Wednesday 3 August 2011

Flirting the Issue Duvet Skirt






The final item from my Summer Essentials sewing list is the Flirting the Issue skirt from Anna Maria Horner. This is a free pattern/tutorial you can download as a pdf here. It is very simple though and probably many of you could whip it up in no time. Just a rectangle of fabric and a rectangle of lining, side seams and join the lining and main fabric together at the top, then you make four sets of casing for elastic, thread through the elastic and hem. I made life more complicated for myself as I had the not very genius idea of making it reversible. (At the time I thought this was such a clever idea). It just got complicated trying to match


the hem of the lining with the main fabric hem. I had to unpick and re-do it.
The main fabric used was a duvet cover from the charity shop. In my great wisdom I decided piped patch pockets were an essential to this skirt. There is something about the fabric that to my mind calls for some definition...I don't know why...but I decided piping was the answer. I had just enough scraps from my pirate trousers to edge the pockets. Sadly not enough to edge the hem. Then the lining fabric was a piece I found in another charity shop for a couple of pounds. It is a lightweight fabric, probably polyester but I am not sure. Once I had started cutting it I decided it was too nice to hide away as a lining and hence the reversible skirt idea was born! However you can just glimpse the floral pattern through the stripes, especially if you know it's there. I like the floral side with the pockets but the stripey side to me seems more stylish and cute. The floral fabric is heavier and so (to my mind) doesn't fall as nicely from the casing as the lining fabric does.


This is a fuller skirt than I would usually wear but I am hoping it will make great holiday wear especially as I am off to Devon at the weekend. There is plenty of room in the pockets for ice cream money, so what more do I need? I hope to enlist my age eight personal photographer to get some holiday action pics of this skirt and the rest of the SESA clothes over the next week as they are forming the mainstay of my holiday packing!


I am planning on making this skirt again in a grey or rust colour for autumn if I can find fabric with the right amount of drape.

10 comments:

  1. I love it! The piped pockets sure do set it off nicely too, well worth the effort I think - thanks for the inspiration! :0

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  2. I like the stripy side too - it's very summery.

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  3. This is a great skirt!
    I sent you a email :)

    xxx

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  4. Piped patch pockets WERE the perfect finishing touch for this skirt, it's lovely!

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  5. Hoorah! Piped pockets- love them! It is a really pretty make & great idea for it being reversible. You know we all "snob" about elastic waists (reference your recent post) - but on a skirt like this with the double rows of elastic, it's really pretty. Can't wait to see you flirty !

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  6. I totally agree that the piped pockets "make" this skirt - INSPIRED! And then the reverse side - DOUBLY INSPIRED! I don't know what it is about those inspired ideas that are 2x's as hard to execute though :-P ... but they're really worth it. In these photos, anyways, I don't particularly notice the flowers underneath the stripes.

    Would be divine in rust or gray for fall ... but the version you have here is really nice.

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  7. Thank you for all the lovely comments. I have decided that for me personally pockets are so essential in my clothes! I agree with ScruffyB - there is something about adding several casings of elastic together that changes the look and structire of the fabric. Jessica, I am determined to find some grey or rust fabric for an autumnal version. But probably not reversible again!
    Allana, if you make one, I want to see it!

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  8. Oh this is gorgeous, love the pockets, and yes definitely an essential on clothes I say! Love the duvet fabric

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  9. Cute! A reversible skirt! With stripes! And pockets! What's not to love? :) Hope you're having fun (and sun and loads of ice cream) in Devon! Have a cream tea for me! ;)

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  10. What a pretty summer skirt. Hope you are having a great break and wearing all your 'new' clothes!

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