I actually made something!
This is a wearable(ish) toile of the Closet Case Patterns Fiore wrap skirt. It's on my spring plan to be made in the viscose twill I've been holding onto for ages, but because I've been holding onto it for ages I was a bit reluctant to go straight in with a pattern I wasn't sure about. I never wear skirts with any kind of flare to them and I was worried I wouldn't like the way I looked in it, so I broke out this hot pink stuff that I honestly thought I would never use. I bought it at Rolls and Rems Lewisham a few years ago when I was listening to a lot of Blondie (I'm always listening to a lot of Blondie, but I was listening to a LOT of Blondie) and when I saw this I thought "ooh, I could make a hot pink dress like the one on the cover of Plastic Letters!" What I did not think was a) viscose twill is not the fabric to make that kind of dress with, b) I will never wear that kind of dress anyway, c) I don't actually like hot pink, or d) never try to look like Debbie Harry, the only thing down that path is inadequacy and sadness. At least one of which should definitely have occurred to me before I bought it.
Pictured: not in a million years.
I wasn't expecting to want to wear this version, so it's a very quick mock-up with not much care paid to getting the hem perfect. I really hate curved hems. I cut the below-knee version on the expectation that it would hit me right at the knee, and it does. If I were to wear this I'd shorten it a bit more, but I didn't want to make the above-knee version straight off in case it was too short in the back and became a precarious shelf over my bum.
I cut a straight size 16 because there's enough flare in this skirt to pass over my hips without sizing up. I almost sized up anyway because of the hip-curtains problem I always have with wrap skirts, but it wouldn't have been necessary.
The pattern has three views, two of which are fairly standard (zip-up and button-through), but I bought it solely for this single-pocketed wrap skirt. All the views are in separate PDFs, which I like, and I doubt I'll ever try the other two. The wrap is fastened with buttons - or press studs, if you're a button-hating weirdo like me - rather than ties, and has fairly wide interfacings on both vertical edges, which gives it a bit of weight and helps it stop blowing up in the breeze. The pocket is exactly what I like in a pocket - large and deep, and actually part of the construction rather than patched on or stuck in a side seam. I really like my clothes to have pockets, but they have to be useful and an integrated part of the design, otherwise I'd much rather not bother.
I'm happy enough with this to move on to my proper fabric. I'm hoping it'll drape the same way this one does - I don't think I'd like it as much if it was a big stiff shape. Whether or not I will wear this toile is... questionable. I don't hate it, I just don't know what to do with it. My wardrobe is not set up for this colour. The only colour I really like to pair with hot pink is charcoal grey, which I have very little of. I would maybe wear it with navy and white stripes, but not either as a solid colour. I don't like hot pink and black on me at all, and not being able to wear it with a solid black top basically cripples me style-wise. I wouldn't be wearing black boots with it in this picture under normal circumstances, but there is absolutely no way I'm going to be waxing my own legs in quarantine. Getting dressed normally every day? Yes. Putting make-up on? Yes, I enjoy it. Body hair removal? Get fucked.
Something I'd quite like to do for the summer that we may or may not get is extend this pattern into a maxi skirt. I assume I can't just extend the pattern lines to ankle length because then it'd be both a silly shape and too wide to fit on the fabric, but I'm not exactly sure what I'd need to do instead. If anyone can enlighten me, I'd appreciate it!
How is everyone? We had an absolutely beautiful sunshiney weekend, which seems cruel. I started a free three-week course in antiquities trafficking and art crime for no reason whatsoever and made one of the Closet Case Patterns scrap poufs, which I'm quite pleased with (mostly because it gets several bags of scraps out of the way). I'm hoping for a decent week sewing-wise and for my artistic wire to turn up so I can get started with my wire wrapping. I ordered the wrong stones AND the wrong wire the first time, because that's just how life is right now.
What's up next will depend on what I'm motivated to do. If it's an easy project, it'll be that. If I can find it within me to start the jacket, then I'll do another post of older projects on Thursday and share the jacket next week. The dress is on hold right now because I finally got the zip in properly after multiple attempts, tried it on, and discovered that I've gone up about one and a half cup sizes, meaning that if I try to put the lining in it'll be too tight to do up over the bust. So it'll have to wait until I'm allowed back to the gym!
Fabric: Viscose twill from Rolls and Rems
Cost: Maybe £10-15? I really can't remember, this is ages old
Pattern details: Three different flared skirts: invisible zip, wrap, or button-through closure. Wrap version has one single slash pocket on the left side and facings to finish the skirt edges
Size: 16
Alterations: None
Would make again/would recommend: Yes/Yes
It's a shame that you don't think you will wear the skirt very much because it looks so good on you.
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