Over the last couple of weeks I’ve made 2 new skirts
Let me introduce you to the gorgeous girls.
First off meet Hollyburn
… she’s makes me feel kinda sporty and has a fresh spring look
My Hollyburn skirt came about after seeing a post on Rachel’s website to join her for a Sewalong she was hosting.. well I took up the offer and decided to have a little fun and sewalong. I’m so glad I did as now I have a new skirt that fits me perfectly to add to my wardrobe.
Hollyburn is a Sewaholic skirt pattern I purchased from Sew Squirrel right here in Australia… thanks to Rachel for introducing me.
The Hollyburn skirt pattern only goes to a size 16 with a waist measurement of 35″ and mine waist was 40″ so I needed to add 5″… mmm I think I enjoyed myself a little too much over xmas ah well easy come easy go and I know those extra couple of inches will soon be gone agin. To increase the size of the pattern I used the slash and spread method and also added a little extra length as I don’t have the best looking legs you’ve ever seen and prefer my skirts a little longer.
I really took my time with this skirt. Normally I jump right into my sewing projects as I can’t wait to see them finished. This time as much as I wanted to skip ahead of the sewalong I thought “NO… don’t do it… sewalong with Rachel and have a little fun and have a little patience… you never know you’ll probably learn something and pick up a few tips”. I’m so glad I did as not only did I pick up a couple of tips I also felt like I wasn’t sewing alone.
I decided to add a lining to my Hollyburn as my fashion fabric has a lose weave and a little see through especially when the sun or a little light shines through.
The lining is attached to the inside of the waistband… a lining is not including in the Hollyburn pattern but Rachel shared two versions in her sewalong which is great for anyone who’s never sewn in a lining to a skirt before… it’s really quite easy to do and adds a nice touch and a finish to your skirts as they look just as good on the inside as they do on the outside.
Here’s a pic of Hollyburn on the inside… you can see she’s just as pretty on the inside as she is on the outside… a lining really does give a nice finish and adds that little extra special touch.
I used cut a 1″ strip of fusible interfacing and added it to the lining to give the zipper additional support as the lining fabric is very sheer and light weight and wouldn’t be strong enough to support a zipper on it’s own.
Here’s a close up of Hollyburn’s zipper finished on the inside… you can see the zipper is stitched through the interfacing and has less chance of strain the lining fabric.
This is what the zipper looks like on the fashion fabric. It’s a little distorted where the waistband meets the skirt but hey who’s going to look that close when I’m wearing it LOL… it was too minor for me to worry about unpicking and stitching it again so this is how she’s going to stay.
This is what Hollyburn looks like from the rear… I think the fabric drapes well and yeh I know it’s not the best looking rear end you’ve ever seen buy hey it’s mine and she’s been with me for a long time and I can live with it LOL
So there you go what to do think of Hollyburn… do you think she’s a great addition to my wardrobe?
Big thank you to Rachel from MyMessings for a wonderful sewalong experience
Now… let me introduce you to Hollyburn’s new friend Simplicity?
I made this skirt using Simplicity 2058 – Amazing Fit Pattern purchased as a download pattern…yes I was impatient and wanted it straight away.
I think she’s a little cutie and love the print and colours in the fabric… she actually makes me feel kinda sexy and makes me want to put some heels on and dress her up a little.
I also added a lining as this fabric is super sheer… this time I used a non sheer silky fashion fabric for the lining as I needed something that wasn’t see through.
This skirt has an invisible zipper and I think I did a pretty good job installing this one as you can see it’s hardly noticeble at all.
I really love the style of this skirt and little flare on the bottom… I think it compliments my curves quite well and gives me a little shape.
I have a feeling I’ll be using both of these patterns again as they were both super easy and quick to make and they both fit my curves perfectly.
I think Hollyburn and Simplicity will be friends and sharing the same closet for some time to come… hope they don’t get jealous when I chose to when one and not the other?
So what do you think of the two new girls Hollyburn and Simplicity 2058?
Do you think they’re keepers and great little additions for my wardrobe?
They both look good on you! Of course, I am a little partial to red. and purple. and pink
Thanks Mary… they sure are great colours… oh and I told the girls you liked them and now they know it’s not just their mum that thinks they look good LOL
Hi – how did you find the fit on the Simplicity 2058?
I found it was on the larger size (I went with the curvy figure option)… the good thing though about these patterns is that they are easy to adjust and fit and then adjust as you go. I can highly recommend this pattern Mel 🙂
Oooh, I love them!! Yes, I do think the red one is my favourite on you as well. It fits you like a dream and then flares out a bit at the bottom. Very flattering! I love the other one too though because the fabric is gorgeous and it has pockets! I love everything with pockets. Great job Chris. I’m going to look up those patterns.
Thanks Catja… and the more I see the red fabric the more it grows on me… can’t wait to wear it out… hopefully we’ll be going out for dinner one night this week and I’ll get to wear it. It really is a great pattern and has a lovely shape to it… especially for a curvy girl LOL. The pockets are great in the other skirt and you can’t help but keep putting your hands in them all the time 🙂
Your hollyburn looks great, but WOW the simplicity is STUNNING! You need an entire wardrobe of them. So flattering.
