Sew Hopeless
March 02, 2006



A few weekends ago, the weather was fabulous. This reminded me that I need skirts for the impending spring and summer seasons. And rather than searching endlessly in store after store and never finding something that I like or fits right (can you tell I've done this before?), I decided I would SEW. I have a sewing machine, no problem. All I needed was some fabric and a pattern.

That's when I found the Susan Stars a-line skirt kit! Woo! Fabric and instructions all in one! So it arrived, and I read the instructions. I ended up using a combination of measuring myself and using a skirt I already have (that fits well) as a guide. I cut out my pattern, cut out the fabric, and went to work. Sew, sew, sew.

This pattern is pretty simple. Sew the 2 side seams, a rolled seam at the top for the elastic, hem the bottom, and you have a skirt in about an hour! About 45 minutes into this process, as I'm threading the elastic through the waistband, it occurs to me that I should try this thing on. It BARELY fit over my bum! I literally squeezed myself into it! Where did I screw up? This thing should fit perfectly! And then I remembered that the skirt I used to help me come up with the pattern dimensions has A ZIPPER. Which is why I can get it on over my gargantuan hips. Doh. I finished it anyways (I can actually get it on over my head fairly easily), and decided I would buy more fabric and adjust the pattern.

I attempted skirt #2 last weekend. I adjusted the pattern, cut everything out, and went to work. Tried it on again, and gah! More squeezing of the bum into the skirt! At this point, I kind of gave up. I realized that the problem is not my haphazard sewing skills, but the fact that my hip to waist ratio is a bit askew, and it's making an elastic waistband skirt kind of a pain. Sure I could make the waist and hip measurement the same, but then I'd have all this elastic around my wait, and I have a feeling it would ruin the whole a-line effect.

So, I'm over my disappointment for the most part. Now, I've got to find an a-line skirt pattern with a zipper, and actually try and sew that zipper into it correctly. I've never dealt with zippers in the sewing realm before. Wish me luck.

I'm predicting two possible outcomes. #1. The a-line skirt with a zipper is a stunning success! I will never have to skirt shop again! Or #2. I will chuck it all and end up spending the summer complaining how I can't find any skirts that I like. (I've got my money on #2.)

Stay tuned!




Follow...

bloglovin


Subscribe by Email

Delivered by FeedBurner


© Whitney Brandt-Hiatt: All writing, images, and photogrpahy are the property of Whitney Brandt-Hiatt unless otherwise noted.