Friday, September 9, 2011
McCalls 5696
I'm such a tightwad that even though I absolutely hated sewing that cheap polyester I made Mitch's pants out of, I couldn't throw away the half yard I had left.
So, Myra got a new skirt.
The pattern is McCalls 5696. I don't sew many envelope patterns for the kids, but this one had so many cute skirt options that I picked it up anyway. I even matched the color scheme on the envelope. The pattern is for a yoked skirt with a zipper and waistband. Two views have pockets, one is a circular skirt, one pleated and the view I made included contrast godets.
Before I put in the zipper, I tried it on Myra. She doesn't have much waist definition, so it went over her hips without a problem. I decided to convert it to an elastic waist both for ease of sewing and for ease of potty breaks. I also bound the pockets in bias strips of my contrast fabric rather than hem them. I like the little pop of color and the finish inside is nicer.
I cut the godets on the bias, although the pattern has them on the straight grain. Mostly, I did it because I like the look of gingham on the bias, but it does make them drape nicely. The godet insertion in the pattern instructions was unnecessarily complex, I thought. Since the tips of the godets are caught in the yoke seam, there isn't really any point in carefully sewing to the tip and making sure it is nice a smooth there. I just stitched them onto one side, and then stitched the second side up to the tip.
For the hem, I tried a new (to me) technique that I've read about in several of Sandra Betzina's books. The navy poly suiting wouldn't take a press for anything, so in order to get a smooth crease at the hem edge, I stitched a staystitching line at the fold of the hem with fusible thread in my bobbin. Then when I turned and pressed my hem, the thread fused the fold of the hem, resulting in a nice sharp crease.
I think this one is a winner! It weathered a trip to Joann's, several hours on the playground and a trip to Ikea (where it was doused in milk) and she's still wearing it. And it still looks good!
It's good for jumping. I think she looks like a little cheerleader in this one.
She likes the pockets. Perfect for stashing the caramels she spent all day eating.
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23 comments:
Adorable!!!
Also love gingham.
And I would say, "thrifty."
Great skirt!!! Perfect for play!
I miss that pretty, little princess!
This is an adorable skirt--and your daughter clearly loves it!! Love the godets! ~ Peggy
I just love the look of a little cheerleading skirt since all three of my daughters cheered high school and all-stars. That is so cute. She's a cutie pie.
Myra's skirt is really pretty . I love the Gingham Godets.
What a "cheerful" and stylish skirt for your very cute cheerleader!
Super cute, both the skirt and the model. I love the look of the check godets. I have read that SB hem technique but never tried it. I will have to keep it in mind.
Love it! It's super adorable on her and the gingham godets cut on the bias look great.
Super cute! Sounds like you guys had a great day together :-)
That is a darling skirt, which looks terrific on your daughter.
I am a fellow tightwad, I thought little people clothes were where left over half yards naturally gravitated ;). This does become an issue when the youngest member of the household gets tall though!
It's adorable, great use of the remnant too.
This cute skirt is clearly a winner with Myra - and she looks adorable in it!
adorable! i love the little contrasts :)
Ooo so adorable! (Do your kids know how adorable they are? Mine have a very clear idea, and use it to their advantage...)
Thanks for the fusible-thread tip---I hadn't heard that one before :). Hmm, now I wonder where you find fusible thread...
Adorable skirt! So clever - hard-wearing fabric, cute flippy skirt, bias cut gingham - it all works to make a great skirt!
Adorable! I hadn't heard of fusible thread either. Thanks for the tip.
What a cute little skirt. Kinda of cheer-leader style. I think it's great to take left overs and make little kid's clothes from them. What a cutie!
So cute! I love that pleated look on little girls.
As much as I loathe Rylee needing to wear uniforms to her preschool (!) I have to admit that nothing stains that polyester crap! It washes up great and is very durable. Though I do hate it so. :)
I always hang onto odd pieces of fabric, too, just in case they can be of use. Myra's skirt is just adorable!
Wonderful use of leftover scraps!! You tell that fabric who's boss! Great job!
FAB and doesn't she rock it too!
I have this pattern too and I love it. so many options! this is adorable and a great use of the poly "waste". (I'm like that too, I can't bear to throw away a perfectly good half-yard of craptastic fabric.
I'm working on it.
Although seeing that you made something so cute out of it isn't really helping in my CBT. ;-)
I have this pattern and have wanted to do that skirt. I don't think the drawing does it justice. It is so cute! With a precious model! Diving in soon!
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