Wasn’t sure whether or not to mention this in my comment as I generally like to stick to positive things. But I think the hollyburn would look more flattering on you a little shorter. Is it longer than the simplicity skirt? It looks it, I think if it were just a little shorter it would be even better than it already is.
Thanks Rachel… I always love getting feedback and I think you’re right about Hollyburn… I added about an 1″ to the length and it’s probably around 3″ longer than the Simplicity skirt. I might actually pin up the length on my Hollyburn to see if it makes a difference. And please feel free to leave any tips anytime as I really appreciate them. Yes it’s nice getting compliments but it’s also beneficial getting suggestions and ideas on how to makes our garments look even better 🙂
Thank you again for a great sew-along… I really appreciate it and enjoyed it as well. I love your pink and white version of Hollyburn and it looks great on your mum… I bet she loves it and gets plenty of wear out of it as well!
They both look great! The Hollyburn I would say is a perfect daytime skirt, and the gorgeous red one is lovely for ‘going out’.
I want to make a skirt now …..
You are so right Fiona and I can’t wait to go out and wear the red one and Hollyburn is definitely a great casual skirt and super comfortable to wear. So glad these skirts have inspired you to want to make one as they’re a great addition to your wardrobe 🙂
Great skirt!!!
Thanks Kathleen 🙂
Lovely skirts, and extra points for pockets!
Thanks Lena and I’m really happy with the pockets… they actually come out perfect and sit really well 🙂
Wow! Chris, both your skirts are absolutel knockouts! I love them both. The white and raspberry one looks quite fun and casual, for a picnic, and the red/orange one looks more formal, like for going out in the evening. Gorgeous work!!
Thanks for your suggestion too. I’ve sent them a form and I’m hoping for a resolution to this pesky problem. It’s been plaguing for so long my heart literally sinks when I see a WordPress blog pop up….
Thanks heaps Carolyn… and you’ve made me now want to go on a picnic… I haven’t been on one of those for sooooo long! Might surprise hubby on his next day off and whisk him off for a Sunday picnic brunch and wear Hollyburn. I’m also making him take me out for dinner on Friday night so as I can wear the red skirt too.
I’m sure they’ll sort out your little pesky problem as they did for me… the good news is your comment this time landed exactly where it should… yeh!! I too was like you when I came across a WP blog… not no more 🙂
Love both skirts- but I’m really glad to see the hollyburn pattern graded up. I’ve been thinking about some sewaholic patterns, but have been a little intimidated by the grading (and if they would be flattering on my non-pear shaped body). This look great on you!
Thanks Megan and I felt the same about Sewaholic patterns as well and this is the first pattern from the collection that I have tried. I had always wished they came larger than a 16 but now that I’ve made this one I’ll probably give another one a try… actually I’ve added another one to my pattern collection but haven’t made it up yet… but it’s there when I’m ready. Be sure to let me know when you make your Hollyburn so as I can come and have a look 🙂
Chris, both of your new skirts are great. They both fit you beautifully, and they are so nicely finished! You sew girl!
Thanks Patty and I seem to be more and more focused on my fitting and sewing skills… it really makes a difference to the finished results and how they make you feel when you wear them. Still so much to learn but I’m loving every stitch I’m sewing along the way 🙂
Great skirts! I like them both on you. My favorite one is the Hollyburn, I really do love Sewaholic patterns – I think they are universally flattering even if they were designed for pear shapes.
Thanks Jenny and your Hollyburn looks great too… love the fabric you used! This was the first time I’d tried a Sewaholic pattern and now that I’ve tried one I’ll definitely try another for sure… and hey we’re all a little pear shaped in some way LOL
Just been busy altering the Hollyburn pattern to fit myself. I remembered you had already sewn it so I looked it up again.
I’ve added 6″ to the waist and 3″ to the length. (I wish these pattern makers would realise that larger people need clothes too , mutter mutter..)
I’m going to use the navy and white polka dot sateen I originally bought for the pavlova skirt, since I’ve realised I haven’t quite enough fabric for a circle skirt, D’oh!
Anyway, I’m pleased I looked as I was considering lining it, and having looked at yours again, I’m definitely going to.
I’m hearing you about pattern makers Fiona! There’s so many great pattern makers for ‘normal’ sizes…. a bit like Ready to Wear designers…. somehow they don’t seem to realise that plus sizes like to wear ‘normal’ styles as well. One thing at least with Hollyburn it was easy to adjust to get the right fit (thank goodness).
I think this skirt will look great with your fabric and I’m so glad you’re going to line it as well as it really does make a wonderful difference and help the fashion fabric drape beautifully. This is one of my favorite go to skirts and I’ve had a LOT of wear out of it and I’m sure you will too 🙂
both skirts are great wardrobe builders.