Ultimate Pencil Skirt: Faux Wrap Hack

October 6, 2016.Reading time 5 minutes.

Faux Wrap Skirt Hack by thisblogisnotforyou.com

ANOTHER WEDDING OUTFIT

Finally I’m sharing this skirt with you! This is easily one of my favourite projects this year. Although I have to admit, that I actually finished this in 2015! I did not get around to wear or blog about it during the last winter.

Luckily, though, because when we got married in May, I needed an outfit for the registry office. I wouldn’t have wanted to wear something I wear all the time, but there wasn’t enough time to sew a whole new outfit amidst all the wedding dress making. I remembered I had this gorgeous pencil skirt number in my closet, patiently waiting for its first outing.

It’s chic but not over the top and matched our wedding colour scheme perfectly. It was only us two plus best man and maid of honor at the registry office, so a big gown would’ve been out of place.

So here it is!

PATTERN. To make this skirt, I basically hacked the SEW OVER IT Ultimate Pencil Skirt. As you know, I have a serious love affair with this pattern, I even based the skirt of my wedding dress on it. So now that I think about it, I got married twice in one weekend, both times wearing a hacked variation of the Ultimate Pencil Skirt. By looking at the skirt, the hack might seem to be quite complicated, which it is not!
I didn’t change the actual pattern, just added to it. The picture below might explain this a bit.

I added an extra layer to the front panel of the skirt and basted both layers together within the seam allowance before sewing front and back together as described in the pattern instructions. To create the asymmetrical faux wrap layer, I traced the front panel and marked the asymmetrical line down the front. It extends the original hem by about 5cm. At the top it sits on the natural waist, so slightly lower than the original pattern piece. I omitted the left front dart. I also added a 5cm hem allowance. Before basting both layers together, I needed to finish all edges of the faux wrap piece. I hemmed it and finished the top with a very narrow waistband. I made holes with a hole punch and eyelets, then sewed on the buckle. (Make sure the waistband is narrow enough to fit through!) After all these steps, I pinned it onto the front panel and constructed the skirt following the original pattern.

Faux Wrap Skirt Hack by thisblogisnotforyou.com

FABRIC. The fabric got a nice stretch to it, so the skirt is super comfy to wear. For those of you wondering where I got the fabric I have to admit that I’m not entirely sure! It’s a gorgeous floral jaquard which I probably bought in our local fabric store near Munich. I think I remember running home from the fabric store with this beauty and diving into the project at once. I love that skirt so much! I even added a matching lining.

I tested wearing this skirt with some of my warmer sweaters which looked great. So it’ll definitely get some more wear this season!
Faux Wrap Skirt Hack by thisblogisnotforyou.com

WILL I MAKE IT AGAIN? Oh, yes! Definitely! This was such an easy and effective hack! No fitting or muslining required, because I can make this skirt in my sleep by now. It took a bit longer, but it was fun changing up the routine a bit. It’s interesting to look at once you notice that the belt is just decorative.

I might choose a plain colour fabric next time, because I do feel a bit overdressed in this skirt for wearing it to work.

What do you think? Are you making one yourself?

Charlie

Happy sewing!
♥

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High-waisted Ultimate Trousers

August 28, 2016.Reading time 5 minutes.

high-waisted Ultimate Trousers by thisblogisnotforyou.com (Click through for more pics and info)

ROCKS AND ANCHORS

I’ve been looking forward to sharing these pics with you since we got back from holiday. We took them on our last night in Sardinia at the beach of our hotel where we pretty much spent most of our time. Compared to the previous post (we took the pics on the second day of our trip) I got quite a tan in just a week! I hadn’t been to South Europe in a couple of years and after living in England I forgot how easily I tan.

I love these trousers! You know I’m a big fan of Sew Over It’s wardrobe staple patterns such as the Ultimate Pencil Skirt or the Ultimate Trousers. As much as I love the trousers and their fit, I always had issues with how low they sat. Without a waistband (the orignal pattern has a facing) they get stretched out quite easily and sit very low which isn’t very practical at work, as I sometimes play with kids on the floor and don’t want my backside to hang out.

I had plans to raise the waist and add a waistband after seeing Lisa’s numerous, beautiful versions of high-waisted Ultimate Trousers. I found the perfect fabric, a stretch-denim with an anchor print just before the holiday in a fabric shop near Munich. I made up a muslin ad raised the waist by 10cm which turned out alright, but I lowered the waistline a few centimetres again as it was a tad too high. I love the look with this pair, but I might lower it just a tiny bit more for the next pair, which I plan to make from a very busy print.

high-waisted Ultimate Trousers by thisblogisnotforyou.com

I really dig the raised waist hack of this pattern, it’s just so different from most RTW styles out there. The only downside is that it’s not the most figure flattering style – I’m certainly not a size zero but also not very big, but still you can see every lump and bump, especially with the tshirt tugged in. So after a week of feasting on Italian food pretty much non-stop, it wasn’t the most comfortable outfit to wear! But I loved it anyway – and who cares about a pizza-and-pasta-bump. It was absolutely worth it.

