A Designer Cotton Print Skirt

After my last Mood Project, my niece's prom dress, I decreed that my next project would be something easy using one of the designer cottons that I'd seen in the NYC Mood store.  It's one of the nice things about the NYC store, the aisles are long and filled to the brim with possibilities.  However, this cotton print by Theory was in a bin right near the front of the aisle...

...and even though I walked the entire length of the aisle and touched several awesome pieces, I kept coming back to the Theory print.  Now don't get me wrong,  Mood doesn't just have wonderful designer cottons in the NYC store, there also some pretty ones online too. Some that would work just as well as the one I chose for my first skirt of the summer.

See I wasn't originally going to make a skirt.  I was going to go with my fave garment, a dress, but the weather here on the East Coast has been horribly hot...and the other day I wore a print cotton pique skirt, a tank top and a little cardigan to work and it was perfect.  Perfect for the manufactured cold of the bus and my office, yet when I removed the cardigan it was perfect to walk the streets of NYC and to ride the subway.  So even though I originally imagined this as a dress...on the cutting table it became a skirt.

The Pattern ~
Of course I started with a  tried 'n true (TNT) pattern.  I mean they work for me.  I've probably made dozens of these skirts over the years and honestly I see no reason in switching up now. So here is the original pattern that I altered from an ankle length skirt to get my current mid-knee length skirt pattern ~ McCalls 2795 with a copyright date of 2000.  Not as old as some in my collection, but a great workaholic pattern, just the same.

Fabric & Notion Stats:
Fabric ~
2.5 yards of Theory Cotton Print from Mood Fabrics

Notions ~
1 yard of 1" wide non-roll elastic
2.5 yards of lime rayon lining 
2 yards of gray rayon seam tape

As you can see, I've paired the skirt with a solid color RTW tank top and a lime green RTW cardigan.  I think this color combination screams summer yet it works in my conservative work environment that lightens up just a little for summer.

Sewing Techniques ~

• Construction was easy because it has an elastic waistband...good for us waistline challenged women! 
• It has four gores cut and sewn together. 
• Assembled the lining, added a 1/2" hem then stitched it down. 
• I added the lining to the skirt, by stitching right sides together and then flipping the lining into the skirt.
• Pressed the seam flat and open and then edge stitched the two pieces together.
• Formed a casing by turning under 1.5", pressed it flat and then stitched down.
• Before inserting the elastic, I hemmed the skirt using a 1/2" seam. I encased the hem in rayon seam binding and added two rows of machine stitching to form the hem.
• The final step was to add a loop of the rayon seam binding to the center back seam so that I'd know the skirt front from the back.

However, it's really the fabric that makes this skirt sing.  I love how the cotton drapes in the back of the skirt and gives it such a wonderful silhouette.

It is a great addition to my wardrobe.  I love the color combination and florals are really big this summer. Plus it will be wonderfully easy to wear, especially in this hot, humid and steamy weather we're experiencing now on the East Coast!  It's also the first thing to come out of my newly updated sewing workroom.  It took a minute to get back into the swing of things and it took me an entire day to make this...but I'm back.

...as always more later!