New Vintage Wardrobe #15 :The Major Modification Project Series part 1

This skirt was from a pattern (Butterick See and Sew, 3813) that I was going to leave on the thrift store shelf. I didn't really dig the Perky Girl Scout Leader Vibe. Couldn't picture myself in a cotton neckerchief and white loafers. In addition I don't think a rear opening wrap skirt is a good idea. I have made a rear opening on the wrap dress and although I adore the style the pattern and the fit that particular aspect leaves me feeling a trifle vulnerable.

Then, as I was responsibly leaving the item for the next guy, inspiration struck. (I swear this happens a little too often at the thrift store... which is why I was trying to keep the pattern from following me home. More inspiration=more UFO's.) I think, "Turn it around. Exchange the darts in the front for the darts on the back, check the waistline before adding the binding and do 4 buttons instead of that chintzy tie!"


Simple... Just completely redesign it!
Oh! you mean now that it doesn't have the binding tie I have to put in facings and create the patten for those myself? Oh well, a Betty's got to do what a Betty's got to do!

( If you attempt this at home:
you can use the instructions from Sew What Skirts and do the "Got No Ties" skirt but use a heavier weight cotton. Then follow the steps below.

• Modify the instructions by curving the edge that you will be binding of the lower corners of the front panels.You can use a plate to make the curve.
• Sew the darts into the main skirt panels first.
• Then make your facing pattern off of the fabric pieces. trace out pieces that match the top of your skirt pieces ( waist and sides) but then go down, lengthwise about 4 inches. You want your facings smooth and if you make them off of the pattern they will either have darts in them or there will be excess fabric. Both will pad your middle, which is generally considered undesirable by most.
  
• sew skirt pieces together.
• sew facing pieces together.
• sew skirt to facing along the top. (the waistline)
  
• bind the bottom edge of the facing and all around the outside edge of the skirt
• turn the facing to the inside of skirt , press under the the raw edges on either end of the facing then top stitch into place, just inside the binding. There are an annoying amount of thread color switches implied here.
  
• next try on and mark your four button and buttonholes with tailor's chalk or an advisable alternative method. Not Sharpie.
  
• install button and buttonholes. I only made my top two and outside bottom button functional. The inside lower button is just sewn to the uncut buttonhole stitching. This will help prevent a weird pulling effect if I eat too much Easter candy... which is likely.

Now that we have that all figured out! I just want to rave about my binding foot. It made this project a lot less time consuming. Binding and Piping always seem so tricky and I noticed that Sally Stitch had this machine foot that fed in the binding and fabric together. So I headed to Ebay and snapped one right up. How's that for resourceful? Gotta Love Those Internets!

My first fabric covered buttons for a garment... They are just tooooo cute.


and I started 365 on Flickr.... I need more modeling practice and I was inspired to try by Becktress, Ms. Cleaver (+blog) and by These Photos over at Pia Jane Bijkerk.

Aren't they all so cute?