Here are few photos of a skirt that I actually started long before my coat project, but recently finished with a hem late in December. This post is a little overdue, but I didn't have any photos for until this past week.
This skirt comes from an old 1950's Butterick pattern; I followed the instructions closely, with the exception of a few minor changes.
Originally this skirt was for myself, but I'm not too sure it works for me. I had cut this one out long before I started considering designs that flatter short-waisted people, and the high-waist visually decreases my torso :-( Fortunately for my sister, it's just her size and she wears it well! She was kind enough to model it for me:
The fabric is a black wool gabardine. The pattern does not mention lining the skirt, but I added one for a nice finish on the inside.
Originally, the skirt was quite long - at least mid-calf. I trimmed and hemmed it to end just below the knee.
Because the skirt is very full, a bit of structure is required to uphold the midriff and prevent the weight of the skirt from pulling it downward. For this, the pattern calls for canvas interfacing and boning. I used scraps of hair canvas leftover from a jacket project, along with covered feather-weight boning. The casing for the boning is stitched the to the interfacing so that it lies directly behind the "princess" seams of the skirt. In the photo below, I've turned up the facing to show the interfacing and boning:
Once the top of the skirt is faced, a ribbon waist-stay is stitched to the facing at the waistline. The fit of the stay is very snug so that the skirt is anchored at the waist. I also added hanging loops, as the top the skirt is shaped in such a way that it fits awkwardly onto a skirt hanger.
Nice little details like these are typical of vintage patterns, so this was a neat project . . . even if I'm the one wearing the skirt in the end ;-)
2 comments:
The skirt looks wonderful on your sister and I love all the finishing details on the inside! What type of ribbon did you use to make the waist stay?
This skirt pattern reminded me that I have a 1940s vintage dress pattern I really need to try. I haven't worked much with vintage because I'm not sure how to grade, but I really want to see this 1940s dress made. Just might have to make the leap this Spring. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you, Rebekah! I used gross-grain ribbon for the waist-stay (I believe Petersham ribbon is also supposed work well, as it is less susceptible to stretching, but the gross-grain was easier to find ;-) ).
It would be neat to see your 40's pattern made up! Have you ever seen these instructions for re-sizing patterns? I've used them before and they seemed to work! If you can find the time, it certainly doesn't hurt to try this on a traced copy. :-)
-Rebekah
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