Tags
a line skirt, denim, sewing, skirt, skirt block, v9200, Vogue, vogue 9200
The facts
Fabric: Stretch denim. I bought a piece that’s just over 2 metres long. It wasn’t cheap, about GBP 12.00, but I plan to use every single inch of it. This skirt has both a front and back centre seam, so I could use the piece more effectively. That was because I cut it before I realised that the book said “four gored skirt”. Good job I was *not* paying attention!
Pattern: Self drafted using the “Four gored A line skirt”, pattern #11 from “Metric Pattern Cutting” by Winifred Aldrich. I bought a 1983 copy on eBay for just under GBP 7.00. It’s a great book and I wouldn’t mind drafting all of it!
Year: Timeless, I think! It’s not even that short.
Notions: Blue thread for seams and pale pink thread for the topstitching. The pink thread was in one of the tins I was given when I bought Judy – it doesn’t get much freer than that!
First worn: Monday 27 Aug 2012 at work. It was a Bank Holiday for most of the UK but I spent the day in the office and even had the pleasure to get rained on whilst cycling home. On the plus side, the skirt got very wet and none of the dye ran, which made me very happy.
Wear again? I wore it to work today, with my African print V9200. I begged one of the smokers to take a picture of me to put on the blog.
I am really not sure about this skirt. It’s wide enough and the right length to ride a bike – while wearing leggings, I am definitely not a real lady, but something went wrong with the drafting.
I took my usual skirt block which I have used many times, and followed the instructions to change it to an A line skirt. I ended up with a waist that was at least 2in too wide for me, and because I realised this when I had already topstitched all the seams, I had to make two emergency darts at the front instead.
This means the skirt does fit, but there is no stretching of the stretch denim, which is a shame if you ask me. I also do not like what this does around my tummy, which doesn’t happen with pencil skirts. A couple of people have asked whether I have lost weight (I don’t know, I haven’t weighed myself in three years and that was at the hospital so it won’t happen again) and I have half a mind to re-draft my skirt block.
I have also pinked the hem whilst chatting with a friend who visited on Sunday, and got a little trigger-happy with the shears, so there are a couple of holes along the hem, I might patch them at some point.
I think with a bit more work -ie a waistband!- this could be a good skirt, I like the length and the drape. I am particularly proud of the topstitching, people thought it was a RTW skirt. In the meantime I will keep it as is, I like my denim and I like my skirts, and it’s so hard to find one that fits!
You know, I tend to pay attention to the “have you lost weight?” question because it usually means something is really working for me. I think most people just assume its a weight thing.
Your skirt is so cute! And I had to laugh a bit about the extra fabric, I totally did that on a self drafted skirt last summer!
Your work is really lovely, I especially love this skirt and your Life of Pi dress. Ended up on your blog after searching for Winifred Aldrich, where has this book all my life?!
Thanks!
That book is a very well kept secret, I only heard about it from a lady who taught pattern cutting at a local college.
You might want to check out Enid Gilchrist’s work too. Her books her harder to find but she spends as long on construction as she does on drafting.
Aldrich is pretty much only about drafting, so I tend to use mine with a copy of Ann Ladbury’s Dressmaker Dictionary, which is easy enough to find second-hand for cheap. I don’t always follow Ladbury’s high standards, but what she doesn’t know about putting clothes together is not worth knowing!