Summer Sewing: Floral Denim Skirt

Almost a couple of years ago (egad, how time flies), Gillian, Andrea, Sara and I met up in Kitchener. It was a really enjoyable (predominantly knitting-oriented) day, but we did hit up the local FabricLand, which is where I got the stretch floral denim I used to make this skirt today:

My TNT short denim skirt - New Look 6843

I bought a 1.65 yards (it's 56" wide with 30 per cent crosswise stretch). My plan was to make a structured sleeveless summer dress but I never found the pattern. Really, I wanted to remake a RTW dress I've had for 20 years that seems to fit at every size. But this is great fabric and I want to use it, not to let it languish in the stash. So I opted to use almost a yard of it on this skirt and I don't regret it.

I altered the pattern very slightly, yet again, to give a bit more room at the full hip and waist. Alas, it was overkill so I ended up having to do a bit of after-the-fact surgery because, when I put on the finished skirt, there was some fabric puffing (pooling?) at the hips. Here's what I mean by surgery:

If you enlarge the photo, you'll see 2 lines of stitching, at each side seam, for about 3.5 inches from just below the waistband. That's because I had to remove about 3/4 inch of fabric at the hips to (more or less) fix the fabric puffing. To totally fix it, I'd have to be much more serious, aka remove the waistband, and there is no way I am doing that given that my quick fix takes care of the problem at anyone's gaze but mine. And mine is too critical.

You can see how the skirt is a bit square, squarer than me. But this fabric has much more stretch than any other version I've made - even if it is the most structured fabric I've used. I suspected, given these variables, that the newly altered skirt might be a bit roomy. Mind you, the idea of making something too tight fills me with anxiety right about now. I want to see the forest for the trees.

A propos of this, it ain't my best zipper insertion but I hit it on the first try and I felt no compulsion to fuck with adequate:

You'll never notice that the seam allowances on either side of that zip don't quite meet unless you're staring at my ass. On the plus side, I my waist band is awesome. Not only does it align perfectly but it's very tidy on the wrong side:

I used my fave method for waist band insertion.

This took about 5 hours, not bad by my standards, and I'm pretty happy with the finished result.

Whatcha think?

Summer Crafting: Finished Object (Something that Wasn't on the Agenda)

Behold the outcome of a little bit of pattern upsizing:

NL 6843 - TNT denim straight mini skirt. It's my go-to for work and play. Note that my version doesn't have a button waistband, I just use a hook and eye above the zipper. That's what comes of not reading the instructions. (And, I prefer it.)

What I should mention - and I'm really trying to figure out how this is possible - is that when I started to alter the original pattern pieces, I observed that it was a bit too small, on paper, in a variety of small (but meaningful) ways.

You may be thinking: Kristin, honey, that's the power of revisiting a pattern with a tape measure.

Trust me, I get that. I'm the fit-obsessed lady living in this body. One thing you can say about me: I don't wear blinders.

The thing is, I wear the skirt I made with the original pattern all the time - and it fits well (except for the now-altered lower abdomen area). Admittedly, fabric properties weigh into the equation. But the fabric I used was a stable denim with about 10 per cent stretch - same general stretch amount as the (rayon) denim I used to make the new version. I do recall serging the side seams on the last version because I had very little seam allowance left for those seams, once I'd inserted the zip. And the version I made yesterday now has healthy 0.5" side seams. So that does account for much of it, I suppose.

What did I do to alter the TNT?

• Added a tapered 1 inch (0.25" over 4 seams) to accommodate the need for more space in the lower abdominal zone
• Made the darts narrower (over 6 darts, this gave me about an inch of extra circumference in the waist)
• Added 0.25" along back seam (to accommodate zipper width and to give a bit of extra room in the derriere)

I should say, it's also quite short. I'm fine with that (I like a nice mini) but for work purposes, and to suit my style, I had very little room to hem. I should add a buffer inch onto the bottom of the skirt for next time. This thing would look quite chic just above the knee made in denim or a more formal fabric.

