Tilly and the Buttons Arielle in Progress

I am currently sewing the Tilly and the Buttons Arielle skirt.  I couldn't resist ordering it because it is so cute in all the photos.  And Tilly is adorable.  Look at it. Swoon.

Photo owned by Tilly and the Buttons

I just love how this skirt looks.  On these people.  I am struggling a little with the fit for my body type.  The pattern allows for a hip that is 9 inches larger than the waist.  Uh-oh.  I am something more like 13 inches larger at the hip than the waist.  And 13 feels so nice, I usually do about 14 just for good measure.  There is a significant amount of junk in that trunk to deal with.

Arielle skirt piece

I redrew the pattern to combine sizes to get the correct hip and waist measurements without an issue.  The problem is that the skirt falls straight down from the widest point on the hip.  When I choose the longer length, it ends up looking very, very matronly due to the wide fabric at the knees.  Noooooooo!  Where is my cute skirt? It is so frumpy.

It hasn't been hemmed yet, but this work in progress picture does give an idea of the shape. I also put in a zipper, but only really because my buttonhole function on my machine is currently acting up.  I'll put at least fake buttons on it because I think it is part of what drew me to this skirt.

To be clear, I think this is a great pattern and there are great instructions.  I would recommend it.  But for my body type and there need to be some adjustments to make the skirt less bulky because I made  sizing changes.  Specifically, I think I can bring the skirt in a bit like in the wiggle dress from Gertie's New Book for Better Sewing.

Image from http://www.blogforbettersewing.com

Here is the pattern piece for the wiggle dress.  After the fullest width at the hip, it tapers in. I may not make Arielle as tapered, but it does give me adjustment ideas.

Photoshopped full skirt

Above, is the wiggle dress I made unretouched on the left, then I photoshopped a fuller skirt on the right.  It is an ok look, but more matronly than I am looking for.  If I adjust the skirt pattern to taper in like the wiggle dress, I think I will get what I want.

In other news, when I am not sewing, I read a lot. I have gotten some great recommendations from blogs I read, so I thought I'd pass one on.  Right now I've started The Mortal Instruments book one City of Bones by Cassandra Clare.  I am well aware that I am not likely their target demographic since this is young adult fiction, but it hasn't stopped me from enjoying the first half of the first book.  I am excited that if I like it, there are 5 more books in the series to read.

I only have one complaint about the book so far.  The author has her characters biting, chewing or gnawing on their own lips a lot.  So much so that it is distracting.  "She bit her lip and answered him." "He chewed his lip and stood up."   It must have happened about 30 times in the first half of the book.  Get these people some chapstick.

More on the Arielle skirt in the next post - so.. until next time!

M5591 Skirt, You Are Dead to Me

I am currently working on Vogue 2960, but thought that I would take a quick break from it to whip up a skirt that I can wear to work.  Here it is.

 It is view C of this pattern (McCall's 5591)

I thought I would love it. I finished hemming it this morning and put it on and rushed out the door which was a total mistake because I didn't really give myself time to examine the fit closely - I think I cut it a size too large.  I also didn't sew on a hook and eye - as seen here on the back of the skirt.

One problem can be seen in the next photo - the waistband. It doesn't lay flat.  I have hips that are 14 inches larger than my waist, so I think that is one of the issues.  (You could call it "big hips", but it would make me feel better if you said "small waist".)  

This skirt is terrible on me.  It is so bad, I am too vain to put up photos of myself wearing it.  Is it my hip/waist ratio?  Is this just cut a size too large?  It is the interfacing?  Is it the fabric? Is it the fact that I made horizontal stripes instead of vertical?  Probably all of the above. 

It doesn't matter because, McCall's 5591, you made me feel fatter on a day I was already feeling fat and for that, you are irrevocably DEAD TO ME.

If anyone would like to try her luck at this pattern, please let me know.  I'll send it to the first person to e-mail me her address. I cut a size 16, but you could still get both 14 and 12 from it.  Email sewinglab at yahoo dot com with your address and I'll put it in the mail this week just to get it out of my house.

Details:
3.5 yards of fabric, 2.00/yard on sale at the evil Walmart.    (I needed extra for matching stripes)
Zipper = .25 (from pile of zippers at SAS in Phoenix)
Interfacing = 1.00 (from SAS)
Total = $8.25 (at least it was cheap)