The dream skirt is a reality peeps! It took me a while and a new machine, but I have my dream skirt in real life now. Thanks to Cidell for the pattern suggestion. All my pleated skirt patterns had curved hems and wouldn’t work well with a border print fabric. Cidell let me know about a Burda pattern she had made a couple of times and I knew it would be perfect for my beautiful silk linen from Paron’s in NYC. But on to the pattern review…
Burda 9-2009-121 (image from Cidell’s blog)
Pattern Description: “Pleated skirts aren’t always prim and proper! Lots of narrow knife pleats in front and inverted box pleats at the back give the skirt its shape.”
Pattern Sizing: Sizes 38-46. I made a size 42. After I cut it out and started sewing up the pleats, I thought the skirt would be too small. So I unpicked them and made the pleats shallower. Of course, I ended up not needing to at all. Sigh. Had to take in the side seams then. Good thing I just basted those in to begin with.
Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it? Yes, except for the fact that my fabric is stiffer than the fabric used in the magazine and therefore not as drapey. I like it though for this pattern. The stiffer fabric give the skirt a lot more body and swish factor.
Were the instructions easy to follow? No clue. Didn’t look at them. Burda instructions are notoriously obtuse. And it was a simple skirt with only two (three if you count the waistband I added) pattern pieces.
What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?
LIKES:
- Nice straight hem, perfect for border print fabrics
- Interesting pleat details, different in front and back
- Simple pattern, easy to sew.
DISLIKES:
- No waistband. The heavy pleating in front really makes the skirt droop in front. A waistband provides the dual function of a waist stay and nice easy finishing for the waist.
Fabric used: A gorgeous silk linen border print that I bought during PR Weekend NYC in 2012 at Paron’s
Pattern changes or design changes made: I added a straight waistband with a finished width of about an inch and a quarter, heavily interfaced. At first I thought I would make an overlapping band, but it didn’t look good. I cut off the overlap and just added hooks and eyes as a closure.
Any problems encountered while sewing this pattern? Not really. Once I got my new to me serger and was able to finish the seam allowances, I was set.
Serged with my new to me Baby Lock Imagine and a hand stitched hem
How long did it take you to make it really? Gosh, I really have no clue. With stopping during mid-make and questions about seam finishes and waistband finishes, I am a little fuzzy on exactly how long it took. Maybe 3 or 4 days all in?
Which sewing machine(s) did you use for construction? My Singer Featherweight and my brand new to me serger, the Baby Lock Imagine. I love them both dearly.
Will you sew it again or recommend it to others? Definitely. If I find another great border print, or even just a great fabric, I would make this again in a heartbeat. I definitely recommend it to others, even beginners with enough patience for all those pleats.
Conclusion: A great skirt with awesome swish factor. The pleats in front and back are awesome, but time consuming. I would definitely add a waistband to keep the front droop factor to a minimum. I’m so happy my dream skirt is now a reality.
And did you notice the new blouse I’m wearing with it? Is it another sleeveless Grainline Archer shirt? Why yes, yes it is, thank you for asking. I had to have a nice white shirt to wear with my crisp pleated skirt. Since I didn’t have one in my closet, I needed to make one. And since I didn’t have any white fabric in the stash, I needed to buy some. Luckily, Farmhouse Fabrics had the perfect fabric, a very fine, tone-on-tone white striped cotton. It is so pretty. It was a little bearish to work with being so lightweight — my mandarin collar is a little out of shape, but it’s all good.
French seamed side seam
Self fabric bias bound armhole
Buttons!
I am loving the sleeveless Archers. They are so quick to make and yet still impressive. Leaving off the sleeves makes them super quick and they look so summery, especially in lightweight fabrics. I have a ladybug rayon that is screaming to be made up as a sleeveless Archer. Maybe I’ll make that next.
This outfit is what I’m wearing out to brunch tomorrow. I can’t wait.
