8.01.2016

[Long since] Finished: Patternless Half-circle Skirt in Floral Cotton Sateen


Otherwise known as my most complimented garment ever :D

I mentioned previously my temporary addiction to half-circle skirts.  They're just so easy to sew and so swishy and fun to wear!  This one may just be my favorite of the lot.

It's a floral (obviously) cotton sateen that I picked up from Jo-Ann four or so years ago.  It's not every day I find a pure cotton with a nice hand and drape at one of our big chain craft stores, so I remember snagging this one immediately.  At the time (about two years before I made the skirt), I wasn't quite sure what to do with it.  I'm frequently drawn to prints, but I was steadily realizing that I can feel a little odd wearing them (much like my love for full-circles).  After carefully considering my wardrobe, and paying close attention to the garments I liked most from my favorite brands, I realized that limiting the print to half of my outfit was the way to go.  This idea has worked out really well!

Well, I say that, but this skirt actually finds itself as a bit of an exception, as the shirt I most commonly pair it with is another print! haha But hey, who can argue with so many IG friends and random strangers telling me they love the pairing!?  If it works, it works, right?  And, it's still not all-over floral. Gingham is a neutral right? HA

Anyway, the skirt.  So it's a light/medium-weight cotton sateen (bare in mind when choosing fabrics that the weight and drape of your fabric will greatly alter how this skirt 'cones' on you), fully lined with Bemberg Ambiance.  I was concerned about the thinness and sheerness of the sateen, so a lining was a must for this one.  For a more structured waistband, I used a med/heavy-weight fusible interfacing and instead of folding over a single band, I cut an inner and an outer band, and joined them at the top, under-stitching the inner band. I finished the band with a back tab and button, which is essential for zipping into a skirt this slippery :P Since I'd had lining peeking issues on my first one, I cut 1.5" off the hem of the lining before construction, and then leveled it with the skirt.  Let me tell you, leveling this lining under the main fabric is, by far, the task most hated by poor Brandon.  He could not have been more relieved when I told him the two linen ones would be unlined!  That's ok though, I had my fair share of frustration and boredom with this skirt too - Remember how I previously said I made up three of these half-circle's two years ago before a vacation to New Orleans? I actually went with him on a business trip before our vacation and spent the three days he had to work sitting in the hotel, watching HGTV, catch-stitching both of these and two other hems.  Not my idea of fun, but it was worth it to be able to sneak away to New Orleans after :D  And this skirt gets worn regularly, and brought on every spring/summer vacation, so the boredom is all but forgotten.

Phew, it's been nice to catch up a bit!  I have one more of these half-circles to show, but I think I may spare you since there's nothing new to say about it.  Or maybe an OOTD post?  After all, a project isn't done until it's blogged, right? ;)

What do you do about backlogged projects/blog posts?

Please excuse the wear wrinkles :P

By the way, does anyone recognize the little town we were in? Hint over my right shoulder ;)


Sunglasses: Ray-Ban  /  Shirt: J.Crew (old)  /  Skirt: Handmade  /  Camera bag: Issac Mizrahi  /  Shoes: Hush Puppies
Photo location:  Covington, GA 

2 comments:

  1. I love this skirt! I actually remember when Joann's had the fabric - I thought about buying it, because it reminded me of something my grandma would have sewn with (in a good way). I haven't tried half circle skirts yet, but should definitely make some time for it - a quick project sounds good to me.

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  2. Thanks, Annabelle! I agree, it has a cute vintage vibe to it. You definitely should! If you choose a fabric that doesn't need a lining, you could have it done in a few 20-minute bursts :)

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