Using up the second piece of fabric from Evie of Pendle Stitches, I love this pencil skirt pattern! Initially Daughter No2 was thinking a 50s wiggle skirt for this plaid, but wanted something a little more wiggley than is standard in the original patterns. Instead of drafting something, I had a quick leaf through a couple of years worth of Burdastyle magazines & hauled out a couple for approval. This is the one that got the nod, it’s 120 from the July 2012 issue.
It has a high waist and front darts that curve at the waistline to side seam, instead of going up to the waist, and normal back darts. The other thing that I quite liked was that the centre back seam is not straight, but shaped to the zip stop. I was hoping this, along with the darts, would make fitting the back better. As it turned out, there were no fitting issues for the back at all! Usually there is a degree of “sway back” fiddling to do, but not here.
Because Daughter No2 has a difference of 2 sizes between her waist & hip measurement, I made a toile a little bigger and then re-adjusted the pattern. So using the 34 on the waist, the skirt had to be graded out to the 38 (or just narrower) at the hip. There was no way she was going to accept the skirt being the width of the 38 at the hem, so I tapered the side seams back down to the 34. This gives the skirt a much more of a pegged look. The other thing changed from the toile was the length. We shortened it 4cm & took in another 2cm around the hem, 5mm on each seam.
The fabric is 100% polyester, which means static & sticking to tights. I bought a gorgeous wheat-coloured cupro lining from my local store to counter that & it’s made the skirt sit so nicely too. Not needing the facing pieces meant no interfacing either, so something needed to be done to stop the top line stretching out of shape. The interfacing could be applied to the skirt itself, or something without stretch needs to be sewn into the seam when attaching the lining to the skirt at the waistline. You could use the selvage edge of your lining fabric, or seam tape. Whatever you chose it needs to be thin – you don’t need added bulk here! I used some seam tape from my stash, about 1cm wide. It was also understitched to the lining fabric to ensure no popping over at the top.
I cut the plaid with the dominant stripe down the centre front & placed on the fold of the hem. So if she wants it longer, or shorter, it’s not happening!
I recon this skirt’s a hit, it’ll be fab for school & won’t really need ironing either! I think it’s also safe to say there will be another made from this pattern fairly soon, I love the shape & fit just about as much as Daughter No2 does. 🙂
We have still not found a pattern for the butterfly print, but hopefully it won’t take too much longer – it’s not going into the stash!!
THE COMPULSIVE SEAMSTRESS 
Wow, I love the way the darts work on this skirt! I’ll definitely need to keep an eye out for that pattern (or one similar), it looks great!
thanks! You can download it from the burdastyle site.
Love those waist darts… looks fabulous.
Thanks Lizzy! 🙂
That is one awesome skirt. Your plaid placement and matching is spectacular too!
Thanks! Luckily with only two pieces it wasn’t too hard to do! 🙂
Stunning. I love the optical effect of those darts in the plaid, at first glance it suggests a yoke!
Yeah, it does! 🙂
Yep, I’m loving those waist darts and shaped back seam. Great looking skirt!
Thank you! 🙂
What a beautiful skirt. I’m pretty sure I have that issue- so I’ll have to add a bookmark. The fabric has a look of burberry about it too !
It does a bit! The only version on the Burdastyle site keeps the straight shape, I think I prefer it pegged a bit! 🙂
What a great skirt – it fits like a glove 🙂
Ooh- thanks for bringing thispattern to my attention- not that I can do it justice as your lovely does. Plaid was a great mate for it
Thanks Anne! There might be another version in the works, in a small houndstooth…
Awesome skirt! Looks fab on you.
Thanks! 🙂
Beautiful fit! I have this magazine so I’m definitely going to be making one now!
It would look fabulous on you!
Just perfection!
Thank you, that’s really sweet! 🙂
Looks great, I’m another fan of those darts, they make it look very “high end”.
It’s the little things that do it!
Just the right fabric to show off the cut!
Thank you! 🙂
This is fabulous – a perfect plaid skirt, thank you so very much for all of your notes!
haha, no problem! I’m never sure of how much “behind the scenes” to talk about, but as it altered the pattern’s look quite a bit, I figured it needed to be said! 🙂
Oh wow. Will have to dig out that issue. I love the position of the front side darts. Makes it look like a shaped yoke at the front. I made a Burda skirt using side darts that were pretty much horizontal and was pleasantly surprised how well it works.
Oh, I can definitely see you wearing a skirt from this pattern! 🙂
Love this skirt! Those darts make it look extra special
Oh my…this looks absolutely gorgeous! I knew that piece of fabric had found it’s perfect home!
Love the plaid, love the angle of the dart. May have to try that dart manipulation on my own pencil block.
So stylish! You have a great eye!