About working with the rayon denim: You know I love this fabric. I've never gone back (online, no less) and bought 3 batches of the identical fabric before or since. But the rayon denim is more rayon than denim. That's what gives it the silky drape. It also makes it very tricky to sew in darts and - apparently - regular zippers (which this pattern calls for). Even after interfacing, I ended up having to use an invisible zip. The regular zip would not insert without producing wavy fabric between the zipper opening and the seam to hold the zip in place. Intriguingly, this fabric is not tricky to sew on the width (where you might imagine the stretch properties would make it so) but on the length.

About my new way of inserting a "bulk free" waistband: I like to think I made this up, need being the mother of invention and all. Of course, I'm pretty sure I just came up with it for myself (what with the world of sewists being very large and smart).

For starters, can we take a moment to admire how prettily finished this thing is:

Yeah, I know the zipper's not gorgeous (I didn't have one in the right colour), but the fabric was tricky, as mentioned, and there's no lining to fancy it up. (Note: From a wearability perspective, I hate lined garments, most of the time.)

OK, here's what I do:

• I remind myself that I'm making a waistband and not a facing. Because the very first problem I ever encountered in sewing continues to dog me. I don't know why I cannot keep the construction of these two different waist finishing methods separate???!

• I make the waistband 5 inches longer in circumference than required. I like to have extra room to maneuver.

• Let's assume I want a waistband of 1 inch depth. I ensure that the waistband is @2.25" deep.

• I like working with a 0.25" seam allowance at the waist. If you prefer more, make the waistband deeper, i.e., @2.5". 

• I interface the waistband pieces and serge the LONG edge that will NOT be attached at the waist. Finishing this edge is key - you could overlock on a machine.

• I pin the waistband onto the skirt, determine how much fabric I need to cut off so that, with a turned under edge, the fabric will meet the edge of the invisible zip. 

• Then I unpin, cut off the waistband "extra", turn under the short raw edges (these will abut the zipper teeth), and press. Now I know the waistband will fit my skirt, made in the fabric of the day (with all of its properties), perfectly.

• I chalk the 0.25" seam allowance. This is one of the only times I bother to do this, when sewing. But there's method...

• I fold the serged edge of the waistband to meet the chalked line that denotes the seam allowance-to-be. I make sure that the serged edge is placed ever so slightly over the chalked line (vaguely eating into the seam allowance-to-be). Not even 1/8", just a smidge.

• I press the waistband. Now my waistband is about 1" deep. I repin it to the skirt to prepare it for sewing.

• I go to the machine and stitch the waistband to the skirt with 0.25" seam allowance. I just follow the chalked line.

• I then press the seam up towards the waistband fold. I repress the waistband and, from the wrong side, I pin the serged edge of the waistband down onto the skirt ensuring that the serged edge just covers the stitching line that attached the skirt to the waistband. The original pressing job should ensure this, but you want to be sure.

• Then I turn the fabric to the right side and I pin in the ditch of the seam where the waist meets the skirt top. I turn over the fabric to ensure that all of my pins have covered the serged edge of the waistband on the wrong side. That's how I know I will sew it down when I stitch in the ditch from the front of the skirt. I also know, since I've done careful math and pinning, that my ditch seam, on the wrong side, will run through the line of serged stitches and will practically disappear on that wrong side. It produces both a tidy exterior and interior!

• But best of all, because you don't turn under the wrong side edge (you serge it and leave it flat), it produces a more sleek profile for the abdomen that doesn't need additional bulk.

Here's a photo to prove my point:

And finally, because I really am trying to post more photos of me (since I know worn garments show things "relevantly"):

I guess this is a selfie, albeit a headless one, since I took the photo through the mirror. I should have moved the yoga props first but, live and learn.

Today's questions: Whatcha think of the skirt? Do you know about my waistband technique? Have you used it with success in the past? What's your TNT dress up/dress down handmade skirt? Let's talk!

The Summer Series: Five in Five, Take 2

Do you ever feel (rightly or wrongly) that you can't catch a break?

I spent today, and yesterday, making the New Look 1-hour skirt. About 8 hours, it took me. And just about everything that could have gone wrong went in that direction.

OK, I'm being dramatic. Here's what went wonky:

• The fucking zipper insertion. I can see that my new machine doesn't like that double-sided tape I'm so attached to when it comes to putting in zips. I went through 3 needles on this task and I think the end result looks vaguely "made by drunk mice".

