My version of Butterick 5566 - Part I

I love snow when it means that I can stay home and sew!  And that's exactly what I did yesterday...I mean after I piddled around on the internet...read some more of my book...and slept late!

But I was on a mission.  I wanted to make my version of Butterick 5566 before I lost the fire.  So here is where it stands right now...

...this picture is taken with it unpressed, without a lining, no waistband treatment or a hem.  But it fits and my pattern adjustments work...so I'm happy.   Since there's a three day weekend coming up, I will finish it so that I can move back to the Pinstripe Follies pantsuit.

Pattern Alterations:

1.  I traced out two new copies of my TNT skirt pattern...one right side and one left side.

2.  Then I taped the two sides together.

3.  Judging by the pattern picture, I measured down approximately 3" past the hip curve and placed a dotted line across the front of the pattern piece.  I used this as the starting place to make the curved front pieces.

4.  Next I formed the main curved piece across the front of the skirt piece.

5.  After this was formed, I curved the small side piece using the dotted line as my ending point.

6.  At this point, I cut the pattern pieces apart and realized that I was concentrating so hard on getting this right, that I neglected to take pictures of that part of the process...sorry!

7.  Since the top pieces were being made out of pleather like one of the views from the original pattern, I omitted the darts.  I did this by slicing each dart down the center and then taping it flat.  I also taped the little point at the end of each dart flat.

8.  I then placed another piece of tracing paper on top of this piece and traced a clean pattern piece. I added a 5/8" seam allowance to the bottom of this piece.

9.  The smaller side front piece just needed 5/8" seam allowances added to both edges.

10.  Finally the triangular skirt front bottom piece also needed 5/8" seam allowances added to it...and I was ready to cut it out from the fashion fabrics.

Construction:

1.  I used the pleather that I recently purchased from Fabric Mart for the skirt panels and some black wool crepe, that is a staple in my fabric collection, for the base of the skirt front and back.

2.  Because I was concerned that the pleather might be a little heavier than the wool crepe, I added a silk organza underlining to each piece to make the wool crepe more staple and a little heftier.

3.  After applying the silk organza underlining, I sewed the smaller triangle side piece to the skirt bottom first, making sure to match center fronts.

4.  Then I sewed the longer top piece to the skirt bottom.  This insured that the points would form correctly in the finished piece.  I also clipped the seams to make sure that the fabrics would lay flat.

5.  An invisible zipper was placed in the back of the skirt and the side seams where sew together.

...this is where the skirt stands now...

The picture is lightened so that you can see the details.

I haven't cut the lining out yet and I have to decide how to finish the waistline since I'm winging this without Butterick's instructions.  I've also decided that with the amount of work that I've put into this skirt, that I need to find one of the silk charmeuses from the fabric closet to use as a lining instead of the ambience lining I normally use.

But it works!  And it fits!  Can you see me doing the joy-joy dance! *LOL*  I also think I'm going to have to make a top to go over this so that you can see that banding when I'm wearing the skirt.  I'm sure I've left something out, so if you don't understand ask and I will explain.

Finally, one of the comments I received on the original post about this skirt was why didn't I use a sloper instead of my TNT pattern.  The answer is simple.  A sloper has no ease in it or seam allowances.  It's just a fitted shell that you design off of but with my TNT pattern I know that not only does it fit but the ease is right...the hemline is where I want it to be...the darts work and I can manipulate it without having to make these fitting decisions every time.  I really just want to make design changes...not fitting decisions because I'm lazy...that's why I have TNT patterns!  *smile*

Okay, I will probably post pictures of the finished skirt over the weekend...so stay tuned...

...as always, more later!