Simplicity 2451

I just can't seem to resist a Sewalong, so I joined in with the Facebook Simplicity Zippered Skirt SAL. I don't really need a new skirt, but they are so fun and relatively effortless to sew. I've had this pattern, which was one of PRs Best of 2010, in my stash for a while. There have been some seriously cute versions of the pleated view on PR and in the blogosphere that while I generally avoid pleats over my abdomen, I decided to try it out.

I wasn't expecting much, but I actually really like it. The yoke is a nice flattering shape and the pleats are a bit lower, so they don't open up and make my belly look big. It is a nice flattering shape with a slight peg.
The pattern is Simplicity 2451. It's a pretty nice pattern with several really cute views. I especially like view B, which I also plan to make soon. It was well drafted and the instructions seemed logical, although they did jump around between views quite a bit, which might be confusing. I didn't really use them after initially scanning them to make sure there wasn't anything weird. There wasn't.

The fabric is a poly lycra suiting from Joanns. I bought it to make a pair of capris, which ended up overfitted (OK, too small!) and have found their way to the Goodwill. I just had a yard or so left, which was more than enough for this little skirt. It's got a slightly brushed surface, so it's very soft and comfortable. You can't tell from the pictures, but it actually has a very fine blue pinstripe every 1/4 inch or so. If you're wondering, the blouse is Vogue 8322.

In back, I used an invisible zip, of course. This one really didn't want to go in properly and it took me several tries to get the yoke seam aligned. I'm not sure why that is, but perhaps the fabric was stretching more than I realized. I did end up with a tiny dimple at the bottom of the zipper, but after all that fussing, I wasn't willing to rip it out (again!) so I'm just going to live with it. You'd have to get pretty close to my butt for it to be noticeable.

And here you can see that I did not make any alterations for fit... But should have! The side seam swings backward at the hem and the waist is tilting forward. Ah, gravity's effect on my butt at work.

But look, pockets! I never used to appreciate pockets, but lately Myra seems to think that I am her personal pack mule, and pockets really come in handy for toting plastic princesses around. Overall, I'm really happy with this skirt and I can definitely see why it was a Best Pattern last year. It went together quickly and easily (except the zipper, but that was operator error!) and it is really cute and comfortable. I have so many skirt patterns, I probably won't make this one again, but I really like it and would definitely recommend it to you!