Tuesday 17 June 2008

Summer skirts : New Look 6034

An old but favourite pattern of mine is New Look 6034 for its View C bias skirt - I use this pattern every year for quick summer skirts!


The photo's are even more terrible than my previous suit post! Two lovely summer skirts are hanging now overnight to settle and drop prior to hemming.

I think the black/pink floral print is a John Kaldor, certainly the blue is, both were half price bargains purchased easily a year ago and nearly got made up for last year's holiday but I ran out of time!

Both fabrics are old now, and I have enough of the blue to make a dress which I will save for next summer as I like to make and wear new skirts each time and I generally pick my favourite ones from the previous year to take with me and this year I shall take the green crinkle and the raspberry print. I cheated, slightly, and purchased a couple of skirts as I feared I was running out of time and didn't want to add "stress" to the equation.



I like this pattern as its easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy to make up, takes 2ms of fabric and the length is just right.
I add a good 2" to the side seams of the pattern, press out the stretch down the length of the cut pieces which I cut singly on my dining room table and I overlock the side seams of both the outer and lining before placing RS's together with the lining atop and pinning at the waist before attaching a circle of elastic stitching first near the top edge with a balanced 2/2 zig-zag and finishing with another row of stitching 1/2" lower before turning out and pushing the lining inside, this gives me a nice neat finish at the waist with the elastic attached to both the outer skirt and the lining but inbetween the two layers.
(it took me ages to work this out initially and I still have to stop and think about it).

I normally take a walk down to the local Asisan fabric shops for the lining materials as they have just the right type and generally cheaper than store prices, this year I made do with what I had in my stash a/ for economy purposes and b/ for time management purposes plus I wasn't quite up to the rather long walk back up a steep hill!

I had to compromise with the blue skirt and use a plain chiffon for the lining which is lighter and more sheer than I would choose, however this lovely John Kaldor polyester fabric is actually quite a bit thicker and less see through than other fabrics, you can see from the pic, however, that the chiffon has dropped tremendously by comparison!!

I don't bother to adjust the length for my layers, I cut out each skirt fabric and lining to the pattern adding at the side seams, overlock and do the waistband and THEN after hanging at least overnight I level and hem them. Usually I use my narrow rolled hem foot on my Bernina sewing machine for a neat finish and I expect it will be Thursday before I get an opportunity to do this.

NEXT on my list of sewing to-makes is more lovely lingerie! bra's in particular! I do like to make new for holidays and better get cracking!
MUST make for the holiday, too, 4 sunglasses cases as I can't seem to find any in the house - I will use my good sewing pal - Carol's trusted pattern for this as, again, is an easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy quick make and I just love that the zipper treatment "works"!

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I prefer to choose cool colors for my summer dresses... These are really nice!!