Gertie's new look dior skirt

So here is the first result of my teal love, the first half of my new look suit taken from Gertie's new book for better sewing.  I made her 6 gored skirt with a few changes, mainly removing the scallop top and adding a waist band with some heavy duty lining.  You can see the fabric is satin backed crepe.

(Excuse poor quality photos, attempts to use self-timer weren't very successful and Dan is still away).  Anyway here it is without petticoat and lovely fit and very easy to wear.

 

 

 

and with a full petticoat .... a little bit of frenchy feel perhaps (sorry reduced to photos in the mirror now!)



 

 

 

 

 

... and finally this is the jacket which I will be making to go with it ....

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and here's a shot with the muslin body to give you an idea how it will look (I'm making mine in wool plaid).

 

 

I love the pattern though I was put off by having to trace it off, I get a bit confused when there are lots of lines to choose from.  (Just as an aside Gertie now has a New Look outfit pattern for Butterick and it's great, what a jacket

 

 

 

If you haven't checked out Gertie's blog I've found it very informative. 

 

So I love this skirt, it's very wearable and I actually wore it to work today.  You might be forgiven for thinking this make went all according to plan .... not so.  First in an attempt to up my game with finish I thought I would purchase an invisible zipper foot.  I bought a proper Janome one (a whole £18).  What a disaster it was incredibly difficult to go over the top of the zip, and then it sort of shredded the right side of the zip which I then had to take out.  I returned to my ordinary zipper foot and sort of cobbled it together.  Then without really thinking things through I made quite a deep hem and thought it would look lovely trimmed with satin bias tape.  I never even thought about what would happen to the substantial amount of material at the hem edge!  I spent ages, sewing the bias by hand and then hemming by hand and it was only when I got to the last little bit that I found lots of material with nowhere to go creating a sort of wave effect!

 

 

So about 4 hours work just got chopped off and I ended up with less than a 1" hem which I overlocked, and is more effective. 

 

 

 

The other tip is that with a wide skirt like this you must let it hand for a least a day before turning up because it stretches differently in different areas.

 

Teal garment no 2 is on my needles and should be ready next week.  Here's a preview.

 

 

 

I've had other things to enjoy this week, a lovely Skype call with Dan and Gemma who are having  a great time in Malawi.  Apparently most of there work this week has been dressing foot wounds and leg ulcers .... doesn't sound awfully romantic for a honeymoon, but once a week they go to a posh hotel to get internet access and sit round the pool with a beach to die for!  Downton Abbey is back (though it was all a bit gloomy) and  finally how could you not smile at this wonderful crochet bike in my local wool shop window.