Finished: The 50s-90s Skirt for #vintagepledge

About a year ago when I was pregnant and had no discernible waistline, I bought a skirt from a charity shop. Reckoning that it was about the same size waist as I used to be, I packed it away in the hope I'd be able to wear it once there was no longer a baby around my middle.

 

Homemade vintage (70s?) skirt snapped up for £1.99, blogged here 

This is the skirt - and I can fit in it now!:

I also like the length, which I suppose is midi length and feels elegant.

As I liked the skirt so much I thought I could make another one using this skirt as a template - pretty easy, just four pieces and a waistband. However I checked my pattern stash in case I had a similar pattern that would save me tracing one off the skirt - lo and behold this beauty fitted the bill:

Butterick 6167 - I think I got it in an ebay pattern lot, but it's definitely been in my stash for a couple of years. Although the envelope illustration is very 80s, it's a great classic shape

When I say fitted the bill, I mean that it was exactly, EXACTLY the same size when set against the skirt. This four-gore style is a pretty classic one I suppose so I was chuffed that not only was I saved the bother of tracing a pattern but that the new skirt would count for the second garment of my #vintagepledge. WIN!

Now for fabric:

This feels like the most appropriate fabric I could use for the Vintage Pledge, as it was purchased from Marie of A Stitching Odyssey - the originator of the Pledge. Last year Marie was selling some of her stash and I was taken by this fabric. It's a lovely soft cotton sateen and I love the bright green although when it arrived I did wonder what on earth I was going to make with it and wasn't sure that I liked it as much as I originally thought. Actually the pattern looked a bit 1990s to me, with the faded and darker areas of green and the tribal-ish pattern. Oh dear. The 90s are not my favourite decade.

When I looked at the fabric with fresh eyes some months later, I had come back around again, and the pattern was reminding me more of 1950s designs and ink drawings plus I did love the vibrant green. Phew! As such an eye catching design, I felt that it would be best as skirt so it could be paired with a plain top. This suits my style pretty well and I wanted it to be a garment I'd get lots of use out of.

The pattern was easy to put together - all I did was to add a smidge of length to the waistband and used a slightly smaller seam allowance on the side seams, since the waist size leaves no room for eating and I like to be able to eat. Interestingly, the pattern is cut to a size 16 which is a 29 1/2" waist - isn't that crazily small for a 16??!! I know that vintage patterns are always smaller but this one is only about the 80s.

I also added pockets, of course, using a pattern piece from another pattern. For where else do I put my used tissue collection?

(Don't be alarmed, that's a tube of stupid cables behind me, not a massive snake)

I gave the skirt its maiden outing to my friend's wedding reception ceilidh and it performed admirably. I have also worn it more casually to the beach, so hooray that it's very versatile and I think it'll get loads more wear in the Spring/Summer and even into Autumn.

K x