Finished Project & Pattern Review: Vogue 8603 Pencil Skirt with Side Gathering, View A.

Vogue 8603, View A.

Don't you just love that print?

I was lucky enough to spot this fabric on the clearance table today, it's cotton drill which was exactly what I was on the hunt for.

I got my BMV order the other day and was keen to make a skirt right away. I was torn between making a black skirt for work or a skirt for fun times.

I didn't want to spend more than $10-$15 on materials and notions for the skirt since I can easily buy a RTW black skirt for $15-$20. Reason I wanted to make it with cotton drill is that lining won't be needed. Lining alone costs me $10. Cotton drill is usually for reserved for work clothes and uniforms, according to my Reader's Digest Sewing Guide.

Yesterday I went to buy black cotton drill, but it was $15/m... and I needed 1.2m for to make a skirt, so I left empty handed.

Today I went to a different store and I found awesome fabrics on the clearance table! I bought the birdy print (above) and a rhino-camo print as well. Also bought interfacing and two zippers. Total spend was $17!

This is the Vogue 8603, View A: "Lined, straight skirts, have princess seams, back zipper and waistline facing, gathered side front, side back and lower back"

I omitted the lower back gather and tapered it in to a pencil skirt.

Princess seams are my new best friends.
A lot of overlocking! 

Took skirt in at the side seams to give the skirt a 'pencil' shape rather than 'straight'.

View A, front.
I heart the side gathers. 

View A, back.
I opted for an exposed zipper.
The exposed metal teeth balances out the birdies.  

Pattern Review: V8603, View A with Side Gathering/Ruching

Size: Size 6

Fabric: 1.2m cotton drill

Notions: Jean zipper (black) 8", Gutermann thread (000),  0.5m whisperweft interfacing.

Modifications: 

• omitted the lower back gather,
• unlined,
• shortened skirt by 9cm,
• 5cm hem,
• tapered side seams in to create a pencil silhouette,
• exposed zipper.

Time: 5 hours.
Cost: $7 (fabric, zip, pattern). $7!!!!! Fabric was on special, pattern was on special. 
This is a special skirt <3

Directional fabric again.
Hope I've chosen right direction to cut the skirt!
To my eyes, the birds are mostly flying upwards....
What do you see?

The V8603 was easy to make, I didn't even need the instructions. I cut a (wearable) muslin yesterday using my rotary cutter and it turned out horrible, I was cutting millimeters off my pattern pieces, luckily the muslin came together well. 

It's View D. It's finished, hand stitched hem and all but the skirt looks unfinished. It needs something more... lace or buttons or something. This skirt really could have used a waist band. This view is so plain :/

Vogue 8603, view D.
Wearable muslin.

Once again, Vogue sizing fails me. If I went by the pattern envelope, I have a size 12 waist and size 10 hips.

For the muslin I cut a size 8 because I remember when I made a size 6 skirt for the V8511, it appeared to be small in the butt area. For this pattern, size 8 was big. Surprise, surprise. SMH at the big 4.

I'm not sure what sort of fit the Vogue designers want for the skirt, but I like my "fitted" skirts to be fitted. If it's "high waisted" it should sit on my waist, not on my belly button - that's just an awkward look on me.

As usual, the photo on the pattern envelope was not enticing at all. So plain, I only bought the pattern because I found this review by Tales of a Wannabe Seamstress and the skirt Rebecca made looks gorgeous on her.

I used to think that the models on the patterns looked daggy because the patterns were old, that the photos were taken in the 90s.. but I saw the new Vogue patterns the other day, and the latest photos look just as dated. Thank goodness for the internet and sewing blogs otherwise I don't think I would buy any of these patterns, based on the photos Vogue provide.

Vogue 8603, View A. Size 6.
Omitted lower back gathering piece.

V8603, View A line art.
Don't like the lower back gathering... maybe on a mini skirt it will look good.

The "sewing" of this skirt didn't take long at all. I think the longest part was all the overlocking. I found it a bit tedious overlocking 16 sections of raw edges, but I'm very happy with the end result!

Overall, I have to say I am pleased with this pattern. I am so glad I bought this pattern (and for $1 I might add!). 

I had to make some mods to the pattern pieces to give them a pencil shape. I love the side gathers, the princess seams, and the fact that there are no darts is a bonus! I really enjoyed making this skirt.

Phew! I'm all sewed out for this weekend, two skirts in one weekend is a record for me. I will be staying away from the sewing machine until my class this week. Speaking of, I have been receiving heaps of emails from fellow Melburnians asking where they can find sewing classes. The class I take is at my local community centre but here is a list of places I know run sewing classes in Melbourne:

• Spotlight
• Tessuti
• Statewide Sewing Centres
• CAE (Centre for Adult Education)
• Local community centres (some local council run them)

... There's probably more but these are the only ones I know of :)

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Finished Project: "But, Peter, how do we get to Never Land?" "Fly, of course."

'Peter Pan' collar mission complete! 

