Skirt Era
I don’t know about you, but I have reached a point in my life where being comfortable in my clothes is my main priority.
And that shows in what projects I have been choosing to sew lately.
Apart from the Mikal Fleece Jacket I made earlier this year, which is cosy and comfortable too, I have just been making dresses and skirts.
I made the leopard print Lyra dress, the Carmel jumpsuit hacked into a dress and, most recently, the Sabina skirt.
And this is what I am going to tell you about today, the Sabina skirt hack.
I hacked this one a little more than originally planned, but I think it turned out really good! 😍
The initial plan was leaving the ruffle off, lengthening the skirt and adding side slits.
I did all these but ran into little hiccups.
It started with the side slits.
I folded the edges in by ⅜ inch, but then used the same allowance to stitch it in place.
Of course I just missed catching the edge in certain places. I sewed it with the right side up which meant I couldn’t see the seam allowance. 🙃
Instead of going through the time consuming process of unpicking all the stitches, I left them and stitched an extra row at ¼ inch away from the edge.
I wasn’t sure I would like it, but part of the fun of sewing is experimenting.
Next, the Sabina calls for a 1.6 inch wide elastic.
I had some, but was about 30 cm short.
My first thought was to order some, but then I remembered the personal challenge I set myself this year.
Use as much of my stash as possible!
I have a roll of 1 inch wide elastic, so I went with it.
But that meant that the waistband was too wide.
I had already sewn it to the skirt, and again to not unpick it, I came up with another idea.
I used the difference between the elastics and stitched ½ inch away from the top edge of the waistband.
Like this I created a smaller channel in which my elastic wouldn’t move around in.
And I also thought that it would create a nice ruffle at the top once gathered in.
The final touch I made was to stitch 2 rows on top of the elastic to bring the overall look altogether.
I am pretty happy with how it came out! 😍
After two and a half weeks, this skirt is finally finished!😂
And I have moved onto a new project, another skirt.
I had this fabric together with this skirt pattern for about a year waiting for the right time.
And because I was tired of seeing it packed in the corner, I decided now was the time to make a start on it.
It’s the Sarah Skirt from NH Patterns.
Every version I have seen made up looks so elegant and I feel like this pattern has flown under the radar.
I am using a viscose fabric that is one of the pieces with the longest time in my stash!
About 6 years!
I bought it in London when I visited my mum for the first time after telling her I had started sewing.
And it was always meant to be a skirt, so it’s finally living the dream!😃
-
This weekend, we are again in London visiting my sister and my nephew for Easter.
We drove down this time because the trains were super expensive for the four of us to travel there for just 3 days.
Although the car journeys are long, I love being in a car and just knitting the time away. 😌
And of course I am taking advantage of the long hours to work on my purple sweater!
One sleeve is finished, it only needs casting off now.
I have the other sleeve to go and the neckband.
There are still a few more driving hours ahead, so I am hoping to have most of this done by the time we are back home.
This Week's Tip:
Tailor’s Ham
When I first started sewing, I was a bit confused when I heard that this was the name of a sewing tool.
Naturally, I turned to Google to figure out why people were using ham in their projects.
Turns out it’s not a food product!
A tailor’s ham is a rounded cushion that helps you press curved seams and darts.
It mimics the curves of the body which makes it a really handy tool to help press areas like the busts, hips and sleeves without flattening them.
You can actually make your own tailor’s ham using 100% cotton fabric, which you probably already have in your stash.
It only needs a small piece of fabric, so scraps would work really well.
And you don’t even need a pattern, you can simply draw a shape that suits your projects best. It just needs to have rounded corners.
To stuff the tailor’s ham, you can use sawdust which you can get very cheaply at your local supermarket.
For the long run, sawdust holds up really well.
It keeps its shape under the heat and pressure of the iron. It also absorbs moisture from the steam helping set your fabric better.
Over time, the sawdust settles and becomes even more compact which in turn gives you a nice firm, solid surface to press your curves.
News Corner:
Top Easter sewing projects for a creative spring
“Easter is almost here, which means there's never been a better time to get crafty! And we've got some wonderful Easter sewing projects to get you ready for spring celebrations.
There are so many fun ways to use your sewing skills to create beautiful decorations for your home and fun accessories for your Easter egg hunt.”
https://www.prima.co.uk/craft/sewing/g64287402/easter-sewing-projects/
Videos I posted this week:
Sewing Lessons, Sabina Skirt Hack, Knitted Sweater | WEEKLYBEE EP10:
How to Fix a Stretched Out Elastic Waistband
Upcoming Events:
Sew&Bond - Sewing Social Event - 24th of May 2025
Thank you so much reading! And if you enjoy reading, please tell a friend and leave a comment!
Until next week, happy creating!😘
Bye for now,
B! xx