I recently joined a new church, and I quickly realized that I have nothing to wear! I used to have a whole bunch of A-line skirts made from this pattern, but since I left my careers that required me to wear business casual, I gave away everything I didn't love. I have 2 skirts left, and they are a size too small, and a few inches too short. Apparently I was younger a few years ago, and the short length bothers me now. My old skirts look on me exactly how view E looks on the pattern envelope (the short black one). And being 5'10" with really long legs, they make me look more like a giraffe than I would like. I decided to make a new denim skirt using view C, which is the 3rd length.
McCall's 3341 |
I had to do a pain in the arse alteration and take in my side seams a full 2". Why, oh why was I so overconfident? 2 sizes is a big leap. I should know that by now. Sigh. I fixed it up, the subsequent 16 was fine and dandy (still hung like cardboard, though, but at least it kind of fit). I hemmed it up just above my knee, because I was afraid of making it too short like my old ones.
I sewed in my fancy schmancy label. Isn't it cute?
I finished the inside nicely by hand-stitching the lining to the zipper. I knew this skirt was a piece of cardboard by this point, so I just used some orange thread I already had on a needle. You can't see it anyways!
The first day I wore it, I discovered that it was a little long. It kept getting caught up around my knees when I tried getting in and out of vehicles.
I used to think that making an A-line skirt would give me some much-needed shape in the hips, but it almost hangs more like a rectangle than a straight skirt does. I consulted my mom and asked her if she thought I should try wearing a semi-circle skirt to give me some shape, but she suggested that I try a pencil skirt first. I need a black skirt to wear for the Christmas choir in December, so I think I'll make that next. Hopefully the shape will be more flattering.
The second time I wore it, I paired it with my kimono sleeve top, and I decided to hem it up 2" more. I did this quick and dirty, but it works. It's much more comfortable at this length, and I intend on wearing it with opaque tights most of the time. It's still a smidge longer than my old ones, so I'm happy with it.
This is garment #3 for 2010. It's a much-needed wardrobe staple. I'll probably get a lot of wear out of this until such time that I make another denim skirt that doesn't hang like cardboard. I'll take what I can get right now!