I am very happy with the result. I wanted to finish the dress by Thursday so I could wear it, but at the same time I promised to take care and take my time. No pressure, no stress. I put the radio on each night and sang along to the nation’s top 30 songs while sewing. I think I am now a One Direction fan.

The perks of living alone and no longer having a gym membership - I finished the dress over three nights. Because I don’t have a live-in BF, pets, kids, or Facebook (haha), I can sew for hours without any interruption. The best. What did I do before sewing????

Day 1: Went to Spotlight to look for a Horn sewing cabinet – came home with fabric instead. Traced pattern, cut fabric, sewed bodice and skirt.

I used the V8469 bodice without the sleeves, and added Peter Pan collars. I followed Gertie’s online tutorial to draft the collar. I put iron-on interfacing on the midriff lining pieces. I stay-stitched every single curvy bit on the bodice. I PFF’d (press flat first). Day 1 blog post here.

Day 2: Cut lining, sewed bodice lining and skirt lining, sewed everything together, bagged the bodice, inserted invisible zip and sewed lining and dress together. Zig zagged my hems. When joining the bodice and lining together, I took great care to make sure the seams matched up. I even unpicked one side because it was a couple of millimetres off. I hate unpicking, but I wanted to finish the dress knowing I put in 100% effort. Now, to the invisible zipper: this time I was awake and alert and I still buggered up the zipper! I only sewed a couple of centimetres and I could see the invisible zipper foot was not doing it’s job. It was malfunctioning!! I used my regular zipper foot instead. It was soooo much better. I had more control over where the needle was going and could see if the zipper was rolled out enough. I’m quite happy with the zipper job.

Day 3: Hemming. I used the twin needle on my machine to finish the hem on the dress.
Sorry, the red is soooo hard to photograph. If I had natural light, it might turn out better.

V8469 bodice with Peter Pan collars and full gathered skirt.
Outside, premium cotton sateen.

V8469 bodice with Peter Pan collars and full gathered skirt.
Inside, sunsilky lining.

I am really addicted to lining. I love how it looks and feels. Sometimes I spend more money on the lining than I do on the dress fabric! I love how it hides all the seam allowances inside and all my ugly backstitching. Maybe when I learn how to operate my overlocker, I won’t be too bothered by seam allowances and can go back to making unlined dresses.

Pattern: V8469 bodice, drafted own collars and own skirt.
Size: Size 6 bodice, graded to size 8 waist.

Skirt info: 

• Length 50cm (54.5cm with 3cm hem and 1.5cm SA)
• Skirt width 2.4.m
• I cut the 2 pieces on the centre fold (60cm wide, from centre to selvege, length 54.5cm). I cut 1 of the pieces in half to make the back of the skirt (needs a back seam)

Fabric: 1.8m premium cotton sateen (red), 1.8m sunsilky lining (red), 0.7m whisperweft interfacing.

Notions: Invisible zipper (hot red) 24", Gutermann thread (156).

Modifications: 

• added Peter Pan collars,
• replaced skirt with full gathered skirt.

Time: About 13 hours, over 3 days.
Total cost: $25 - thanks 30% off sale - (fabric, lining, zip), pattern, whisperweft interfacing, thread from my stash.

TIPS for next time: 

• Maybe make the skirt less wide. 2m wide might be enough,
• Use regular zipper foot for the invisible zip - the invisible zipper foot is... broken.

New techniques learned: 

• Drafted my own collar, thanks to Gertie's online tutorial (part 1, part 2, part 3).

"... pop ya collar, don't let 'em sweat ya ..." - Usher

V8469 bodice with Peter Pan collars, upclose.
Collars, bust gathering, zipper, twin needle on the hemline.

Weekly dressmaking class: In this week’s class, I started tracing my Simplicity 3222 vintage pattern, cut up calico to make a toile/muslin. I’ll sew the toile up during the week. I hope it fits! It’s a size 10, so will fit my waist, just hoping I have enough up top to fill out the bodice! I am very exciting to be sewing with an actual vintage pattern, the paper is so crispy J


Tonight, I'm off to pick up my Horn sewing cabinet. Very excited about that!! My overlocker and sewing machine will now have home-sweet-home..

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Tutorial: Half, Full & Quarter Circle Skirt

I have always wanted to make circle skirts for my dresses... and I finally found a tutorial.
It looks easy! I'll be giving it a go very soon!!

Andrea Tung's Tutorials
Tutorial for FULL SKIRT
Tutorial for HALF CIRCLE SKIRT
**** UPDATE 29.10.2012: The above tutorials by Andrea Tung are no longer online :(

Hand By London Tutorial - found this tutorial on 19.10.2012.
Tutorial for FULL, HALF & QUARTER SKIRT

Updates: Below are photos of half and full circle skirts I have made following the instructions on Andrea Tung's tutorials. Click on the links to read the post & see more photos.

Butterick 5455 bodice with half circle skirt.

New Look 6723 bodice with full circle skirt.

Vogue 8511 bodice front with full circle skirt.

McCall's 5845 with full circle skirt.

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