This skirt is the antidote to a sewers block that I've had recently. Sewing something easy and low risk is the way to get around it, I find.
I have been wanting to make something out of scuba since I heard about it a few years ago. I was very drawn to the vibrant images that it is possible to print on the fabric. When I saw that Fabworks had scuba for just £7 per metre, I had to get some.
I love this silver colour and the pinks, blues and greens in the print, but the actual fabric is not wonderful. It is heavy with a lot of body and no drape. If it is stretched out, the print separates and shows the white through the pattern. So you wouldn't want to make a body-con outfit that is meant to hold you in. Not from a print, anyway.
I'm also going to avoid sewing with scuba in the future for a few more reasons: it's basically plastic and this means it is cold in the cool weather and hot in the warm weather; and the spongy nature of the fabric means it is quite tricky to get nice edges and seams when sewn.
The dress I started to make was coming along well, but it was looking too dressy, and I struggled to motivate myself to finish it when I knew I wasn't going to wear it. I will finish it, but I will need an occasion to do so. I believe this is the first time I have ever left a sewing project and started a new one.
To give myself a break, and unlock my sewjo, I let myself make a skirt from the leftover fabric from the dress. It's kind of the same project, using up the scraps.
I'd had to buy 2 meters, so I had a lot of fabric left over from the dress. I didn't use a pattern for the skirt. I took my hip measurement and added 2cm for seam allowance. Then I measured from my waist to the length I wanted and added 10cm for good measure. I cut a rectangle of these measurements.
The stretch is firm, kind of like a ponte. I wanted zero ease, so I draped the cylinder on myself and pinched out a dart at each side. I had folded a large facing over. To put it another way: turn cylinder wrong side out, try on, fold over 15cm, pinch out at each side, mark the pinched areas with chalk and unfold the waistband. Sew darts at the pinched areas and turn waistband in.
I left the waistband unfinished, but I did stitch down the top of the darts at the waistband so that the whole thing wouldn't slide around. I also pinched out a tiny amount at the top of the back seam.
I didn't peg the skirt because I didn't add a kick pleat. I hand sewed a stretch hem.
It pressed a little bit with a wet pressing cloth and a medium setting. I was pleasantly surprised that the hem stopped being so puffy and the darts looked better.
Final verdict: a decent enough addition to a spring wardrobe, especially with Me Made May starting on Tuesday; but I'm not going to sew with scuba again.
On that note, here is my Me Made May '18 Pledge:
I, Cathy, of Cathy's Makes, pledge to wear a different item of me made clothing each day of May 2018.
Last year was the first year I pledged to wear something every day, and this year is the first time I've felt able to wear something different every day. It scares me a bit, but that is the point of a challenge, and the other point of this challenge is to get those makes out and about in the real world.
Costs:
Fabric: £8
Pattern: £0
Notions/tools: Thread £1.35
Total: £9.35