Oh, and I have to mention the hat – just because it’s fabulous! Especially since it’ll make another appearance in the next post as well. I’m so in love with this hat I can’t tell you. I always wanted one just like it, but never cared to buy one, because you don’t simply strut around with a hat like that unless you’re Audrey Hepburn. Right before our trip I went shopping for sunglasses and came across this hat at C&A (large German department store) and thinking of lying at the beach, sipping cocktails and nibbling olives I had a massive urge to just grab it, pay whatever they asked for (which luckily wasn’t much) and run with it. Which I did. I wore it every day on holiday, which makes up for the next few months where it will sit on my closet un-used, because – let’s be realistic – I won’t be wearing it unless I’m sitting on a beach in Italy somewhere. So that’s my excuse for that many cheesy sunhat pictures. high-waisted Ultimate Trousers by thisblogisnotforyou.com

high-waisted Ultimate Trousers by thisblogisnotforyou.com

So what’s your favourite wardrobe staple pattern that you love to hack over and over again?

Charlie

Happy sewing!
♥

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Chiffon maxi skirt & matching top

August 24, 2016.Reading time 5 minutes.

chiffon dress and top by Thisblogisnotforyou.com (Click through for more pics & info) BELLA SARDEGNA

Ciao! We’ve just come back from our amazing honeymoon trip to Italy/Sardinia. (Sorry, for the photo spam, but the Mr took so many pretty pictures, I just had to share!) Just before the trip I managed to squeeze in some selfish sewing time and make something for my travel wardrobe. The dress I’m sharing today I made for my birthday, which was mostly spent strolling through town eating ice cream and reading at the beach – which is pretty much my definition of a perfect day.

It’s actually a maxi skirt and separate top combi and therefore was a great addition to my capsule vacation wardrobe. The fabric is a navy chiffon with a mint & pink bird print that I got ages ago at Walthamstow Market, London, in one of the dodgy shops at the far end of the market (a couple of houses from Saeed’s). It was only ‎£1/m and I snatched up about 3 metres (140m wide). chiffon dress and top by Thisblogisnotforyou.com

chiffon dress and top by Thisblogisnotforyou.com

The pattern is more or less self-drafted. That’s because I didn’t make a proper pattern for the skirt. It’s a maxi half circle skirt and I drew the pattern right onto the fabric, no paper pattern needed. I had 3 metres of this fabric, which was just enough for a half-lined top and a half circle skirt. I would’ve needed almost twice as much for a full circle skirt, but the half circle looks great, too, and was much more practical to wear on a windy island. The skirt has a knee-length lining I made using some poly satin scraps.

I attached a straight waistband to the skirt and added a mint coloured invisible zip. It matches the print perfectly, but for some reason we forget to snap a pic showing the zip. The side seams are overlocked and I used a rolled hem foot to machine-roll the hem. As I wasn’t dealing with expensive silks and also had a pretty tight schedule I skipped the whole hand-rolled hem business this time. It’s ok to cheat sometimes, right? And to be fair, it looks so pretty and even, I probably wouldn’t have achieved similar results by handsewing.

The top is from the Sew Over It Vintage book and it’s the first garment I made using the book. I drafted the bodice block as described in the book (same as the Anita Tie Top) and shortened it into a crop top. I used two layers of fabric for the bodice front, so that the back is pretty much see-through, but the front not so much. As I spent most of my time at work and not the beach, some decency doesn’t hurt, right?

The shoulder and side seams of the top are finished with french seams and the armholes are bias-bound. I overlocked and machine sewed the hem. The top was really super quick and easy to draft, cut and sew, just one of these happy projects I need every once in a while to keep my sewing mojo going.
chiffon dress and top by Thisblogisnotforyou.com

chiffon dress and top by Thisblogisnotforyou.com

I really love the skirt/top combination and wore it loads on holiday. The skirt looks also great with plain white or grey t-shirt and the crop top looks super cute paired with some high-waisted jeans.

Have you made something for your vacation wardrobe? Do you like sewing garments for a capsule wardrobe or do you love stand-out pieces when you go on holiday? I’d love to know!

Charlie

Happy sewing!
♥

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Sew Over It pencil skirt with front zip

February 14, 2016.Reading time 4 minutes.

pencil skirt with front zip by thisblogisnotforyou.com Oh hay!

After three months I finally came around to posting this neat little pencil skirt I made in December (or was it November?) last year. I’m way too much caught up in wedding planning and my new job, so I have to dig up last years projects (thankfully we took pictures already). On my sewing table there’s only the wedding dress at the moment. And it’s probably better if it stays like this.

Soo, this is another Sew Over It “Ultimate Pencil Skirt”. If you’ve been following This Blog for a while you know how much I dig this pattern. It might be even my favourite of all time. Over the last year I realised just how versatile it is, from full-on vintage to very modern you can make hundreds of very different looking skirts. I’ve made a mini as well as a faux wrap (yet to be blogged), a wool and also a jersey version.

pencil skirt with front zip by thisblogisnotforyou.com

This time I used the fabric included in the Ultimate Pencil Skirt Kit. It’s a gorgeous green/navy wool tartan, which I absolutely love. I used a very similar fabric for one of my very first sewing projects, a 50’s dress.

