The Next Two Projects - Simplicity 2758

I am pleased enough with the results of the denim skirt that I'm going to make this pattern again. This time in a fine-whale corduroy. I purchased this piece of corduroy on my last trip to JoAnn Fabrics in the US. It's a 100% cotton and coffee brown. It's has a black undertone to it rather than the reddish caste of a chocolate brown.  I also found in my stash enough fabric for a print blouse. This is a silk and cotton blend in a turquoise and brown floral print and a cream background. I purchased this piece several years ago at G-Street Fabrics in Washington, DC.

Simplicity 2758 - The Denim Skirt is Finished.

 

I'm pleased with the results of Simplicity 2758. The uneven hemline is because of my uneven hip line. I compensate for it two ways. I adjusted this pattern at the waist and at the hemline, making about half the needed adjustment in each place. This way I don't get too much distortion in either place. The raised hip is one reason I sew. I cannot get a ready-to-wear skirt to hang straight with reworking just the hemline. I need to adjust the waist too, at that point, I might as well sew the garment.

The waist band detail is nice. It's not too fussy, but adds some interest to an otherwise plain Jane garment. The light weight denim was easy to work with and gave me crisp pressing lines for the center box pleat.

Here's the modeled garment. Even with the belt, I'm please with the look.

Garment finish: A
Fit: A
Choice of Materials: A+

Simplicity 2758 - Waistband Details

 This is the only fussy part of constructing this skirt, the waistband detail. I basted in the waistband facing.

 It took a lot of trial and error to get the top stitching right. I think a good deal of error remained.

Some black horned buttons finished off the waistband detail.

Simplicity 2758 - Preparing the Details

 Here's all the pattern pieces cut out and I'm ready to mark them. You can see that I've redrafted the skirt pieces. I have to grade up for a wider waist and I also accounted for a higher hip. The waistband has extra length, but the other detail pieces for the inverted pleat and the belt loops remain the same.

 I took the time to work out the top stitching detail for the skirt. I was right in doing so, as the tension between the heavy top thread and the normal bobbin need to be carefully balanced. I'll admit that there was much muttering under my breath and lot of scraps in the wastecan before I got it to look correct.

The belt loops were fussy little bits. The curve was tight and needed to be clipped and trimmed evenly. They are slightly off from one another, but I am not a factory robot either. The top stitching had to be done very slowly. I had to stop and turn for every stitch on the inner curve!

Simplicity 2758 - Planning and Drafting

The next project is a denim skirt. I've chosen a Simplicity pattern, number 2758. It's from their "Threads - Step by Step" range. These patterns tend to be well drafted and this one has a blouse with C and D cup options. That's right up my street! I could use a nice blouse for next fall, but for now, back to the skirt.

The skirt is very simple. It's an A-line silhouette with a large inverted pleat at the center front seam. There is some waist line detail on this skirt. It has some optional belt loops which are really cute. I've decided to include those in my project since the skirt is smooth with no fullness at the waist seam. I've chosen a light weight cotton denim for this project. The first job is adjusting the pattern for my waist line without adding extra to the hip. After that, it should be a straight forward project.

Vogue 7375 - 1952 In Today's Wardrobe

After a couple of washings and wearings, my first 1952 Vogue 7375 skirt has settled down to be part of my modern wardrobe. The gathers at the waist have softened and flattened and I'm more pleased with the effect. I nearly always wear it with a simple tee shirt and a cotton cardigan sweater. Fundamentally, I'm still uncomfortable with the waist of this skirt as I couldn't make this garment again out of a crisper or heavier fabric. I'm going to think very carefully about how a full skirt can be made to fit my body type better than the dirndl silhouette.

Next project is a denim skirt. It's a more of work horse in my wardrobe than a pair of jeans and I need to replace it often. I've chosen a simple A-line skirt pattern and the denim came from my last fabric haul.

Vogue 7375 - 1952 Final Evaluation

Oh dear, life's major and minor events have taken me away from my sewing room and this blog for far too long. I have finished my first project from VoNBBS. This is my take on Vogue 7375 - The Full Gathered Skirt.

 Here's the finished skirt on my dressmaking form. I'm happy with the finish of the garment. There are no major mistakes, even after I had to adjust the waistline measurement and loose my couture buttonhole. The plaid matches very well. You can see the black stripe at the waist is about half waistband and half gathered skirt. The hem line is straight and ends with about 3/4 of a black stripe.

I am concerned with the gathered waist and my thickening middle. I've said this before on the blog,  I have three major fitting problems. They are a larger than average bust line, a thick waist and a short waist length. Only one I can do anything about physically, the thick waist is a constant battle that is proving more and more difficult as the years go on. The other flaws are just my body type. Normally, I wouldn't choose this type of pattern because it draws too much attention to my mid-section. Contruction grade: A-

And I was correct! Not the best look for me, but it's not a complete failure. (Yes, worse sewing disasters have been made in the recent past.) The light soft gingham saves the look by not be too puffy at the waist. I would wear this with an untucked blouse or sweater rather than the belt. Style and Wear Ability: C-

Here it is again with a black twinset sweater. I apologize for the photo. The quality is simply awful. It has a huge flash shadow which adds so much more width to the whole effect. The skirt style is much better with a sweater or over blouse, however the black twin set and pearls is a far too literal interpretation of the 1950's and the effect becomes costume. Style and Wear Ability: up one-half to a C.

I'm going to have to think seriously about the styles in VoNBBS and pick and choose very carefully.