Pencil skirts

At the end of 2014 I did a short pattern drafting course and learnt how to draft a basic skirt and top to fit my measurements. This is the first skirt I’ve made using the pattern.

I altered it a little by making it a bit tighter around the lower legs, lengthening it and adding a split, but its pretty much just the simple sloper with two darts in the front and the back.

The gorgeous fabric is from Tessuti’s. It was a dream to sew with and I love the finished result.

However, the next time I used my basic pattern I got a bit more adventurous!! Our teacher, the fabulous Kate, showed us a clever little trick to pivot darts and actually change the position of them completely!! Its so simple.

So basically once the sloper fits perfectly then you can swivel the darts anywhere and it should still fit the same, so exciting. How clever is this? You cut up to the apex of the original dart in the area where you want the dart to be and it magically closes the old one. Here’s a very simple online tutorial.

When I was a teenager my aunt bought me a fabulous pair of designer pants with three side darts on the back going horizontally instead of the usual vertical. I loved those pants and wore them till they were threadbare. I’ve always had it in the back of my mind to replicate that dart detail and now I know how.

The two back darts were 3cm and 2cm wide respectively so I swivelled them round and then divided them into three. Two at 1.5cm and one at 1cm wide. Ha this was really fun.

I stuffed around a bit trying to get them positioned exactly where I wanted them, you can see the multiple markings on my calico toile, it took three or four attempts but I think they look so cool.

I used some cute fabric from darn cheap fabrics that is unfortunately a bit too patterned for these fabulous darts to be much of a visible design feature but I know they are there and I’m pretty stoked!! I’m going to make this again in a plain fabric to really show them off though.

The other thing I drafted for this skirt was some pockets for the front. I love pockets. I love having somewhere to put my hands, spare tissue etc and I nearly always have a spare $2.20 for a mini block of Lindt chocolate in my pocket or I feel lost ya know. (Life without chocolate would be no life for me at all)
But, I think pockets kind of ruin the line on a pencil skirt. When I put my hands in the pockets it pulls a bit and they kind of gape I think. Mmmmm not sure, might try the next one without these.

 

The cute top is from left over wedding dress silk, blogged here Scrappy Top.

PS. Here’s a new one in blue ponte, from the back, naturally, to show off the darts!