Well, how many ways can you mess up a simple a-line skirt? Let me tell you…. This poor skirt would have been finished in a couple of hours, except that I got it in my head that my body had changed quite a bit in the previous year. Never mind that all of my clothing still fits, I re-took my measurements and – they were suspiciously the same as my dress form. Hmm. But I knew better… so I added a few inches to my pattern a few months ago when I started this skirt. Then COVID came. And I had a bit of a health scare (I’m fine!), then I had surgery, then I recuperated, then I went back to my capsule project. At which point I added a few inches to my skirt pattern. And then forgot to try it on before I sewed up the skirt. Then had the zipped-up skirt slide right off of me because it was so big…. Yeah; note to self, keep better notes!
Well, what’s a lazy sewer to do? Not take it apart and start over, I can tell you. I decided to add a “design element” (that’s what we call mistakes, right?) of pleats. I sewed them down on both sides, with the result that my fancy pocket is also better supported (happy accidents!)
Speaking of the fancy pocket, I first added a simple slant pocket to Kwik Sew 3877 then traced off the scalloped neckline of the blouse, made a new pocket pattern piece with that, and voilà! It’s a matchy-matchy suit now.
I underlined the skirt with batiste to help it keep its shape; I used fusible tricot on the waist facing and shaped pocket area; and serged the edges to finish because trying to do a French seam with a double layer of thin fabrics was trying my nerves.
I did a blind hem on the bottom, machine sewed the zipper (I’m getting better!) and a small hook and eye at the waist. Now I have a nice two-piece suit to wear together or with other pieces. Stayed tuned for Part 5, when I’ll show you the complete capsule as well as the other pieces I already have that expand it.
