V1282 Donna Karan Fitted Skirt + A Winner

The weekend before last I did some proper sewing.  I made a new Vogue Donna Karan skirt!

This is a very fitted skirt... VERY fitted! But it doesn't feel overly tight on. This is a straight size 14 - my usual Vogue skirt size... the waist is generous and elasticated so you can pull the skirt over your hips without having to trouble with the tedium of a zipper :-)

My first thought on trying this on was "sausage skin".  But that was unkind to the skirt, which is really quite lovely! And although it's snug, the cut fits better than those snug stretchy skirts in the shops.

Despite the Donna Karan moniker, this was not a particularly onerous sewing task. And have I mentioned it's really comfortable? No? Not yet?

There are pleats and tucks, but they don't take too long! 

 

I made just one (unintentional) design change - somehow I thought there was supposed to be a contrast panel down the back! Turns out I like it. In any event to fit the pattern onto my (cotton elastane) fabric I had to cut the back piece out upside down, and my fabric had distinctly different sides. It's not too obvious a contrast, and it may even trick the eye of the beholder into noticing the vertical lines rather than the contours on the horizon!

Oh - but you can't even see it in this photo:

This shows the contrast better:

back (before hemming)

front (before hemming)

You can see it here too (thanks kids - how about a photography course for your birthdays?):

And even though this was a straightforward piece of sewing, I learnt something... Hong Kong seam finishing!

 

I simplified the job a little from the instructions. Instead of making my own bias binding from leftover skirt fabric (which didn't sound like a fun way of playing with stretch fabric) I used some black cotton bias binding I already had - and sewed it on while slightly stretching the skirt fabric with the hope it should have enough give when the skirt fabric stretches.



Why did I put this off for so long? It looks so neat - and it was easy too!

So if you've been considering this skirt, I say go for it! It's snug but comfortable, straightforward to make, and you can choose whether or not to flaunt your curves by the length of top you wear with it.

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Finally, for those of you waiting to hear, the winner of my pattern giveaway is Bernice. Thank you to those who took part, and congratulations Bernice! V8554 and V1236 will be wending their way north shortly - and I'll be contacting some runners up to see if they're still willing to provide homes for the other patterns.