On a weekend workshop, held at a local community centre, I learnt how to make a sewing pattern from an existing garment. I chose to create a new skirt from one of my old favourites and I am really happy with how it turned out.
My 'New from Old' Skirt.
The skirt is really just a basic A-line. The original skirt had four panels sewn together at the front, back and sides. I changed this so that there are only two panels, a front and a back, so just two seams at the sides. The skirt also has a very lovely and long waistband tie. Sewing this really gave me some grief; firstly I found it difficult to pin on because it is so thin and secondly because the fabric of the skirt kept fraying and so it kept pulling away from the waistband. After a few "choice words" and a lot of unpicking, I decided the best solution was to make the waistband wider to make it easier to pin on and to ensure I secured the fabric of the main skirt when attaching it.
Waistband & Invisible Zip.
Zipped up!
An invisible zip is sewn into one side of the skirt. I've never sewn in such a zip but, with the help of this You-tube tutorial, I learnt how to do it and sewed it in so that it is indeed invisible when zipped up.
Fabric remnants for a skirt.
Look at all those toothy smiles!
I chose remnants of fabric, from the community centre's little haberdashery, to test out my pattern and sew up my skirt. I found a heavier curtaining fabric, with big firework flowers on twisting stems, and a very light fabric, printed with toothy smiles, for the long waistband trim and ties. When cut and folded into a thin strip, you can't see all those teeth! Altogether, this cost me less than $15. I think they look nice together. 😊
The best part of this course, besides a usable pattern and a very wearable "test run" skirt, was learning from a really patient teacher and spending time with a small group of really lovely women who all like sewing too. Everyone made different garments and there were lots of encouraging words from everyone as we paraded and twirled our creations for one another.
I hope to do some more craft workshops at the little community centre soon. It's a lovely space, in an old wooden house with a productive garden and chickens in the back yard too. It's nice that there are places like this in our city where people can meet one another and learn and make things together.
Do you have a community centre near where you live?
Meg
A pattern I will be able to use again and again!
The best part of this course, besides a usable pattern and a very wearable "test run" skirt, was learning from a really patient teacher and spending time with a small group of really lovely women who all like sewing too. Everyone made different garments and there were lots of encouraging words from everyone as we paraded and twirled our creations for one another.
I hope to do some more craft workshops at the little community centre soon. It's a lovely space, in an old wooden house with a productive garden and chickens in the back yard too. It's nice that there are places like this in our city where people can meet one another and learn and make things together.
Do you have a community centre near where you live?
Meg
