After all the skater dresses it was time for some selfish sewing, and I wanted to wander back through the
challis chalet once more.
I know that there are some challis dresses in my future, but I've really wanted to make this skirt. The pattern is from 1979 and was a gift from a friend.
I just love how effortless and breezy these ladies look! And despite the fact that the top is a total box, I might give it a go. I love those shoulder pleats. But the skirt - I love everything about it. The midi length is my favorite for ease of wear and I love a wrap style. It even has pockets!! Really perfect.
My favorite feature is the little flounce effect in front. The front wrap is shaped at the front edge, so that it drops gently in folds from the waistband. The effect is subtle, but very graceful. It's perfect for a softly draping fabric like challis.
And I had the perfect fabric picked out! Pressed it and got ready to cut, but it just kept telling me that it wanted to be a dress. I sat and stared at it, totally stymied. It was clearly a dress, but I really wanted to sew a challis skirt. I took my dilemma to twitter, and we settled on this blue swirl print.
And I am so glad! I really love it. Pictures don't do justice to the intensity and gradations of color. It's so intense in fact, that it is really hard to style. I was afraid I had created an orphan, until I tried it with black. All of the blue tops in my wardrobe just look pale and washed out next to it. Black holds her own.
But the final test? Awesome twirl factor!
Today's tip
As I was working on this skirt, I came across a few bias seams and hems, and initially I thought I'd discuss working on the bias (and I will, as I love bias cut garments!), but today I was impressed with how important pressing and steam are to the finished quality of the garments we produce.
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| By Monster4711 (Own work) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-SA-3.0-2.5-2.0-1.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons |
I know that most of us are already in the habit of pressing seams as we go, but it one of those things that is easy to overlook, but which is truly essential to a professional outcome for our work. But if you don't believe me, I refer you to the lovely and talented
Ann of Gorgeous Fabrics. Her treatise on pressing, "
And Now, a Word from the Pressinatrix" is a lovely summary of the importance of pressing at each phase of your work. Please read it, if you haven't already.
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