Monday, April 4, 2011

Small Screen Skirt

This is one of the skirts I made for my big TV debut! It's the Linda skirt (available at BurdaStyle) made up in a green hammered silk/wool blend from B&J. They have this fabric in an amazing range of jewel tones, including a gorgeous azalea color. I just adore this emerald tone.

The technique I was demonstrating was adding horsehair braid to a hem for fullness, and this skirt uses a super-wide 4" horsehair for a very dramatic effect. Twirly! You can read my horsehair braid tutorial here.
I doubled the width of the waistband and added a big statement button with rhinestones. 
I love this pattern; it's a great classic and extremely easy to make. A few hints: 1) I would recommend going a size down if you're going for a retro look, and 2) definitely let your skirt hang for 24 hours before marking the hem to let the bias sections settle, and 3) you may need to run a row of gathering stitches at the top of the skirt to ease it into the waistband. Also, a lapped zipper is a really nice touch.

It gets a little "sock hop" with the sweater and ponytail, so I added leopard kitten heels for a little edge. I'm also feeling sick of wearing glasses, so I took them off for this little photo shoot. Time for contacts?


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44 comments:

  1. BunnyApril 4, 2011 at 7:19 AM

    Great classic! The hemline treatment really kicks it up.

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  2. CaseyApril 4, 2011 at 7:27 AM

    I am in love with the color! :) Every time you post another skirt with that horsehair hem technique, I keep remembering I need to try it. Got to put that on my to-do list for this spring/summer (and hopefully make something half as fabulous! ;). So much to sew... so little time!

    ♥ Casey

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  3. GayleneApril 4, 2011 at 7:28 AM

    too cute!!

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  4. NuJoiApril 4, 2011 at 7:31 AM

    Very cute. I'm still not up on downloading patterns. I'll see if I can find it in the Burda catalog.

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  5. AnonymousApril 4, 2011 at 7:42 AM

    Adorable! I love it. I'm missing my sewing machine majorly as it's back in the States while I'm back in school in Edinburgh, but as soon as I'm back I'll be sewing up a storm.
    I totally sympathize with being sick of glasses, I just ordered a few boxes of contacts for the first time in a long time.

    Caitlin
    from black currant thoughts.

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  6. Winding WaysApril 4, 2011 at 7:59 AM

    What is "hammered silk"? Do they beat it with mallets? Are the silk worms drunk?

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  7. AnonymousApril 4, 2011 at 8:09 AM

    Gorgeous! Fabulous colour - and the style looks great on you. I love the combination of your tattoos with this classic style - it makes the look fantastic rather than too 'sweet'. I'm not sure I could get away with the same thing at all!

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  8. UnknownApril 4, 2011 at 8:09 AM

    Forget contacts! Get laser surgery. I had it 2 years ago, its awesome.

    Although I promise that sometimes you'll miss your glasses, but only because they are cute.

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  9. GigiApril 4, 2011 at 8:16 AM

    You look stunning! And the fabric, sigh... I'll tell you, it's a good thing I don't live near B&J.

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  10. TashaApril 4, 2011 at 8:40 AM

    Looks great! The color is so bright and rich. I definitely want to try that tutorial sometime.

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  11. Stephanie LynnApril 4, 2011 at 8:58 AM

    What a positively glorious color for that skirt! I love jewel tones.

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  12. SarahApril 4, 2011 at 9:12 AM

    Gorgeous! The color is amazing. I´m really looking forward to the show.

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  13. Leah FranquiApril 4, 2011 at 9:27 AM

    This is adorable Gertie, so lovely. Can I ask an unfair question? Do you actually need a pattern for this skirt? I mean, couldn't you just do the whole circle skirt math to make it happen? This looks amazing, but I'm not wild about spending the money for the pattern.

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  14. RosieApril 4, 2011 at 9:30 AM

    The color is just gorgeous! Great skirt / outfit.

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  15. Thien-Kim aka KimApril 4, 2011 at 9:32 AM

    I found you via Cidell's blog. What a fabulous color! I'm sucker for classic lines as well.

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  16. GertieApril 4, 2011 at 9:44 AM

    Thanks, guys! Winding Ways, I totally LOLed at the drunken silk worm image. And no, hammered just refers to the texture of the fabric--it looks like someone took a tiny hammer to it!

    Leah, you certainly don't need a pattern. It's a 3/4 circle skirt, so you can work the math out on your own and draft it. Not everyone is comfortable with that though. And I was featuring a Burdastyle pattern for the PBS show.

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  17. JosieApril 4, 2011 at 9:47 AM

    I LOVE this skirt. Seriously, I have been looking for a great circle skirt that I could wear without going TOO retro and I think this might be the one! The color is phenomenal, and I think that you're right - the leopard heels keep it from being too sweet. In general, I'm totally going for this.

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  18. lapApril 4, 2011 at 10:13 AM

    I love the look of the wide waistband. It's certainly a waist whittler! I'm finishing a plaid circle skirt knocked off from Anthro today, and although it has a faced hem, I think I'll use horsehair as well. Or do you think the facing (it's a 4' wide contrast cotton facing with a plaid suiting fashion fabric)will be body enough?

