Sunday 2 February 2014

Box pleats and corduroy

Hello all!

I have been dabbling with skirt sewing this january. I have also been sick and we have gotten INSANE amounts of snow lately, so there has not been much actual sewing time between all the sniffeling and shovelling.

But there has been results; a navy corduroy version of Simplicity 4824 from 1943.


Pattern envelope

I went for view 2, with pleats both in front and back.


Honestly, the buttons are straight, the hanger inside just distorts the whole thing ;)


I've always loved the look of pleated skirts, and decided to try one. The actual pleating was very simple, and also makes it easy to make adjustment on size if needed. I had some navy/dark petrol corduroy in my stash that was intended for some  40s swing pants, but with all the procrastinating this plan produced, I decided to just use the fabric for something else (also, this makes for more fabric shopping in future *win*).
It is perhaps a bit too heavy for a skirt with big box pleats, it got a bit bulky in places, but it works. I want to try this pattern with a lighter fabric sometime, just to see the difference.








The skirt is just 5 pieces, and has a side button placket. I used large chunky, pearlized plastic buttons, but kept them in the same colorway. I think it would look great with some contrasting ones, too! The skirt has top stitching, but it disappears in the nap, so I didn't use any contrasting there either. But these features are great for adding interest to the design, so I believe this pattern has lots of potential in a variety of versions.






I blind hemmed it by hand and added some contrast bias binding to the edge. I think it adds a little touch to the finish, which is otherwise just pinked seams and nothing fancy :)





As usual I find photography indoors to be quite difficult. My camera (still) has a broken flash, and I had to rig up some lamps that are intended for construction sites and I see it makes yellowish highlights appear. Sorry for that, I hope to improve...

All in all, I like the skirt. For my next version, I will use a lighter fabric, I will also shorten the stitching down the pleats. I think they should be more open (higher up) if that makes sense. I think it should have more width also (to make it even more A-line), but perhaps more open pleats will take care of that. If not, it should be possible to add on some to the pattern pieces.

I am also thinking it could be fun to sew up a matching cropped jacket to go with it?
What do you think?




24 comments:

  1. Nice skirt! The colour is an interesting shade of blue, and it looks like a wardrobe classic. I love corduroy skirts, and I don't know why I haven't made any yet- something else to add to my list of things to make!

    This pattern is clearly sparking off lots of creative ideas for you, I'm looking forward to seeing what you do with it next ;-)

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    1. Thanks Béa! This is my first time with "real" corduroy, only done the fine baby-cord before. It is a bit bulky, but very cosy for winter and autumn wear. Think I'll wear it with a slip though, it sticks a bit to woolen tights but no biggie :)

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  2. Siri! This is a lovely skirt! I love the contrast binding. Your construction is impeccable. I've never made box pleats before, even on a skirt and it looks pretty darn good! I hope this gets your toes wet and makes you want to make more skirts. :) Very pretty and well done! :)

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    1. Thanks Kathy ;) Box pleats are fun! I thought they were fiddly and hard, but there was really nothing to it! I really need more skirts, but I struggle finding the right style for me... (there's a reason for the lack of side-shots in this post, I really am oddly shaped :D)

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  3. beautiful skirt! I've always wanted a cute corduroy one. I love that the pleats are stitched down. I have such a pear shape that pleats are bad for me unless left stitched down. A jacket would be cute too!! :D Great job

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    1. I too, love those down stitched pleats. I don't need any more "volume" around my waist. My hips are narrow, and I have no bum, so I really need more flare from hips down (bumpad?? heh!). I'll try not to stitch the pleats down as far on my next go. Craftsy have a class for Classic Tailoring (a blazer!!) and I really think it would be awesome with skirts like these. We'll see ;)

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  4. This is a great skirt. I love the fabric placement so the cord runs diagonally. Lovely.

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    1. Thank you ;) I love that touch too, it happened by itself just by following the directions on the pattern pieces :) (I wish it was me being clever *lol*)

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  5. What a great skirt, looks like this will be a very versatile pattern for you

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    1. Thanks, Kaitlyn:) I am eager to make another one now!

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  6. It's nice to see this skirt made up. I've had the pattern since I was 14 or so, but I've never made it! Shame on me and good for you. It looks lovely!

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    1. You should make a Gothy version! I would love to see your take on the pattern :)

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  7. Great skirt! I adore the button placket it is so much fun!

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    1. Thanks, Melody :) Usually there is a whole ceremony finding the right buttons for items, but this one was easy!

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  8. I have admired this pattern on Etsy. It turned out fantastic, I love the vintage details and simple finish. I think it would look good more A line also.

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    1. Thanks, Jennifer! I am glad you agree, now just need to figure out how to widen it without screwing up the pleating :)

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  9. This is a lovely skirt Siri, well done! Your advice on pleats making waist adjustments easy has got me thinking this would be an ideal pattern style for me, as this is the one area I have problems with. I think cord will make it a lovely warm skirt for this cold weather. This skirt will go lovely with your blue cable cardi too!

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    1. Thanks! Glad I could publish something useful ;)
      I am starting to love corduroy for fall/winter, so many fabric options, and it has a nice casual, sturdy feel.

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  10. Oh, it's gorgeous! I bet you'll get plenty of wear out of this one. It's such a timeless style, isn't it? And your finishing is immaculate. Well done you!

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  11. The skirt looks fabulous! The pleats are great and I must say the version with buttons on the back seems to be very pretty as well (-:

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    1. Thank you ;) I did consider the one with the back buttons, but I feared they would not be practical when sitting. I am sure it all depends on the buttons tho :)
      They probably didn't sit much in 1943 :D

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  12. Det ble kjempeflott! Imponerende arbeid med foldene. Nå ble jeg sugen på et skjørt i kordfløyel også ;-)

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  13. I just discovered this blogpost when I was browsing through some older blogposts at We Sew Retro. I love this skirt! Actually, this pattern inspired me drafting my own skirt with pleats a year ago. (The one I wear with my finished cardigan I just blogged about).

    It's so nice to see the original pattern sewn together!

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