Megan Neilsen Kelly Skirt....Take Two

 

After mixed results with my previous version, I could have thrown my hands up in disgust but, oh no, I wasn't going to let this pattern beat me so I thought I would give it another go.  This time I chose my intended fabric, a beautiful piece of stretch cotton sateen with a lovely spring like tulip print.  Making up this skirt in fabric I adore was a risk, I know but I backed myself that I would actually beat this pattern.  This time, as with the last, I added about 3cm to the length and slimmed down the waistband.  I then made the back pleats a little smaller and the front a little wider in an attempt to pull the side seam around to my actual side.  I actually believe I achieved it (patting myself on the back).  Because the fabric is stretch, the fabric did throw another problem at me, in the way of an unsightly horizontal pleat just under the waistband at the back.  I put this down to both the stretchiness of the fabric and my sway back, that is what I am assuming anyway.

 

I have developed quite a close relationship with my seam ripper this week and this skirt wasn't immune.  I had to unpick the finished waistband between the back pleats and push some of the excess fabric into the waistband in a somewhat banana shape before top stitching it closed.  This seemed to help but I still need to wear the skirt quite high on my waist to avoid all traces of the dreaded pleat. 

 

 

 

I put my issues with this skirt down to the difference in measurement between my waist and my hips.  I could be wrong, but given that this pattern is really only a series of rectangles and near impossible to get wrong, I am picking that this pattern is actually best suited to a less curvy shape. 

 

I actually really like my new skirt.  I love the fabric, I love the buttons and I love how easy this skirt is to wear.  I also love how easily my new sewing machine whipped through the six buttonholes on this skirt without missing a beat. What I don't love is the slight pleat at my waist (which for the record I couldn't photograph clearly or I would have posted it).  It is a good thing that the pleat is at the back so I don't have to look at it. 

They say you have to kiss a lot of frogs before you meet your prince and while this pattern isn't quite a frog, I think it will be relegated to the place where all of my less princely patterns go and that is Trademe.