Instead of using the matching-colour invisible zip (incl. in the kit) I used a separating exposed zip in a contrast colour. Also, in the original pattern the zip is inserted in the centre back seam whereas I decided to insert it in the centre front. I simply added seam allowance to the centre front, not cutting it on fold.

It’s quite an eye-catcher, but I really really like it this way.

pencil skirt with front zip by thisblogisnotforyou.com

To match the zip, I used red thread for some topstitching at the side seams. I added two rows of red stitching, and two rows of black topstitching next to it (which is really hard to see in the pictures). It also really helps the side seams to lie nice and flat. pencil skirt with front zip by thisblogisnotforyou.com

I tried my best at pattern matching – cutting the fabric in a single layer really helps. I love how the tartan adds to the silhouette of the skirt.

I lined the skirt with royal blue satin. This is really simple – I just sewed it onto the facing, understitched the seam and machine-stitched the hem. I also cut it a lot shorter than the actual skirt, so I didn’t have to worry about the lining peeping out under the kick pleat. I sewed the lining to the zip by hand.

It’s so much better than my unlined pencil skirts. I even went back and lined some of them after that. Although the skirt usually stays in place as it is really fitted at the waist, it tends to crease a bit or clings to your tights. Also, I prefer to line wool garments as they’re not as itchy that way.
pencil skirt with front zip by thisblogisnotforyou.com

Will I make it again? Oh yes! I love the front zip detail, it gives the retro shape a bit of an edgy look. Also it’s too cool to be able to pull the zip all the way down – instant picnic blanket!

Charlie

Happy sewing!
♥

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Lottie Blouse Hack and Mini Pencil skirt

September 22, 2015.Reading time 4 minutes.

Lottie Blouse Hack and Pencil Skirt by thisblogisnotforyou.com

A PERFECT MATCH

Guess what? I’ve done it again (sorry, if you’re getting really bored by now)! I made YET ANOTHER Lottie Blouse version and my third Sew Over It classic pencil skirt so far. If you’re already screaming in your head, you should probably unfollow me, because one thing I can promise you: There will probably be more.

For this Lottie Blouse I didn’t alter the pattern much, but added a button placket. (If you want to learn how to do this, you can read the full tutorial in Love Sewing Magazine, Issue 18, pages 46-48, which is in stores now.)

Lottie Blouse Hack and Pencil Skirt by thisblogisnotforyou.com

The Fabric:

The fabric is Verona Peachskin in emerald (£10pm, www.fabricgodmother.co.uk) and was gifted to me for this particular project by Love Sewing Mag (all opinions are my own!). It’s got a lovely feel and drape to it, although it wasn’t as drapey as I thought it would be in the end. I’ve made all my other Lottie blouses from fabrics with very similar qualities, so I knew what to expect.

I won’t say much about the fit, you’ll find this information in the other Lottie posts (find them in the project gallery). In my last Lottie post, I noticed how the blouse was a bit too tight in the bust area after omitting the keyhole. Last time, I added a few extra cm at the centre front. This time I simply cut out the blouse one size larger than my usual size.

It fits much better around the bust and I have no problem with a gaping button placket or anything, but it’s a bit too wide at the shoulders (for my taste). The looser fit was great to wear during the really hot weeks this summer, though. Lottie Blouse Hack and Pencil Skirt by thisblogisnotforyou.com

I ‘ve matched the blouse with a me-made skirt. I used my go-to pencil skirt pattern (Sew Over It) which is my all-time favourite. I just cannot stop mentioning how flattering it is. I’m not a super confident person, but I always feel great when I wear my pencil skirts. That’s just a fact.

This time I made a mini version which hits above the knee. I simply shortened the pattern and omitted the kick-pleat.

The Fabric:

I bought the fabric during our Sew Brum meet-up in Birmingham last year. I can’t remember the name of the warehouse-like shop we went to (~~Barry something something?~~ It’s called Barry’s Fabrics – Thanks, Charlotte!). It’s a jaquard jersey, a very stable knit, that I got for £5pm. I only got half a metre (no risk no fun!) and it was just enough to make this skirt.

It fits like a glove and is really comfy. It’s a bit short when I sit down, so I won’t be wearing it at work. I love that it’s black and white, because it goes really well with all my plain coloured tops.

Lottie Blouse Hack and Pencil Skirt by thisblogisnotforyou.com Photo-bombing dog!

The combination pussy bow blouse & pencil skirt is my absolute favourite outfit at the moment. The mini skirt is great for going out and the knee-length one is perfect for work.

Oh, and for the very observant readers: Yes, I cut my hair! It was quite long before but really damaged from all the dyeing, so I decided to get a LOB (I just very recently learned that this is what you call a long bob). So far I’m really happy with it.

I’m moving to Munich next week and hope to set up my new sewing corner soon!

Charlie

Happy sewing!
♥

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