Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Pattern Play + Gorgeous Fabric + Couture Sewing = Pencil Skirt Excitement!

I'm *so* excited about my current sewing project that I'm going to tell you everything! Really, really excited. Like, I-might-explode excited. Wow, I hope I don't bore you with the uber-sewing-geekiness of this post. Here goes:

After my successful wax cloth pencil skirt, I couldn't wait to start playing with my self-drafted pattern. I know, what could be so exciting about a pencil skirt?  Just go with me here.

So, as you recall I had been thinking about sewing a matching bustier style top to go with the skirt, but I put that on hold after a few muslins didn't work out. I had already bought boning and I had taken a Building a Bustier class with Kenneth King, and I'm currently in the middle of watching Susan Khalje's Couture Dress Craftsy class. All of these things swirling in my brain started to converge into the idea of a high-waisted couture-style pencil skirt.

Like this.

Here's what's done...

Pattern: I traced off my pencil skirt (minus seam allowances), converting two of the four front darts into princess seams, and then added a 4 inch extension for the high waist. I did this by extending the seam lines straight up, slightly changing the dart width to address the very slight difference in size between my waist and midriff. Then I added 1" seam allowances. 

Center Front Piece with extension

Side front with dart with extension

Muslin:  Once I was happy with the drafting, I cut and carefully marked a muslin of just the top 8 inches of skirt - the waist extension to four inches below the waist, so that I could see how my drafted changes worked. 


Muslin

The other reason I chose just the top 8 inches, is that I will use boning in this area to make sure that the waist doesn't collapse. Since my (very firm) muslin fit perfectly, I decided to use it as the layer that will hold the boning - basically a built in corselette, to support the skirt's high waist. 
 
One of the things I learned in Kenneth King's class is that it's perfectly fine to use rigilene  boning.  For my first project that required boning, I used spiral steel boning, which is wonderful, but more time consuming to work with. The nice thing about rigilene is that you can sew right on it instead of having to add casings to contain the bones like you would with steel spiral. I think this is the right decision for a skirt that is a blend of RTW and couture techniques.

With boning

Fabric: One of my best recent Garment District discoveries is Beckenstein Fabrics/Fabric Czar. They do bespoke tailoring and also sell beautiful suiting, linings and shirtings. My discovery: they have a remnant table where you can get 1-ish yard cuts of crazy beautiful suiting for $40 (aka less than a pencil skirt at Banana Republic). The 1 1/3 yard piece I bought is a gorgeous wool with a textured weave. It's so unbelievably soft that I suspect that there is some cashmere in it. Also, it was 64" wide. More than enough for my skirt.

Wool suiting from the Fabric Czar

And since I was now working with beautiful suiting, I decided that it needed equally awesome underlining. So, I pulled out this leopard print silk organza from my stash. It's from my "hot sauce" haul of fabrics.

Leopard print silk organza - it's somewhat darker in person


Sewing: Fabrics were cut, underlining was basted by hand to the suiting, and the lining (Bemberg) was sewn last week. This past weekend, the skirt seams were sewn, too, and I've been catch-stitching the seam allowances to the underlining during the week. So, this is really moving along. I've been doing a blend of couture techniques (mostly hand sewing) and machine/RTW sewing.  I think this has been the best bang for the buck for this project.

My catch-stitched seams

I still have a lot to do. I have to sew in the zipper, which I may do by hand. Also, I need to finish the slit. Oh. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that I decided that instead of a vent or slit in the back, there will be a slit on one of the princess seams on the front, a la Vogue 8873 view A. Lastly, all the layers need to be joined at the waist where I will also add a waist stay. Then, I'll just have to hem.

Have you ever been so excited by a project that your sewing geek side really goes bananas?  

20 comments:

Clio said...

i'm so excited by YOUR project that i'm tempted to throw MY project out the window. drooling over that catch stitching.

Clio said...

Ooooh, this looks awesome! I am so excited by all the details I can't wait for the finished piece. And I LOVE your fabric combo - totally hot, but sneakily so. Which I suppose in a weird way makes it even more hot? Oh, and your catch stitches are lovely.


And, actually, I am really excited by my project right now. I wanted to make a jacket for the Pattern Review contest, but decided to trace and muslin both of the Burda jackets I wanted to work on at the same time (figuring I would need similar pattern adjustments). I was supposed to do the other one first, but it has been so warm I went with the more lightweight one (even though I don't think it will be technically eligible for the contest because it doesn't have a traditional lining) and I am LOVING it. I stayed up all night to do bound button holes. And they aren't perfect, but they are pretty darned good. The fabric is awesome to work with, the cut is fantastic, and the fit is better than I could have hoped for. I still have a ways to go but I hope to have it done by the weekend. I really want to wear it!

Clio said...

OoooH! Can't wait to see your jacket! Yeah, I stayed up later than normal catch stitching.

On the fabric, I've been having this recurring fantasy about a gust of wind and a little peek of leopard print and red stitching (it's a very modest hemline). I really love adding an element of the subversive.

Clio said...

LOL - Oh no! Well, this is a not-your-every-day project. I am feeling really really buoyant about it. ;-)

Clio said...

Geeky excitement! Oh yeah!

Clio said...

ha ha - Thank goodness for the sewing blogosphere! Where else could I share my love of catch stitching? ;-)

Clio said...

leopard print silk organza? Be still my beating heart... this is going to be epic!

Clio said...

I know! I went back to try and buy more when I realized the tragic error of not buying it ALL. No luck.

Clio said...

Looks wonderful! Love the lining!

Clio said...

Looking beautiful, just from those glimpses! Your catch-stitching is gorgeous...

Clio said...

I like where you are travelling with this skirt, but wonder if boning around the middle might be an impediment to sitting down!? http://myfabrication.blogspot.com

Clio said...

I have often been so excited about a project that I go loony. Thank goodness my DH loves me best when I'm grinning like a fiend, blathering on and on with arms waving wildly while I try to express how WONDERFUL a project is! haha Gotta love sewing geekiness. Isn't that what makes this all so much fun? And so sad when you end up with a wadder.... ;) Your skirt is going to be ah-maz-ing, and I can't believe the leopard print silk organza. I MUST find me some, because that is just haute de la haute - especially with that red catch stitching.

Clio said...

Lovely! I love that thrill of being swept away by a project. If it threatens to keep you awake nights, you can always sew to exhaustion everyday- or get up in the wee hours and keep sewing! My sweetie has gotten very good at nodding excitedly even when he has no idea what I'm going on and on about. You can always turn to us when you are buzzing with excitement!

Clio said...

Your couture handstitching is so pretty. I am also in the middle of the Susan Khajle's class. I need to make one of these.

Clio said...

You know, the red just felt right with the leopard. Phin likes it when I get all giddy-geeky about sewing too!

Clio said...

It's the best, isn't it? Yeah, my Phin does that too. And he gets very excited when he manages to use the right terminology. ;-)

Clio said...

Excellent question, Gail! The short answer is no, but I'll answer this in my next post!

Clio said...

Holy moly this is quite a project! I can't wait to see it when it's done. It's going to be awesome. Is Beckenstein right next to Paron? Will have to check it out!

Clio said...

Yes! Right next door. In fact, they actually have the same address!

Clio said...

Really excited to see how this turns out! Love a project like this.