Chocolate Chips Three Ways
The bulk of this blog post was originally on The Monthly Stitch, as part of Indie Pattern Month 2018, for the week 4 challenge "One Pattern Two Ways"
What's better than two versions of a skirt???
Three versions of a skirt
For this week's challenge I sewed up two Chocolate Chip Skirts* - pattern by Tie Dye Diva.
The pattern includes instructions for a standard skirt, a lined skirt and a reversible skirt. I made a standard skirt in pinwale corduroy, and a reversible skirt in cotton. So from two sews, I effectively have 3 skirts. Win!
I included the pockets in both versions. I was pressed for time with the corduroy, so omitted the piping. But I'm a big, big fan of piping on these pockets, so included them on the reversible version. I made the piping, using the fabric from the other side of the skirt.
I seriously love this piped pocket. I need to stop and take a photo every time I make one.
While I'm on the subject of pockets, I really do love these ones. They're a generous size, and just right for slipping in a phone or set of keys while your hands are busy.
My aim in making these two versions of the skirt were to have one suited to colder weather, and one for when it's warmer. The corduroy feels nice and snuggly, and pairs well with tights and boots for a bit of extra warmth. The cotton I used for the reversible one is actually quite stiff. I'm hoping it will soften a little with a few more washes. But for now it helps hold the skirt out into an a-line (although it does wrinkle if you look at it the wrong way).
The alternate fabric is some quilting cotton I picked up quite a few years ago now. I love how it looks handpainted, and the shimmer in the paint.
The pattern is pretty easy to fit. It has an elastic back waistband, which gives a bit of wriggle room when it comes to fitting. To make sure there was enough room for my hips I started with a medium at the waist, and blended out to a large at the hips. I started on the lining piece, using pocket placement notches as a guide, and then used that shape to transfer the new side seam to the back, front, and both pocket pieces. I am a fan of patterns with notches, they make it a lot easier for everything to go together smoothly.
The trickiest thing I've found with the reversibile skirt is nicely aligning the waistband so that it's nice and neat when stitched in place. To keep things in place, I used wash-away tape, and the result was passable. Definitely much neater than previous waistbands.
And so with the reversible skirt, there's a bonus skirt tucked away there. The only drawback is the absence of pockets, but they're always lurking away in there if I need them (secret pockets) - as long as I don't access them in public. ;-)
All up, I'm very happy with my skirts. They're only a couple of days old, and have already had a bit of a workout - perfect for changeable weather, and for looking stylish while still being able to run about doing all the day to day chores.
The Chocolate Chip Skirt (and the Mermaid Flare Skirt) are currently on sale at Tie Dye Diva for Skirt Week. Both patterns are marked down to $6.95. If you buy both patterns, the code "SKIRTWEEK" will take 40% off the normal price of the patterns.
*This post contains affiliate links. If you click through and make a purchase, I receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. The sewing and opinions are all my own. I owe some of the photography (especially the slightly blurry pictures) to my seven year old daughter.
What's better than two versions of a skirt???
Three versions of a skirt
For this week's challenge I sewed up two Chocolate Chip Skirts* - pattern by Tie Dye Diva.
The pattern includes instructions for a standard skirt, a lined skirt and a reversible skirt. I made a standard skirt in pinwale corduroy, and a reversible skirt in cotton. So from two sews, I effectively have 3 skirts. Win!
I included the pockets in both versions. I was pressed for time with the corduroy, so omitted the piping. But I'm a big, big fan of piping on these pockets, so included them on the reversible version. I made the piping, using the fabric from the other side of the skirt.
I seriously love this piped pocket. I need to stop and take a photo every time I make one.
While I'm on the subject of pockets, I really do love these ones. They're a generous size, and just right for slipping in a phone or set of keys while your hands are busy.
My aim in making these two versions of the skirt were to have one suited to colder weather, and one for when it's warmer. The corduroy feels nice and snuggly, and pairs well with tights and boots for a bit of extra warmth. The cotton I used for the reversible one is actually quite stiff. I'm hoping it will soften a little with a few more washes. But for now it helps hold the skirt out into an a-line (although it does wrinkle if you look at it the wrong way).
The alternate fabric is some quilting cotton I picked up quite a few years ago now. I love how it looks handpainted, and the shimmer in the paint.
The pattern is pretty easy to fit. It has an elastic back waistband, which gives a bit of wriggle room when it comes to fitting. To make sure there was enough room for my hips I started with a medium at the waist, and blended out to a large at the hips. I started on the lining piece, using pocket placement notches as a guide, and then used that shape to transfer the new side seam to the back, front, and both pocket pieces. I am a fan of patterns with notches, they make it a lot easier for everything to go together smoothly.
The trickiest thing I've found with the reversibile skirt is nicely aligning the waistband so that it's nice and neat when stitched in place. To keep things in place, I used wash-away tape, and the result was passable. Definitely much neater than previous waistbands.
And so with the reversible skirt, there's a bonus skirt tucked away there. The only drawback is the absence of pockets, but they're always lurking away in there if I need them (secret pockets) - as long as I don't access them in public. ;-)
All up, I'm very happy with my skirts. They're only a couple of days old, and have already had a bit of a workout - perfect for changeable weather, and for looking stylish while still being able to run about doing all the day to day chores.
The Chocolate Chip Skirt (and the Mermaid Flare Skirt) are currently on sale at Tie Dye Diva for Skirt Week. Both patterns are marked down to $6.95. If you buy both patterns, the code "SKIRTWEEK" will take 40% off the normal price of the patterns.
*This post contains affiliate links. If you click through and make a purchase, I receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. The sewing and opinions are all my own. I owe some of the photography (especially the slightly blurry pictures) to my seven year old daughter.
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