I mentioned an FO last week that I had to share with you. Well here it is. My second attempt at Cynthia Rowley 2512, except this one, I finished!
You may recognise the fabric from this post. Yep. I made a skirt from curtains….and I love it. This fabric is a vintage screen print by Wemco entitled “Antibes” and was way too nice to use for home furnishings! It’s the perfect weight for a skirt like this.
Construction wise I used the waistband from View C with the skirt construction from View A. I hand picked my zip (I just can’t seem to get a decent finish with machined zips!), used black bias on the hem and waistband; and black fabric from my stash for the pockets and waistband facing. I also lengthened the skirt by about 1.5″.
I opted for pleating instead of gathering the skirt along the waistband. Again, I just can’t seem to get a pleasing effect with gathering and nine times out of ten my gathering thread breaks, which just ends up p****ng me off! I might try sewing my gathering stitches by hand with a stronger (embroidery?) weight thread and see how that goes.
The pattern didn’t call for a bias finish to the top of this waistband and to me it looks a bit obvious that it isn’t supposed to be there. But my feed dogs decided to chew up the fabric a little around the zip. Cheers for that! (I guess you never know how a fabrics gonna behave until you get to sewing with it) So I used the bias to disguise it and protect it from any more fraying. A shame, but there we go!
Overall a pleasing and straightforward pattern to work with. If anything I may cut a size smaller next time. I’m already pondering whether to use some denim I have in my stash for another of these OR maybe use it for a Ginger? Hmmmm…..What say ye?
Oh, so nice to see this skirt again! Good call on pleating. I’ve realised I just should never (or rarely) have gathers at the waist – it does nothing for my figure. I made a denim version of this skirt. I was very fond of it, but from the side on perspective I’m not sure it was the most flattering skirt of my life. You are looking sooooo beautiful right now, Portia!
Karen! You’re making me blush! But thankyou, you’re so sweet 🙂
Px
So pretty! I was looking at that skirt as an option the other day but the gathers scared me off. Any recommendations for how to adjust to pleats? I’m a beginner and didn’t know if there are any “rules” to making it look nice.
Thankyou 🙂 Actually I do. Firstly it’s a bit of trial and error folding and pinning the pleats to get them in the right place. As a guide, I did 3 x roughly 3/4″ pleats either side of the centre front and the same on the back. I’ve found the most flattering way to orientate them is to have the pleats so that when you look at them from the right side, the fold is facing towards the centre. The idea being that they draw the eye inwards towards the centre, rather than out towards the hips. Hope that helps some! Good luck and be sure to stop by and let me know how you got on, as I’d love to see your version. It’s a perfectly manageable pattern for a beginner too 🙂
Px
You are looking HOT lady and this skirt is super cool! I love the fabric you used! I think a denim Ginger is an awesome idea…I have one and it’s really flattering I think!
Very cute. The print is beautiful, but i’m a sucker for a vintagey green floral.
That is such a great skirt, and I love that you did it from curtains! How Julie Andrews of you! 😀
Yep, tore them straight down from the curtain pole! (Not really but it sounds good, he he!)
Px
Oh yes…if ever I dream of furnishing fabric-as-clothing this is it! Beautiful beautiful fabric, perfect skirt style and how it suits you and your colouring too. I’d say denim ginger is also a good call if it helps…
Gorgeous, classy skirt. But why dear Miss P are you wearing a loose fitting top with it? Show off your lovely shape, woman. You’ve worked hard to get it!
Funny you should say that. My best friend just phoned me up and told me off for the exact same thing!
Px
You and skirt look beautiful!! I’m so 100% with you on zips; the only truly great one I’ve done was by hand. Also with you on skirt gathers – but for different reasons; I can make ’em but they look horrid on me lol. Pleats or darts are the way to go, for me 🙂
Great minds Symon 😉
It’s a very beautiful skirt, and with pockets!!!
Pockets are the best part!
Px
May I also just say that I think you are looking rather fabulous at the moment Portia? Are you taking something? Do we need to know about it?!
Eeep! Thanks Joanne! The secret is I take my outfit photos within seconds of putting my face on/doing my hair, because five minutes later I look like I’ve been pulled through a hedge backwards, he he!
Px
Really lovely! You are looking good P x
That is gorgeous!!! That print is seriously awesome! This is the second version of this skirt that I’ve seen this week. I should pull out my pattern for another version.
That is seriously a beautiful skirt Portia, and the fabric (curtain or not) is perfection x
This skirt has special place in my heart as it was my 1st pattern ever.. I really like your skirt and fabric and you look stunning on your photos ..
If you are going to hand gather I would suggest you use hand quilting thread as it’s easy to sew with and practically unbreakable.
A good trick for machine gathering is to stitch two rows on the machine, 1/4 inch apart, and pull both gathering threads at the same time. Twice as strong, no thread breakage …