts to allow for both shaping and movement.
The zipper was fiddly, in as much as I wanted a perfect pattern match down the centre back, and although my first attempt was neatly sewn and a good fit, there match was a few millimitres out. Any seamstress will relate to that frustration. I unpicked and realigned. But then, I never expected to get it right first time ha!
After zipper came the hem, as I wanted to see the skirt zipped up and sitting where it would be sitting on my hips before I made a commitment to thre length. Annoyingly, I was more than happy with the length already, which meant I had to choose a hemming option that would use minimal fabric. I turned it up 1.5cm, and then turned the raw edge under to meet the crease. The result was a narrow hem than this kind of skirt suited, but I was particularly happy with the effect of my blind hem which I stitched by hand. If I should find the hem to be lumpy or unsecure after a few wears I will unpick, overlock and turn the hem back over 1x before blind hemming again. But fingers crossed my narrow little hem will stay in place.
My lovely little mini skirt! So versatile! So chic! I want a million in all the different wool blends! Using less than 70cm of fabric also makes this pattern a fab little stash-buster 🥰💋
x
Location: No Name, Crookes
Currently listening to: Speedway, Morrissey (always makes me think of you)