Season-Spanning Separates

I mentioned in my first post that I was going to create some outfits for Mehetabel that she could wear with her brown boots.  Well, I've made quite a few now, but I haven't taken pictures yet.  This outfit is one that I made for her "Brown Wardrobe," and it will be great with tights, boots, and a cardy during the winter, but now in spring, it's perfect with some wedges or pumps. 

 

Note: The top is more of a grayish blue than these photos show.

  

Mehetabel looks great in pencil skirts, but flared skirts are more comfortable and give her freedom of movement.  This is something she's told me is important to her during her workday; she's always on the go, moving from classroom to classroom, and into frequent parent/student IEP meetings.  Straight skirts in woven fabrics tend to ride up the thighs when in a seated position (although they look great when standing still).  She wants the focus on the student's educational needs rather than her legs!

 

So, with these guidelines in mind, I whipped up some flared skirts.  This one is in a silky polyester from Hancock.  On its own, it is perfect for a blouse, but it is too light for a skirt expected to span the seasons.  To remedy that, I underlined it in batiste.  I love the way this fabric feels now; it is much more substantial.

 

The pattern is vintage Vogue 7444, from about 1979 or 1980.  I have made this view and the straight skirt version dozens of times for both Mehetabel and me.  Mehetabel sometimes wears my 1980s versions which are, sniff, too tight on me now.  This version is size 14, and I added about 4 inches to the length.



The construction of this skirt is easy.  After I underlined the skirt pieces, the seam allowances were finished on the serger.  I used an invisible zipper (center back), interfaced the waistband, and used a large hook and eye for the waistband closure.  The hem was hand-sewn after I attached bias tape to the hem edge.  The waistband was also finished by hand. 

 

The top is another old favorite:  New Look 6150.  I've made this view a handful of times.  This iteration is in a grayish blue mystery knit from Fabrix in San Francisco.  I think it cost about $2 per yard.  It is slinky and silky; Mehetabel says it feels like she's wearing a jammie top!  The top was constructed on my regular sewing machine, and I used the serger to trim and finish all seam allowances.  The shoulder seams are reinforced with twill tape.  I used my cover stitch machine to finish the hems and neckline.

 

The photo, below, is a better representation of the color:

All in all, this outfit is a success!  Yay!  Unfortunately, my most recent project is a failure.  I'll leave you with a photo of this darned thing.  I spent 9 hours on it.  I don't know why it took me so long.  Everything went wrong, but most of the problems were because I was trying to "improve" the pattern, I used a horrible lining fabric, and my application of clear elastic was a disaster.  Oh well.  I guess the failures help one to appreciate the successes that much more!