I've said it before and I'll say it again, having basic patterns at the ready is a must for me. But I do like variations of a basic. When Simplicity 1283 came out, I thought it was such a cute variation of the pencil skirt and had lots of styling possibilities. And the color blocking is flattering to most figure types. I actually like the other garments in the pattern and will sew them later with some changes for my age/body type. This time, I paired the skirt with McCalls 2818.
McCalls 2818
I choose the McCalls pattern because 1) its a basic pattern that I have ready to sew and 2) it could be colored blocked to mimic the skirt. I used Kauai Cotton Stretch Sateen (sold out-this same print is available in a cotton faille brocade) for the print and Black Stretch Pique for the contrast. White pique or White/Black Windowpane Linen would also coordinate well with the Black Stretch Pique.
Things I changed about the patterns:
- I went up one size for the skirt because I used a stretch woven fabric (this pattern calls for knits).
- I substituted an exposed zipper instead of an invisible zipper for the skirt and buttons for the top.
- I added a lining to the top.
The top pattern has a boxy fit so I went down a size and added shaping to the side seams and front princess seams. The skirt is a true pencil skirt with RTW ease and a tapered hem line which I love!! You will need to check the finished garment measurements printed on the back of the pattern envelope before selecting your size. Bonus-this skirt pattern comes with a separate lining pattern. You can use the lining pattern to make a basic pencil skirt without the color blocking.
I'm so glad to be back at the sewing machine!
