… if so then this is the skirt for you! I have never seen pockets to rival these, ever. I knew (intellectually) the pockets were big by the picture on the pattern envelope, but the (realistic) first sight of the pocket pattern piece was still a bit of a shock. Seriously about as big as the skirt pieces, and the skirt pieces are big. Lol!!
But of course, the pockets are not mere pockets at all, but a clever design feature to enhance the pouffiness, the floatiness, and the gathered, over-the-top loveliness that is the hallmark of this beautifully feminine skirt pattern. Side note; my husband commented spontaneously that he loved me in big floaty skirts like this; double WIN! since I love it too.
Funny little anecdote about the pattern… I first saw this on shams’s blog and knew I just had to have it. Those shirt sleeve cuffs on the ends of the sashes; so adorable!! (salivating) must have…
I immediately visited Fabulous Fabrics and asked for the pattern… no, they didn’t have it. I was actually hoping against hope that it was miraculously hidden in the back of the pattern drawer since I had already looked through the Vogue catalogue and noticed it wasn’t there (eek!) I assumed its time had come and gone. I then started trawling ebay, looking for somebody getting rid of their old copy… no dice, although I did fall victim to must-have-itis for a maxi-dress pattern… the product of which has also recently exited my sewing room and been welcomed into the wardrobe… But I digress…
So, in a masterstroke of going to every extreme to get that pattern by hook or by crook, I did some more detective work and eventually discovered and joined BMV where I was amazed to see I could get it for a price that was an incredibly delightful surprise; $3.99. This is about a fifth of the usual price of Vogue patterns in Australia… no, I am not kidding nor exaggerating!!) The cheap price just reinforced my belief that it must be an old pattern and I was lucky to have found it… My pattern arrived and I was supremely happy. Then, get this, the last time I was in Fabulous Fabrics (er, yesterday, hehe… yup I am a regular, on a first name basis with staff) I had a quick flick through the new spring Vogue catalogue, and you guessed it, there was the pattern. It is actually new season, like this season! To us southern hemispheries, that is… thus all finally became clear to this very behind-the-times seamstress why I hadn’t been able to get it before… doh!
I used a very light cotton voile, which I sometimes use as a lining fabric, and the same fabric for both the skirt main and for the lining. I completely love the long long sashes with shirt cuffs on the end, a fun and quirky touch that drew me to the pattern in the first place. Because of this little feature, to my mind the skirt just had to made of white cotton. Nothing else would do… Those shirt cuffs just wouldn’t have the same witty flair unless the style directly referenced the Classic White Shirt. Plus I just adore big white floaty skirts for summer.
And those pockets…? well, they are graaaand, in every sense of the word. I don’t think I could actually really put anything in those pockets, really. Stuff could get lost forever in there…
I have some more fabric to make up the little top as well, but for now, below is my review of the skirt pattern…
Details:
Skirt; Vogue 1248, white cotton voile
Shirt; self-drafted, navy and white stripe cotton jersey, details here
Shoes; Country Road
Pattern Description:
Skirt, gathered, flared and lined, with fitted contoured waistband, centre back zip closure and long attached side sashes with shirt cuff features. HUGE gathered pockets.
Pattern sizing;
I bought the AA 8-12, and cut a size 10.
Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you had finished sewing it?
Just about exactly, since I used white fabric too!
Were the instructions easy to follow?
yes
What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?
The pattern is great. Vogue patterns are always accompanied by clear instructions and detailed illustrations. The pattern pieces went together beautifully.
There is one small thing I would change… the instructions stipulate to gather each skirt piece individually, before joining them together along the side seams. I find I get a much better and smoother gathering result when the whole skirt is gathered as a whole; that is, you join up the skirt pieces at the side seams, THEN run the gathering stitch around the skirt top in one long go. This is because I find that the first and last few centimetres of gathering do not gather as evenly or as ideally as if they were part of one long continuous line of stitching and if the skirt is broken up into several sections you have several of these gathering stitch stop/starts. I would recommend to gather the skirt as a whole. And also to gather the lining skirt as a whole, too.
Fabric Used:
very lightweight cotton voile
Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:
I took about 5cm (2″) overall off the waist band pieces. Also I gathered the skirt as a whole, as discussed above.
Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?
Yes, I think I might sew this again, I love it! I highly recommend this skirt pattern to others. Just bear in mind it needs very lightweight drapey fabric, because of all that gathering. I have some fabric to sew the little top, so I will review that separately.
Conclusion:
I just love this skirt! Firstly, the silhouette is delightfully feminine, and the floatiness and frothiness of all those light gathered swathes of fabric floating about you is highly satisfying. I feel just so darn feminine in a skirt like this!!
Secondly, the shirt cuffs on the ends of those sashes are completely adorable and what drew me to this pattern in the first place. Such a witty and unique little detail, that really makes the skirt stand head and shoulders above your average everyday gathered skirt. Not to mention those pockets, which must be the biggest in known history! Another fun and interesting feature…
I’m going to love wearing this skirt over this summer!
What a fabulous skirt! I love that you made it in white, it looks so light and Summery. And those ties…reminiscient of a shirt tied around your waist, so cool 😉
I have severe skirt envy – and I don't wear skirts. Since we are just going into autumn in the UK it wouldn't be very practical but I may just tuck this pattern away for next summer (and I just LOVE the 'sleeves as bow' – magic!)
Awesome skirt! Such a pretty silhouette and neat embellishments.
