Swish: Vogue 1466 Donna Karan Skirt

Swish: that's the word I want when I think of this skirt:

No, not the posh, stuck up sort of "swish":

OOPS... 

The other kind - the movement kind of "swish"!

I wore this skirt to work the other day for a trial run and if felt amazing, the fabric echoing the movement of my legs as I walked or swayed (just to get some more of that swish).

Just soooo swishy... and cosy too!

Although it feels amazing on, there is one problem with the way I've made this skirt, and it's at waist level.

I really don't know why I do this, but when I measure myself before cutting out, very often I will stick my stomach out. Crazy! And I don't realise I've done it till I sew up the garment and discover everything fits except the waist, which is too big.  So I cut this skirt out as a size 14 with a size 16 waist - and should have stuck with the straight size 14.

I'd like to think it's not as glaring an error as it appears in these photos - but even if it is, well I have to admit I wear RTW with bigger fit issues!

It's also a tad shorter than I'd like... I would have loved an extra 5 or so centimetres of length to get to midi length, but I simply didn't have the yardage - from recollection I had 1.5 metres bought for a top for my son*, and the pattern pieces looked to fit IF I trimmed the skirt length by a centimetre or so.

* his polite response along the lines of "thanks, but you don't have to mum" meant "I don't like it"

But the hips fit nicely, so there is that:

And it's a really easy skirt to sew!

 

I did make one addition to the pattern: I added a lining to the skirt, simply using the flared skirt pattern pieces cut a few centimetres shorter: 

The lining fabric is a soft sort of mesh, which I really like as a lining for knit skirts and dresses (like this one).  It doesn't add much in the way of bulk but it stops the bumps of underwear lines from showing and makes the skirt feel more upmarket than its unlined cousin. Oh and no need for hems or seam finishes, as it doesn't seem to unravel!

As you can see, I didn't finish the seams on my outer fabric either - that also doesn't ravel :). The outer fabric is from Tessuti Fabrics, I think a cotton elastane mix. It's a really lovely weight in a skirt like this - not too heavy, not too flimsy. The colour hasn't come out correctly in these photos though (that bright winter sunshine!); it's a khaki rather than a brown, and goes really well with the Donna Karan drape jacket I showed you about a month ago (blogged here).

Basically it's a great pattern, lovely fabric and a user error or two combining to make a skirt I love :). So many photos, and so little to say!!


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Pattern: Vogue 1466 (skirt), Donna Karan

Fabric: cotton-elastane, mesh lining from Tessuti Fabrics

Notions: elastic, hidden within the waistband

Final verdict? This skirt is going to get a LOT of wear. The pattern is a really good one - I'm considering making the skirt again, and I've already got the jacket cut out from some gorgeous dark blue boiled wool from Tessuti Fabrics.  I wish Donna Karan was still designing and doing patterns!

My next post is probably not going to be for a few weeks - but I hope then to be able to share some swimmers with you. I've had an orphan bikini top for years, and have FINALLY got around to sewing bikini bottoms to go with it using the ruched, high waisted bikini bottoms from McCalls 7168.  So far they seem a bit tight but we'll see...



Happy sewing!

- Gabrielle xx