The eyelets have it

I don't wear short skirts often but I did have one made of faux leather with a pattern of little cut-outs. This skirt served its purpose admirably but recently the layers of vinyl came apart and started tearing and basically the thing is a complete mess now.

R.I.P.

I went through the shops hoping to find a replacement ‘little black skirt’ but couldn't find anything I liked. So I traced a pattern from my old skirt and got all the black fabric out of the stash and hoped inspiration would strike.

It didn't.

I had a few ideas about using the knit covered in small ruffles but decided that, really, my hips don't need that kind of help. I put it all away again and resigned myself to probably months of fruitless store visits.

Then I had an idea. I came up with a design featuring large eyelets in the hem and in the yoke. The eyelets would complement a strip of snaps that would be the skirt closure. For fabric I used the leftovers from my Asgardian outfit. I had only just enough – I had to add a centre back seem to my pattern and piece one of the yoke linings.

I went to spotlight to get eyelets and discovered that the number I needed would cost about $50! I wouldn't pay that much for the whole skirt. So I went to Bunnings instead. There I got eyelets and tool for $15. The only drawback was that these only came in gold when I had planned for the skirt to have silver trim but more gold is definitely a thing I can live with.

The skirt, yoke and yoke lining were sewn together before I added the eyelets. Then the yoke lining was folded down and stitched onto the skirt/yoke seam, forming a backing behind the eyelets. I had widened the yoke from the original skirt and not tested it particularly well so it was a relief that it fitted ok.

It is possible that 'hardware' as opposed to 'fashion' eyelets may not quite get on with fabric the same way but for an inexpensive, casual skirt I don't care. I got the cheap Bunnings eyelets, Craftright brand. I had to buy two packs, one that had a few eyelets and a tool and a refill pack of 50 eyelets. Turns out the refill pack eyelets were slightly different: the washer was more flat and the back of the eyelet split as it turned down (probably on purpose, but the finish is not as neat).

Still, the skirt came out looking pretty nice. I bought 2m of chain for threading through the yoke eyelets – it's removable; threading pattern may vary. The snaps are functional to about halfway down after which the remainder are decorative. The distance between the eyelets was more guided by 'does this look nice' than mathematical divisions but it managed to come out looking reasonably balanced and even.

Having a decorative yoke means I have to wear a tucked in shirt, which I don't do, so that may take some getting used to.

Prints charming

A couple of years ago I designed this shirt with a notion of using up some printed cottons in the stash.

I traced a pattern off a bought shirt and made a new pattern by a haphazard method of adjusting mock-ups on myself. Once I had something I was happy with I found that the fabric I was planning to use was nowhere near enough so I put the pattern away but kept the picture on my phone in case I should happen upon a fabric store.

I eventually selected a couple of prints from Spotlight’s range of cotton duck. The fabric kind of looks like it is not meant for shirts but on the other hand it’s sturdy without being stiff. Since I made my pattern I have been educated in the ways of pattern-making and adjusting, however I decided I couldn’t be bothered redoing my pattern. I just did a square shoulder adjustment and called it good. Well, that and I drafted a stand for the collar. And part way through I remembered that it would need plackets for the sleeves and buttons so I drafted them too.

The peplum is fully lined. First I sewed all the panels together for each layer, stopping the seam where the corner started curving. Then I sewed the two layers together along the lower edge, taking the stitching on each panel up to meet the existing seam. I next sewed the peplum to the shirt body and topstitched a strip of fabric over the join. The panels went together like panels. The front yoke and back peak are lined with poplin and top-stitched over the body panels.

I was pleasantly surprised with how this turned out. Most of the way along I was ‘not sure about this’ because old pattern, weird fabric and prints, and construction techniques made up on the fly but the overall effect is pretty neat. And the inside looks quite good too, I think. I’m struggling to imagine me wearing it though.