What a fabulous skirt. It suits you to a T! I really like the way you've made it more casual from the picture on the envelope.
Love it! There is still a 6 month delay on patterns here in Aus, so it's best to buy OS if you want something quickly.
Beautiful feminine skirt. I love it. And just the right backdrop for the look.
Really beautiful! Those pockets are awesome – and the cuff/sash is such a clever addition. And I prefer your version to the pattern envelope one actually – yours is friendlier. 🙂
It looks like a dream! So crisp and white; your waist looks tiny! And the striped navy/white tshirt is the perfect thing to wear with it.
I do love pockets. I often don't carry a purse, I prefer pockets! With these I could go for a weekend trip without a bag, lol.
Thank you for making this!!! When I made this skirt, it killed me to leave off the cuff-ties. But I just could not see any way of including them in my elastic-waist version that didn't look ridiculous.
But this is perfection on you, the tiny waisted!!!
You KNOW I love it. 😀 😀 😀
This silhouette is lovely on you, and I hadn't realised the skirt side puffiness was pockets! They look very large indeed.
The pattern pricing here in Australia is ridiculous isn't it – I too stopped buying Vogues locally when I realised I could get such a good deal online.
Fabulous!! You look wonderful in this beautiful creation. I really love the big pockets – they give the skirt such an interesting and shapely look. The fabric you chose looks perfect – so pure and floaty!!
By the way – I totally identified with that feeling of being determined to track down the pattern – it happens to me when I see something I just have to have – I will search the internet forever until I find it!
Wonderful! I like your version of the skirt much better than the version on the pattern envelope. And once again, you've got me thinking that perhaps I need "one of those". However, autumn is here and there is no need for a white floaty skirt under a heavy winter coat, so this idea will definitely go on hold, and who knows what ideas will actually go into production by the time warm weather returns.
Loved that skirt when I first saw the pattern. It's in my stash. Yours looks fabulous.
Glad you found BMV Club. Great buys which partly explains my pattern collection – LOL.
Again a wonderful job. It looks great with your stripy t-shirt. You look great in it.
I use sewingpatterns.com as I find their shipping is much cheaper than BMV, and they regularly put each pattern company on a rotating $2.99 price (except Vogue which are $5.99 normally).
I have just pinned this to Pinterest in my Knock-off list!
Those shirt-cuff tie ends, oh i love them!
Seems like a skirt pattern which can be drafted if i sit down and work on it, now that Navarathri is over and Diwali is about a fortnight away, i need to sit down and make a list of all to-dos marked by me during Navarathri!
India is a land of festivals and now that 9 day festival got over , we will be preparing ourselves for the most sparkling festival of lights, Deepavali or Diwali as it is most commonly known!
I certainly like these ones! the accentuated contrast between your tiny waist and the expansiveness of the skirt! it looks like a must;)
Those are certainly BIG pockets you got there. I posted some vintage Byron Lars pattern pictures for you because he was the first designer I saw to incorporate an extra pair of sleeves as a sash.
http://badmomgoodmom.blogspot.com/2011/10/byron-lars.html
Scroll down to see my big-pocketed shirt skirt.
Very nice! I like the softer look of yours, somehow it makes the unexpected details more unexpected!
ooh I want one! I don't often say that but this skirt reminds me of the type I wore in my youth. Whether I could carry it off now is a whole different story! I feel a trip to the fabric shop coming on!
Pretty! The flowy, romantic look in white looks so fabulous on you!
This is a really cool skirt! Im so glad it turned out 😀 xx Miss you mum
Love it, what a grandiose skirt indeed!
Big, big fan of BIG pockets, so this skirt is a winner for me!
Carolyn, this is perfect for you. It matches your style, and enhances your figure so well. I love it on you.
beautiful drapped pockets… They made a lovely thin waist ! Tumbs up !
My God! That skirt is absolutely wonderful! That reminds me the summer it is losing on this side of the world. The strip of cloth around the waist are so beautiful in the end! Very original!
It looks amazing, what a stroke of genius making it in voile.
I DO like big pockets. Yours looks so much better than the pattern envelope! Theirs looks kind of sloppy and yours looks chic and expensive.
Gorgeous, so high fashion!
So pretty. Much nicer than the sticky-outy pockets on the pattern envelope. I like yours a lot.
I like your version so much more than the pattern envelope! I think it is very much your style.
Wonderful!
Love your blog. Love the skirt. Now that you've found Club BMV – remember that 7 is the magic number. If you buy 7 patterns, the cost of p&h is the cheapest per unit. That is, p&H is the same for 1 as it is for 7 (over that you pay more). So what you save on pattern costs, means you can buy more fabric from you local stores and no one loses out.
Thank you everybody for your very lovely comments! And Krista, thank you… I will definitely keep the magic number in mind… That is a very good tip indeed!
This is a great pattern and it is stunning on you. The voile of course was the perfect choice. You look so ready for summer.
You look incredible in this! I could never pull it off, but on your figure, it is so striking. Love the whole "I have a white dress shirt tied around my waist" look that the cuffs toy at.
What a beautiful skirt! So floaty in that fabric. Your version is better than the photo on the pattern!
Loverly! And thank you for introducing me to BMV – how much cheaper.
It looks wonderful, I like flowy skirts too – will put this idea away until I regain my waist. And energy…
Hugs, Jas
I like your version so much more than the pattern envelope! I think it is very much your style.