Patrones skirt with tucks

This is my new, favourite skirt.  It is a long time since I have had a "favourite", but I am really loving this.  I don't often wear neutrals, so it took me a long time to work out which tops to pair with the skirt, but it turned out that some of my more recent creations were suitable.

I wore it to lunch last week with my plaid top.  I meant to put on heels, but I have been crazy busy lately, and I only had 5 minutes to get changed from my painting clothes and had errands to run after, and I could not bear the thought of heels.  I think it goes okay with flats anyway.

 

The front of the skirt has a series of horizontal tucks and darts and the back is perfectly plain.  The pattern is from Patrones Especial Otono no 308, 14. Falda Blanca (I won this magazine in a giveaway by Home Made Couture.  Thanks Jacquie!).  I did type in the instructions for google to translate, but I still wasn't sure how they intended the tucks to be sewn.  Some I did as darts and some are tucks and some are tucks top-stitched into place.

 

I have been really pressed for time to sew for myself lately, so this skirt was sewn in 10 minute bursts over about a month.  I was a little bit naughty and used coloured carbon paper to trace the pattern directly onto my fabric.  I cut a Sz 44, with wide seam allowances as a bit of security.  I had to let the side seams out a tiny bit.  My fabric is very stretchy and I suspect that the skirt has a little negative ease to hold the  tucks in shape.  I also scooped out the front waist a little, which is a typical alteration for me.  Only I forgot to adjust the waistband accordingly and had to stretch it a little to fit on the skirt.  Not perfect, but not really a problem in this fabric.

I had to redo the attachment of the back waistband and facing a few times to get it neat.  In the photo showing the inside waistband, you can see that I eliminated the seam allowance on the waistband facing for the overlap.  I had to do this because the fabric was quite springy and the turn under-ed seam allowance was very bulky.

Initially I was not going to line the skirt, because I have had trouble with stretch linings before.   Then I was having trouble with VPL, even though the fabric is opaque.  I'm not sure what the fabric is, as it was part of a remnant bundle from Emma One Sock.  I have only once managed to score a fabric bundle from Emma One Sock, but I have had a lot of fun with the bundle I did receive. 

I was undecided whether to add a complete lining, or just interline the skirt back.  Eventually I went with the complete lining, but rather than let it hang loose, as per the Patrones instructions, I decided to attach it at the hem to prevent the lining riding up.  The lining is a poly satin from Spotlight.  As I mentioned earlier, I traced the skirt pattern directly onto my skirt fabric.  I also mentioned that I was sewing in 10 minute bursts, which makes it difficult to maintain concentration.  So it is not surprising that I did not notice that Patrones had already reduced the length of the lining pattern, compared to the skirt.  This meant I did not have enough length to sew a jump hem, without making the skirt shorter.  I did not need the skirt to be shorter, so in the end, the skirt and lining are attached and the skirt is not hemmed, it just hangs where the lining lets it, much the same as a bubble skirt.  Again, a little bit naughty, but does not seem to be causing me problems.

Now for some of my other pairings with the skirt.  The next day I kept the shoes and grabbed a RTW top for a more casual weekend look.

 It also works with my minty top.

 When the weather gets warmer, I will be able to wear it with this tank.

 Possibly with $2 vest from the op shop that I have been meaning to take in, and so have never worn.

 I could pair it with my boucle jacket, though it feels all a bit too feminine for me.

 More of an evening look with this top from several years ago.  It also does not get worn much, so it will be good to be able to pair it with something new. 

There is probably more that I can match it with, when I dig out my summer clothes, but that is enough for today.  Of course, most of you will think that these garments look pretty summery, but mostly, the fabric content makes them too hot for my summer.