Apples for an apple

I finished sewing this skirt over the Easter weekend but you’re only seeing it now because I really wanted to wear these shoes with it, and as they’re a sort of snake-patterned suede I wasn’t prepared to wear them when there was still a threat of rain. It was gloriously sunny yesterday, so I was finally able to wear it. I’d wanted to wear it with a lime-green T-shirt and red cardi, but when I put the T-shirt on at the weekend I was concerned it was a bit too tight, so hopefully that outfit variation will get an outing later in the summer.


Now, if ever I wanted confirmation that IT’S NOT MY BODY THAT’S THE PROBLEM, IT’S THE CLOTHES, this is it.

It’s the skirt from Simplicity 8246, so a 60s pattern. I love the look of straight skirts generally, but most fitted skirts and dresses don’t love me back. I’m a classic ‘apple’ shape; my shoulders and hips are a couple of dress sizes below my bust and waist. This means I have a choice between fitted waist and shapeless bum, or nicely fitted bottom overhung by the mother of all muffin tops. Whenever I wear a straight or pencil skirt I’m acutely aware of my tummy.

Well, not any more. Tailoring FTW.

I made the skirt in some apple-patterned fabric (Michael Miller ‘Bite Me’) I got cheap in a chazza. Although the pattern doesn’t call for a lining, I decided to put one in anyway to help it hang nicely over my tum. The lining also gave me a chance to test out my pattern adjustments before cutting out the proper fabric. As it happens, it worked perfectly first time. I traced the pattern onto sewable tracing paper: first I copied the waist (with darts) from the larger size, then the bottom part of the smaller size from the hem to the start of the hip curve. Then I rotated the pattern so the hip curve from the larger size met up with the bottom part of the smaller one, and traced that in. And that was it – easy.

Good job it was easy as Ziggy decided to shred my copy of the pattern! When I want to make another one of these I’ll need to trace out another copy.

Observations and future adjustments? I wish I’d thought of matching patterns at the seams. Perhaps I’d chop a few inches off the length to do an above-knee or on-knee variant. But that’s about it. I’m really pleased with this skirt. As with my sleeveless blouse, I can see me making lots of these in different fabrics and colours.

And that’s another make ticked off the Make Nine list too!