Brown "Trumpet" Skirt

This post is really about more than one skirt, as this skirt design didn't come from a commercial pattern, but is a copy from a ready-to-wear garment. It all started when I bought this skirt I found on a sale rack about four years ago. . .



It has eight identical panels that are trumpet shaped - starting very narrow at the waist and curving out to form a flared hemline. I liked the way that the skirt fit so much that I wanted a second one. I decided that it couldn't be too hard to take a pattern off the skirt and make it myself, especially after I'd met a girl a week or two before who had described to me a method for doing it.

I didn't take any pictures at the time, but I'll describe it the best I can: I found a piece of corrugated cardboard that was at least as big as one of the skirt's panels and placed it inside the skirt. Smoothing one of the panels out to be completely flat and centering it over the cardboard, I inserted sewing pins in all of the seam lines along the edges of the panel. Pushing the pins into the cardboard created a series of holes that outlined the shape of the panel. I then removed the pins, pulled out the cardboard, and used a marker to "connect the dots" preschool-style with the marks the pins had left. After that, all I had to do was re-trace the shape onto pattern paper and add seam and hem allowances.

It was very easy to do because I only had to copy one panel and there were no darts in it. Eager to test my new pattern, I made this skirt:



This brown skirt is the most recent garment I made with this pattern, when I needed a basic brown skirt this past February/March. The construction is super simple! Seam eight panels, add a waistband and a zipper, hem the lower edge, and it's finished.




I finished the inside of the waistband with a cotton print to add a bit of color.

Cross-hatch Denim Jumper

This is a jumper from Simplicity 4097, made using a cross-hatch denim with a slight stretch.

Materials:
-Denim (cotton/spandex)
-Cotton lining
-Interfacing
-Invisible zipper
-Thread

Fitting Alterations
I made a muslin to test the fit of the garment and took a tuck in each of the skirt panels when cutting it out, on account of my short waist.

The first fitting issue was that the entire bodice was hanging too low, with the lowest part of the front neckline running along the bust line. To fix it, I took up the shoulder seams until the bodice was centered over the bust line, as it fits in the photo on the pattern envelope. Afterward, I lowered the back neckline and armholes back to their proper positions, since taking in the shoulder seams had pulled them up too high. I eventually lowered the pocket stitching lines on the skirt, as well.

The next adjustment involved an excessive amount of fabric in the back, where the jumper was very baggy from shoulder blade to . . . um. . . well, never mind. I eliminated most of it by taking a small amount out of the empire waist seam in back. The only alteration after this was to add a bit of room in the hip area.

Construction
The denim I used had a bit of stretch along the cross-grain, so the horizontal seams had a tendency to stretch out of shape under the pressure of the machine's presser foot. To prevent this from happening at the "waist" seam, I basted a strip of bias-cut broadcloth (with all of the elasticity pressed and stretched out of it) along the seam line before seaming the bodice to the skirt.

Also, when lining the bodice, I kept the lining free from the zipper and waistline seams, rather than including it as the instructions say. This way, I could turn under the seam allowances and slip-stitch it over those seams later on.



As mentioned above, I did use a bit of interfacing, even though the pattern didn't call for it. I fused it to the upper pocket edges to prevent stretching and the zipper area for a bit of stabilization.



Overall, this jumper was fairly simple to assemble, and I love it when I get a chance to add a bit of color to the interior of a garment with a contrasting floral print. . .