    I love the lustre of that skirt.

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  19. a little sewingApril 4, 2011 at 10:22 AM

    The statement button is sooo cute!

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  20. BeckyApril 4, 2011 at 10:28 AM

    Looks great, and lovely color! When is this show going to air, anyway? I don't want to miss it!

    Heehee, drunken silkworms.

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  21. jadestarApril 4, 2011 at 10:30 AM

    What a great colour. I love this skirt. I've been thinking about making a high waisted skirt, but wasn't sure what patten to use. This extended waistband works very well. Just curious, why do you recommend going down a size?

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  22. GertieApril 4, 2011 at 10:41 AM

    jadestar, I would go down a size because the pattern has more ease than I like for a vintage fit.

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  23. CorrineApril 4, 2011 at 11:06 AM

    this skirt is just perfect. The fabric choice works well because it can be dressed up or down easily. The rhinestone button is a nice pop. can't wait to see the show.

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  24. frk.bustadApril 4, 2011 at 11:10 AM

    What a great classic! Looks great on you. Is it a full circle skirt?

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  25. frk.bustadApril 4, 2011 at 11:11 AM

    Oh, by the way, you look great without glasses as well! I guess contacts is a nice way to vary...

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  26. TrudyApril 4, 2011 at 11:44 AM

    You look so beautiful in your skirt and cute when you do the hair pony. Congratulations on winning the Burdastyle contest and PBS TV program! I am so excited for you. You are becoming so famous. This is so unbelievable. You have worked so hard and given so much to the sewing community; you deserve it. I am so happy to know you. And just to think I knew you when you only had 300 followers and you actually had time to email back and forth. We're still friends, though, even though you are so busy. I just can't wait to see what you do next. You just never cease to amaze me. Oh, and by the way, I loved the audition video, and you looked great with or without glasses.

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  27. MaytheweedApril 4, 2011 at 12:43 PM

    Gorgeous! Love the colour.

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  28. AnonymousApril 4, 2011 at 1:01 PM

    So gorgeous...the colour, fit & style!

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  29. RhiaApril 4, 2011 at 1:27 PM

    I love the colour, and the wide waistband! Gorgeous :)

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  30. AnonymousApril 4, 2011 at 2:20 PM

    Gorgeous! Good thing you live so far away or I'd be stealing it right off your bod.

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  31. CandiceApril 4, 2011 at 2:26 PM

    Beautiful skirt! I love the color so much, I'm excited to try that hem technique. :)

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  32. LaurianaApril 4, 2011 at 2:38 PM

    I love that colour. The horsehair does add a great amount of twirling power however, I have one issue with it. And it's something I noticed before in pictures of a dress you used it on.

    It is the fact that the stitch line of the top of the horse hair braid to the skirt really sticks out. It seems to form a seperate line perpendicular to the hem. Between that and the fact that, using your technique for it, there is visible topstitching for the hem (I'm guessing hand hemming wouldn't work because of the weight of the horsehair braid, but I might be wrong), I don't think it's for me.

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  33. RastaquouèreApril 4, 2011 at 3:11 PM

    Delicious!

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  34. GertieApril 4, 2011 at 3:17 PM

    Lauriana, this method is meant to add a line of visible topstitching. If you don't want that, you can underline your skirt and catch stitch the horsehair to the underlining only. That's what I did on my yellow dress. For me, the method is determined by the formality of the gharment.

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  35. GertieApril 4, 2011 at 3:19 PM

    Ha, I mean *garment!

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  36. DonnaApril 4, 2011 at 3:20 PM

    Congrats on your debut TV appearance. Your skirt is lovely - the colour is gorgeous and it's totally you.

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  37. UnknownApril 4, 2011 at 3:34 PM

    i love your glasses! =) they suit you so well! although if you got contacts you could have what ever eye colour you wanted. THat's be pretty cool. THe skirt is sooo cool. epic twirlyness =)

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  38. MelanieApril 4, 2011 at 3:40 PM

    love, love, love it!

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  39. RebeccaApril 4, 2011 at 3:59 PM

    Oh my goodness gracious, I LOVE that skirt! :]

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  40. coffeeaddictApril 4, 2011 at 5:13 PM

    Gorgeous green fabric and the horse hair really transforms this simple pattern into something amazing.

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  41. lizApril 4, 2011 at 6:14 PM

    This is gorgeous! Can you link to the fabric? I'm having trouble finding it and need to make myself one of these stat!

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  42. GertieApril 4, 2011 at 11:34 PM

    Liz, the fabric isn't on B&J's website, but if you call or e-mail they will totally help you with it, send swatches, whatever you need. If you ask for Brenda, I know she'll know what fabric you're talking about. But anyone there will be glad to help, I'm sure!

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  43. LovelyPinupApril 5, 2011 at 6:29 AM

    That skirt is beautiful! It's like the secret weapon to a boring top or a grey day - add a tad bit of emerald green a-line skirt, and you're good to go!

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  44. amberApril 7, 2011 at 2:48 PM

    That color is fabulous on you! What a fun and beautiful skirt!

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Thanks for your comments; I read each and every one! xo Gertie

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