Simplicity 4233 . . . a Skirt "Refashioned"

I can't believe it's been over six months since I've last posted any updates here! Things have been a bit busy for me, as other aspects of my life have been consuming my time, making my sewing projects somewhat sparse. Within the past month, however, my pace has started to pick up a bit, with efforts toward using my ever-increasing pile of scraps, experimenting with alterations on ready-to-wear clothing, and remaking old items to be more wearable. This particular project is a skirt that I recently remade using Simplicity 4233 (which is now out of print).



The original skirt (pictured above) was one that I purchased at a consignment shop a few years ago, thinking that it might be cute to wear, but after trying it on, I found it to be less than flattering; the heavy gathering and wide sash only seemed to create bulk in the hip area. It had quite a bit of fabric in it, though, making me wonder if I couldn't possibly turn it into something else - especially since the Simplicity pattern had been waiting in my "stash" for some time and offered a way to use the embroidery at the fabric's border. After dismantling the skirt, I found enough material for the pattern pieces, and this is what it looks like now:



The pattern went together easily, though I have to confess I didn't really follow the instructions much. I needed to insert a lining, an invisible zipper, and a hem facing, which changed the construction process considerably. For the interfacing, I actually basted a scrap of woven shirting fabric to the yolk pieces. Even though the color of the interfacing is a little lighter than the the fashion fabric, it doesn't show through when the skirt is being worn. . . yet strangely enough, looks like it must have been illuminated by the flash of the camera ;-)





The original skirt was lined, so I reused the lining by cutting the top of it to fit the bottom of the yolk pieces. With all of this re-cutting, however, the skirt panels actually ended up being slightly longer and the lining panels slightly shorter, so I tried to make the lining hem as narrow as possible. The pictures above and below also show the hem facing that covers the embroidery on the interior. This was salvaged from the original, too, as it conceals and protects the wrong side of the embroidery while providing a nice finish for the hem. In addition, I understitched the seam that attaches the the facing to the lower edge of the skirt to make the seam roll slightly inward and prevent it from showing on the outside of the garment.



For the most part, this project was rather enjoyable - it can be interesting to take a garment that would not have otherwise been worn and use the fabric to make something wearable, not to mention being able to try a new pattern, as well.