The Flirt Skirt

Craftsy September 2013 Sew-Along

 On September 15, a Craftsy Sew-Along was offered for Pamela Howard's The Flirt Skirt. (It's still available.) The purchase price included a length of linen/cotton fabric and the PDF for the pattern and instructions. The fabric arrived quickly, folded into the cutest little zippered pouch but with no other information. Note that the purchase price is the same for the smaller sizes (3 yards of fabric) or the larger sizes (4 yards of fabric). I found that slightly puzzling, but oh well.

I went to My Craftsy (in the pull-down menu under my avatar) on Craftsy.com and clicked on The Flirt Skirt Workshop. From there it was easy to download the PDF and piece together the pattern. I was a bit surprised to find that the workshop included only text and photos on Craftsy. I mistakenly thought this would be a video workshop. However, the pattern is so simple that I didn't miss the video format. 

Here's my skirt from that sew-along:

I changed the pattern by adding a lining: 

This was a super-easy project, one that can be completed in 3 hours start to finish, including piecing the pattern tiles together.

I love the skirt; the fit is great and the back drape is oh so pretty.

Materials: 
Pattern: The Flirt Skirt by Pamela Howard

Skirt: Yarn-dyed Essex Linen (a linen/cotton blend) in the color Denim

Lining: sueded silk (I think) from my stash, age unknown.

Mettler 100% poly thread and 1" elastic for the waist.

Sewing notes: 
When I saw the skirt fabric's fiber content I suspected that the fabric might progressively shrink, since linen often does. It did.

 I pre-washed it 3 times in warm water and dried it on the normal dryer setting; here are my results:

Started out with 3 yards 3.5 inches x 45.75 inches

First wash:     3 yards 1 inch x 44.5 inches (shrinkage: 2.5 inches in length and 1.25 inches in width)
Second wash: 2 yards 35 inch x 44 inches  (shrinkage: 2.0 inches in length and   .5 inches in width)
Third wash:    Same as second wash.

So the overall shrinkage turned out to be 4.5 inches in length and 1.75 inches in width.

I followed the pattern and sew-along instructions with the following exceptions:
1. Pressed the seams open instead of to one side.
2. Clipped the fishtail seam allowances where the seam made the curve.
3. Inserted a lining using the same pattern pieces as the skirt except 1/2 inch shorter.

Note: It would be good to check the pattern's circumference at the waist to be sure it will slide over the hips. There's not a lot of difference between the two in this pattern, but an inch or two might be critical for some shapes and sizes. I used the Size 36 pattern and had no problems. ETA: after wearing the skirt for an entire day I went back and stitched the Size 34 seams instead. I prefer the snugger fit.

I heartily recommend this pattern, if Pamela Howard ever offers it as a stand alone (for those who do not want to buy the kit for the sew-along). Pamela was quick to respond to questions on Craftsy with patience and good solid information. She is a gracious and talented person.

I will definitely make the skirt again, but I'm sort of on the fence with the gathered elasticized waist. I don't usually wear that type of waist style in a woven fabric. Next time I may insert a center back zipper and add waist darts to the pattern (as suggested by a friend on Stitcher's Guild, my fav sewing discussion website), since I prefer a smoother look at the waist and high hip if I want to wear the skirt with a top tucked in. 

I may try it in a knit as well, in which case I will keep the elasticized waist feature and go down a size.

And P.S. this skirt looks great with boots!

ETA: Another friend on Stitcher's Guild noted that this pattern may be purchased by writing directly to Pamela Howard:

Pamela's Closet, Inc.
140 Emerald Dr.
Newnan, GA 30265

She also writes a 'blog and may possibly be contacted by posting a comment there.