Thursday 29 December 2011

Lingering Layers Skirt

So, I made it through Christmas, without an early baby. You have no idea how many jokes I have heard about whether it/he/she would come early on the 25th and I would have to call it/he/she, Noel or Holly.

Christmas day was knackering due in part to the 2am wake up...yes, 2am, from T age 8 and half. "I woke up and saw Santa has filled my stocking, I can't go back to sleep" This went on for an hour....till Mr Minnado took the unusual but slightly desperate step of taking T out for a walk, giving me an hour's much needed sleep and trying to wear T out. So then at 4.30am he came back and woke me up to tell me he had had a walk and now hot. Then of course he woke his little sister up. What can I say other than it.was.a.test. of.maternal.devotion. (Not sure I passed, as at breakfast T said "You did say some swear words when I couldn't sleep") We held out till 6am and then let them open the stockings....looking back I am happy he still believes in Santa, and keep wondering if this will be the last year?
Anyway enough festive ramblings, last week I was able to reconnect the camera with a new usb cord. (thankyou ebay ) I am catching up on the last few FOs. The Lingering Layers maternity skirt sewn back in late September.


Here is the photo from Handmade Beginnings. The skirt has kind of petal shapes at the top and a jersey panel for the bump. There is also a version without the jersey panel for non-maternity wear. Ideally you can alter the panels so the skirt's life is extended after pregnancy.
As you can see my version is much less feminine and floaty.
I made a few changes to the pattern:


  • I obviously left off the ruffle.

  • I also added inseam pockets which have slightly spoiled the side line of the skirt but are so comfortable and useful that I don't mind.

  • I added a centre front and back seams instead of cutting on the fold, in order to make my chevron stripes.
I used some stash fabric that started out as white with a duck-egg green stripe, found in a remnant bin. I had dyed it grey about 18 months ago.
I had a small piece of this stripey fabric to work with and had to play around with the pattern placement to get enough pieces out and also to play with the stripe placement.
The grey jersey panel was an remnant from t shirt making last year.
I ran out of fabric for the back yoke and so used a grey spotty piece instead. The back view shows how this fabric does crease through the day. Once I had put the skirt together I realised it needed lining as it was too see-through. I had to attach the lining from the curved seams as I couldn't line the stretchy tummy panel, if I had it wouldn't be stretchy anymore! Tricky and fiddly - I sewed it first it on the inside and then sewed it from the right side with a stitch in the ditch.








Back in September when I made this skirt it was too big and kept falling down, but it fits okay now. I am annoyed at the creasing issue of the fabric but I can live with that for a casual everyday skirt.

7 comments:

  1. Another one of your clever makings/adaptations!I love the boots too.Hoping that you manage to have a fairly peaceful New Year!!

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  2. Great skirt! Hope you are having a lovely week xx

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  3. Oh my goodness - that sounds like one hell of a beginning to a Christmas day! If only it was acceptable to sedate the littlies once in a while...hmmm, just joking! Good luck for the next few weeks. My little boy who was due on the 29th of Dec held out till the fifth of Jan and I'm forever grateful!

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  4. Pretty, and good job on the stripe/chevron matching! :)
    Hehe, I think this Christmas story is an excellent one to tell for years to come, and you'll be able to tease T about it when he's older and even tell his kids when he's your age! ;)

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  5. I like the T story too - what a terror! Your skirt is far more wearable, it looks great. Happy new year, hope you get some time to recover from the festivities before baby arrives. x

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  6. Loving the chevron sewing skill! Nice work. It's good that it's getting plenty of use now. Onto Christmas day. What can I say? Just HUGE empathy. It could have been an interrupted night for another reason though ... but littlest one is clearly far too comfortable & well dressed on the outside to rush! Hope you are feeling OK xx

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