• The waistband. Oh Lord. I've finally come to terms with something (which I've mentioned before but I'm going to clearly admit to it right now): I have "issues" with waistbands. The problem is, I can't figure out the difference between a waistband and a facing. I know! It's ridiculous. Of course, I know the difference. It just doesn't make any difference when I'm trying to make one. Or the other. And good luck following the directions. It's like my brain stops thinking as soon as start looking at the waist section. This waistband was supposed to have a button but, um, that didn't happen. (More on this below...)

• The topstitched hem.  See "made by drunk mice". I should have lengthened the stitch but, in my sew-blood sugar state, I forgot. I've also got this whack need to make the hem look as consistent on the wrong side as on the right side and, really, short of a cover stitch machine or serious talent, that just doesn't happen. I've got to get a cover stitch machine.

Now, given that this is a 4-piece, 1-hour skirt, I don't even know how I managed to find so many challenges. And it's always when you have the exact amount of fabric and not an inch more, that the gremlins turn up.

On the plus side, I've discovered a little waist trick that's genius (and stupidly easy): Make every waistband 5 inches longer than it needs to be. Then you will NEVER have to worry that it doesn't ease in properly. I did this, this time, and it's the only thing that saved my ass.

Some pluses of this project:

• I don't know where I found it, or what it's called?!?!, but I used the best fucking interfacing ever. It's fusible, white and it doesn't have a bit of stretch. I was skeptical (locating it at the bottom of my stash), but I'm a convert. If only I knew how to find it again...

• The fabric (stash stretch denim) is awesome. I'm so sad not to have anymore. I've made a few things with it, having bought it a number of times, and it has perfect stretch and drape.

• It's a really great skirt and it fits perfectly. It's simple but it does the trick and I can see myself making it a zillion more times. The last time I made it - that being the first time I'd ever sewn anything - it didn't look so hot on completion. OMG, when I look at that first skirt now, I'm part proud, part amused and part horrified. Just the perfect reaction, I suspect. On the nascent-sewist, first go-round, I cut the pattern tissue in the size 12 - not really understanding size when first I started sewing - and it means that this time, with my current dimensions, I need to use scant 1/2 inch seams on a fabric with little give. That's fine, since I have a serger. This skirt reminds me that I should consider making 12s with smaller seams, rather than making 14s that are just nominally too big everywhere.

The major-est plus:

• I kept my cool when this could have failed quite a few times and, as a result, I have a wearable garment: I had some pretty serious waist issues and no extra fabric and I'd ripped out seams twice (about the limit before fabric starts to stretch and get yucky) when I figured out some things... I couldn't reinsert the zipper, which would have been best given how I'd positioned it with the metal zip top at the exact top of the back pieces (how you want it when you're inserting a facing but not a waistband!). That was just bound to end in disaster, I could tell. So I finagled the seams such that the band actually rises as you move towards the zip (it's impossible to explain this, but you'd know what I mean if I showed you) in a very gradual, which is to say unobservable, way. Then I decided that the worst part of a waistband is that it gets bulky where all of those seam allowances meet, so I opted not to press up the wrong-side seam. The fabric was serged and neat so I just stitched in the ditch from the front so that the seam caught the single-layer (vs regular-style double-layer) serged edge on the wrong side. Not only did it give me a slightly wider waistband, but it cut down on bulk considerably. This technique is like a cross between facing (slim but potentially floppy) and a waistband (secure, but bulky and hard to sew down from the right side so that the wrong side still looks neat). And I finally realized that stitching in the ditch is actually under stitching - it's simply done from the right side of the fabric.

It seems I'm gonna have to stop looking at directions when it comes to making waists of simple skirts. I'm just going do what I want to, in the way that makes sense to me.

So, I can't say that the Five in Five has been fun, so far (ask me about the pattern alterations I've spent quite a while making on V8790, the next top I'm intending to make). But it has yielded two wearable items.

I'm so hoping that I'm going to start enjoying this soon.

Today's questions: Do you ever get into a phase where all the sewing seems difficult - even the "easy" things? Do you sew some crappy hems and mediocre zippers and still wear the garments they're attached to out of the house? Do waistbands confuse you??? I don't know why they're so complicated but I always have to think 8 times when I encounter one. Kind of takes the easy out of garments that cover one's lower half :-) Make me feel better, please!