A delightful morning tea with Sue and Megan this morning seemed like a good opportunity to crack out my new skirt for its maiden voyage. And we were meeting in Kings Park which is one of Perth’s most beautiful parks, so naturally I snuck along early avec camera et tripod to have a quicksticks photo session in a blissfully empty park, prior to our morning tea! haha, doesn’t everyone do weird stuff like that?! hmmm, don’t answer that!
This is skirt “d” from the Japanese pattern book shape shape, originally called Unique Clothes Any Way You Like, by Natsuno Hiraiwa. To be honest, I’m a little bit sad the book was renamed to be something cool and catchy in English. I liked its first title; I thought it quite charming and I expect it was also likely a more accurate portrayal of the original Japanese title’s intention. Much in the same way that I prefer the title “she has a mannish style” over the new English title “she wears the pants” and speaking of that I have a bit of a grumble about that very misleading new title since there are VERY FEW pants patterns in that book! and almost all of those gorgeous pants pictured are NOT available as patterns!! but more on that another day… I’m still quite glad I bought that book while it still had that original title too!
Back to my skirt, ahem.
I’ve made this pattern once before in silver grey, here. Oooh, I loved that skirt, and have been wanting to replace it in my wardrobe for years now. Now I have! although the colour is a little less, um, shall we say easy on the eye, haha!
This skirt is such a very simple and yet quite unique and clever design, cut in one piece with part on the straight grain and part on the bias. I think it can be seen from the different angles how the drape of the skirt changes quite distinctively around the skirt from the seam around to the seam again.
The bias dropped a bit before hemming, as it is wont to do, and I really liked how that looked, so hemmed the skirt without evening it off.
I like wearing it with the buttons situated just slightly asymmetrically to the left like here, putting the bias drape to the left/back, although the skirt can be swivelled around to wear it with the bias to the back or the right, or even the front although the longer length at the front looks a wee bit odd. You can wear it any way you like, in fact. Thus the original title of the book!
Please excuse the multiple pictures, but I think the skirt looks at its absolute very best when in motion, the bias part really comes to glorious, rippling, swishy life. Really, there’s few feelings more lovely that that of soft slithery fabric swirling around and against your legs as you walk. Bliss.
All my materials; fabric, lining and buttons, are from Fabulous Fabrics. My fabric is a rather eye-searingly intense chartreuse poly crepe, the same fabric I used for the armbands on my second Sea Change top, here, so the two should go nicely together. A two piece set-tacular! It’s a little nippy for that top here today, so I hauled out a warmer thing. Winter’s coming, yay. Please note the use of extreme sarcasm font there. We get very mild winters here, but I’m still that wuss that barely tolerates the slightest hint of cold in the air.
The crepe is on the sheer side so it needed a layer underneath, either a lining or a petticoat. I decided to line, and bought some poly knit of some sort or another, chosen merely for its excellent colour match. It’s quite stable stuff, so I merely cut it nice straight and even line at the bottom edge and left the lining unhemmed, it sits nice and flat and smooth and doesn’t show on the outside at all. I attached the lining to the skirt at the lower edge of the waist facing, and it does its job fine. However, the knit seems a little heavy, and I’m worried it actually drags the skirt down just a touch. I’m toying with the idea of detaching it, adding some elastic to the top edge and wearing it as a completely separate petticoat. Or maybe not, depends whether I can be bothered. We’ll see how it goes. Probably I’ll plan to alter, while wearing the skirt to the end of its natural life, unaltered. Story of my life, pretty much!
Details:
Skirt; skirt “d”, from Shape Shape by Natsuno Hiraiwa, chartreuse poly crepe, lined with knit
Shirt; Burda 8497 with added cuffs, white cotton, details here
Sandals; Zomp, from Zomp shoe boutique
Beautiful swishy skirt. It's not a lurid colour at all. I love it. Bright, eye caching and stunning. I love the asymmetric hem too.
I adore this. I've been teetering on the brink of making this for several weeks. I love asymmetry & I've got some lovely rayon… I absolutely agree with you about the book titles… and have a blog post mentioning that in my draft folder!
I think you've convinced me I need this skirt in my wardrobe rather than another Gabriola.
I'm sorry I missed seeing this beauty in the flesh! I did contemplate coming along in my pjs but then realised that I would look a sorry sight and that the thought of food or tea made my stomach churn. I love the cheeky photo shoot too!
Divine. I'm also with SewbusyLizzy, I've had this traced for months & you've just tipped me over the edge 😉
I love this skirt So Much! Great colour and I love assymetry. I think I have to try to find this book.
So very, very elegant. So very, very Carolyn xx
Beautiful skirt, Carolyn and you wear it well! One of these days I'm going to sew a Japanese pattern.
Simply gorgeous skirt, the style is so subtle but the colour is so you.
This skirt is really stunning and, I have to say, even better in real life! A perfect combination of fabric and design. Beautiful.
Beautiful skirt! I love how you left the hem and the color is fabulous! This is one of my favorite patterns in that book. I've made it twice myself.
Gorgeous! Lurid green is my favorite green!
Gorgeous skirt and King's Park is a very fitting backdrop.
that color, that drape, my heart…
The perfect fabric for this beautiful skirt!
So beautiful! I love the way the drape changes depending on the grain. Fabric is so amazing like that!! And I love how this design just simply utilizes what fabric does best, and the results are so dramatic and elegant. Lovely color too!
I love it and I reallllly like the color! It fits beautifully.
What a gorgeous outfit. You inspire me to start doing more unique apparel sewing!
Gorgeous skirt and the park is stunning.
Oh, this skirt is so elegant and unique. I really love that colour on you…just beautiful.
You look lovely, and the park is a beautiful backdrop. I love the colour of the skirt. The swishy look and the buttons to one side are particularly appealing.
I just love this skirt – such beautiful draping. Gorgeous. Am tempted to make something similar 🙂
That is really stunning – it's like wearing a green sea! 😉
Beautiful skirt! I love the colour and the drape. And I'm jealous that you live near King's Park…I visited there once in 2004 and I think it's one of the best urban parks in the world.
Such a sensational skirt, Carolyn, and the setting highlights its gorgeousness perfectly.
You had me at the word "lurid." Gorgeous skirt! Lovely swish, great colour, and beautiful location for photos. I like how you caught this piece in motion to capture its design intent.
I love the drape and flow of this skirt. So beautiful! And chartreuse is one of my favorite colors to wear.
Absolutely great choice of color. It probably goes with all shades of grey, black, white or "mud". Woderful drape and it really looks like it's heavenly to wear. I love it.
Grellow swishiness! <3 Totes normal to have a ninja photo sesh pre-catch up! As long as you got some delicious noms afterwards… 😀 this is glorious, Carolyn!
Lurid, true, but it does move beautifully! Well done you!
Carolyn, I am making a chartreuse linen skirt as we speak. Great minds 🙂 love the color, love the swish!
The picture of elegance as always! Stunning!
Lovely colour scheme Carolyn. I even like it inside out. It will look amazing with the matching top.
Love the sloped button closure. Swish away!
Thank you for Sharing this nice information it is very informatics and Very good looking blog.
It is Very nice info………….
The Cobbleroad
The shape and fall of your skirt look lovely – and I like how you found a perfectly matching background for your photographs!
The shape and fall of your skirt look lovely – and I like how you found a perfectly matching background for your photographs!