My Pattern Competition - The Skirt Toille

Drafting the pattern
The back
I traced off the back block and raised the waistline using the instructions given in Sew Stylish from Fall 2007. I added 6cm at the side seam and the centre back seam. I tapered the side seam of the skirt to take out 2.5cm at the hem edge (I saw a Sandra Betzina video ages ago and I remember her saying something about this being a good amount to take out – I think). Next I added seam allowance of 1.5cm and a hem allowance of 4cm.

The front
For the front I traced a whole front pattern by flipping and tracing the block to get a left and right front pattern. I raised the waistline as for the back except I raised it by 8 cm at the centre front and 6cm at the side. The front seam falls not on the centre front line but 2cm to the right of it, which means I have to cut separate left and right front patterns. The front band will be laid over the right front and joined in together with the front seam, giving the appearance of a fly front without having too much loose fabric or too much bulk in the seam.

Constructing the Toille
I sewed the darts in the back, sewed the centre back seam and inserted a zip (I keep a bunch of recycled zips for this; it makes fittings heaps easier when you’re on your own!).

Next I sewed the darts in the fronts. I made a snip just above the split opening on the left front, turned in the seam allowance and pressed it down (this will be sewn invisibly in the real skirt).

I laid the band piece onto the right front, right sides together and matching the stitching line. I sewed down the stitching line and across the top of the split.

Next I folded the band back along the fold line (a pleat of about 1cm will form on the band piece), lining up the raw edges and pressed.

Then I laid the fronts together and stitched all the way down, making sure not to catch the finished split edge of the left front as I went. The finished result is of a fly front, which actually forms a split at the lower edge.

Fitting
The fitting went pretty well. The dummy doesn’t do it justice as she is a little smaller than me these days, but I hope you can understand but for reasons of modesty I can't model the toile myself!

The only changes necessary were to pinch in the darts at the top of the front and also taking in the very top of the side seams to make it a bit snugger around my ribs. I also decided to lower the top edge by 1.5cm at the centre front tapering to 1cm around the sides and back. The belt is not the one I'll actually use - I'll have one made, but it is about the right width.




I'll be working on the jacket pattern this week. I really hope it goes just as smoothly!