Catch-up Monday: Full Circle Skirt

Towards the end of last year I was very bad at posting about my new makes, and I'm going to try and make up for that with a series of Catch-up posts.

The November sewing box from SewHayleyJane contained the Christmas fabric, sensibly enough to give time for making something from it before Christmas. My box contained 2.5 meters of the beautiful red cotton poplin, amongst other treats.


Having made a dress from my October box fabric, I wanted to make something else this time but also to make the most of the quantity of fabric ... the idea of a full circle skirt popped into my head.

While a pattern for a full circle skirt is not strictly necessary, I do happen to have a rather nice one.


I found it in the box of pattern in my parents' house, which is a mixture of patterns belonging to my mum, aunt and grandmother; we are a family of needlewomen. On application my mum thought that it wasn't one of hers, but probably belonged to my aunt (who died when I was a teenager). On the off chance, I asked mum if she might have any photos of my aunt in her skirt (a long shot but their father was a photographer so there are lots). Amazingly she dug up this photo, which, while it might not be of skirts made from this pattern, do show some very like it.

Mum on the left, Aunt on the right

I love that I'm sewing from the same pattern as my aunt, and that I'm keeping the flag flying for the Harvey needlewomen :)

My waist is not quite as small as my aunts was as a teenage, so I made some adjustments to skirt. I sewed the front and back of the skirt together, and then just cut a bit off the waist until it fitted, and added a little bit of length to the waistband.


The skirt is fully lined, I used some lace from my stash to finish the bottom, and the fancy zipper (from the October box) on the back. (When I showed the finish skirt to my boyfriend, he helpfully asked if I knew that I had a zip on the outside of it!)


I'm really happy with the result, and wore it to several Christmas parties and on Christmas Day itself. I don't seem to have taken any photos of the skirt on any of these occasions, and I didn't feel like getting all dressed up this evening, so my faithful mannequin will have to stand in.

Outfit details
Top - bought from Carousel
Belt - made by me
Skirt - made by me

Comments

  1. Having seen you wearing the skirt at Christmas I know how pretty it is and how beautifully made. What a lovely pic of your inspiring mum and aunt. Hooray for the Harvey needlewomen!

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    1. Thanks, and three cheers for the Webb needlewomen too! :)

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  2. This is gorgeous!! I love that you used the zip from the October box as well. I do love a circle skirt, I think it was one of the first things I successfully sewed! It looks beautiful with the blouse too. Do you mind if I share one of your pictures?

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    1. Thanks Hayley, please do share the pictures.
      Harriet

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  3. A classic skirt with a fun twist! Love it.

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  4. Lovely to see vintage pattern in use today and I can confirm too that it looked terrific on you at Christmas. Very nostalgic to see me wearing one in about 1963. I think we were with our parents on a Stereoscopic Society reunion - you can see a camera over my sister's shoulder.

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    1. How very honest of you - I purposely didn't give a date for the photo! :)

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  5. Very nice. Glad to hear my brother knows what a fat square is. I didn't.

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