Towards the back end of last year I did some serious skirt pattern testing/altering in a hope to find a perfect fitting skirt pattern that ticked all the right boxes for me. I wanted something fitted with a high waist and a zip fastening which I could use on this amazing metalllic fabric. I ended up making 3 skirts in the end before I finally decided on the perfect fit and then ended up making a pair of shorts instead! Luckily for me though it turns out I actually had enough fabric to make both the shorts and the skirt and so here it finally is, the culmination of all that effort, and I am pleased to say it was definitely worth it.
I know I have done this before, but before I move on can we please just talk (again) about this fabric! Seriously, its the most incredible metallic woven linen from Robert Kaufman. Its nearly impossible to photograph well, but in person the metallic threads glisten in the light, but in the most delicate way. There are so many colourways of this, and I would love to find some other patterns to try a different one, but for me it had to be this pink rainbow, its just divine, and it just suits my personality perfectly!
Here are the skirts I mocked before settling on this pattern. I started off with the Ultimate Pencil Skirt from Sew Over It (centre), as I wear a lot of skirts in this style. I am a massive fan of this skirt, and it gets a lot a wear in my work rotation. I made it up in some stretch sateen which is very forgiving, the metallic linen however has none of that stretch and I think would have been a bit more awkward to wear such a fitted skirt in this fabric.
The next step I took was to shorten the Ultimate Pencil skirt quiet considerably and straighten the side seams from the hip to the hem (left). I also added an exposed zipper which is something I have never done before so was a bit of a learning curve. Again, I love this skirt I think more than the original and the fit is a lot better for a non stretch fabric.
I then wanted to try something which had a proper waistband to see if I got a nicer fit and so made a version of Simplicity 1370 in stretch denim (right), again with an exposed zip hack. This denim mini is a great wardrobe staple, and I have it on right now, but for my shape the waist isn't quiet in the right place. It wants to sit just above my hip bones, but as that's where my body curves in quiet considerably it just wants to ride up and sit on my natural waist so it can look little awkward and results in me forever pulling it down.
So where did I end up? Well The final pattern is somewhat removed from the original, but it is basically a hacked version of the Ultimate Pencil Skirt pattern. The full list of alterations I made to this pattern are as follows:
- Shortened the length a lot, I originally took it to the top of the kick pleat then sewed the hem on fitting.
- Straightened the side seams from the hip for a less fitted shape
- Using the waist facing pieces I added a 5/8 seam allowance to top and bottom and cut twice as many pieces to create a waistband. I then folded over the top of the skirt pattern pieces to where the facing stopped at the top but added 5/8 again to the top to fit the waistband on. I sewed the waistband basically using the instructions in Tilly and the Buttons Love at First Stitch, but there will be plenty of tutorials online.
- Added an exposed zipper.
I am absolutely over the moon with the fit of this skirt and how it has all come together. Its the perfect skirt for me and I am so pleased that I did get the chance to make it up and test it properly. This will definitely be a go to skirt pattern for me in the future. The fact I managed to squeeze a pair of shorts and a skirt out of this amazing fabric is just an incredible bonus.
Do you like to hack patterns yourself? Do you have any great success stories? For me I am not a huge fan of the fitting process, but I love how modifying or mashing together patterns can create a new and unique look, and extend the use of patterns you own. I would love to hear which are your favourite patterns to hack.
Helen
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