Amy Butler Wraparound Skirt

Skirt photos:

Side front view

Front view

Lining view

Pattern used:

Kwik Sew 3159 (OOP)

Materials:

An Amy Butler heavy cotton remnant from House of Fabrics, North Asheville, North Carolina

Stretch silk lining from stash

Black silk doupioni for front underlay from stash

Angel Weft from http://www.appleanniefabrics.com/

Black petersham ribbon for waist facing from stash

Mettler 100% polyester thread

MaxiLock serger thread



Things I did with this project (that weren't in the pattern instructions):

1. The pattern (the black skirt view) called for a ruffle, which I wanted to replace with a solid border to break up the print.
   
2. I had to fold out some of the fullness of the skirt at the hemline, tapering to nothing at the hip in order to get the pattern pieces to fit on the fabric remnant that I used.
   
3. I only had a 2/3 yard remnant to work with, and with pattern matching, could only get part of the front overlap piece out of it. I therefore used a black silk doupioni underlay and just stitched the edge of the small print piece to it. I had previously underlined the black silk doupioni with AngelWeft from http://www.appleanniefabrics.com/. I then lined the whole front overlap.
   
4. Added a stretch silk lining. I just used what I had in my stash. A stretch woven lining is sort of wasted on a cotton fabric, but I'm still in my "livin' off the stash" mode whenever possible.
   
5. Used black petersham ribbon instead of fashion fabric for the waist facing.

Things I learned (or was reminded of) in this project:

1. When I went to lay the pattern out, I discovered that the print was not on grain (grrrr). Since I only had a small piece for the skirt, I aligned the pattern's grainline to the print. The entire skirt is therefore slightly off grain. The print matches at the seams, but still "drifts" a bit across the width of each piece. Very frustrating but then it's only a $10 skirt made for casual wear.
   
   At first that worried me, but then I recalled Fred Bloebaum's article in a Threads magazine several years ago that actually recommended that skirts be placed slightly off grain when possible to enhance the drape. Whatever. I was determined to have this skirt and will live with whatever problems a slightly off-grain layout presents. I don't think the pattern drifting will bother me once the skirt is on, since I won't be able to see it! :-))
   

Things I would do differently were I to repeat this project:

1. Use a bigger piece? :-) I spent waaay too much time fiddling with the off grain layout and the lack of fabric (I really needed another skirt length). But I didn't want a plain skirt because I thought that the print needed to be broken up. I looked at pieced skirt patterns (in designs sort of like the Marcy Tilton one I just finished) but thought that chopped up look was too busy for this print.
   
   
2. Use a piece that is on grain :-(