This weekend I went to the NEC in Birmingham to visit the Education Show. While there it seemed too good an opportunity to pass on the Sewing for Pleasure and hobby craft exhibition.
What a delight! Although there were stalls that didn’t hold my interest, it was a veritable treasure trove of fabrics, haberdashery, sewing machines and patterns. Whilst there I took the opportunity to pick up a few bargains, including some beautiful batik fabric and patterned woollen fabric. I also bought three new patterns from Sew Me Something from Stratford (www.sewmesomething.co.uk).
The first one I decided to have a go at was their Viola reversible skirt. The pattern pieces were clear and the instructions easy to follow. The only time I wasn’t sure of the instructions was at the very beginning with where to add my extra interfacing to support buttons. And now I come to think of it I can’t be exactly sure that the buttons are in the right place, however it does do up so it’s not too much of a bother if not.
After the cutting out and preparation, it only took approximately three to four hours to complete the garment. And that included several sessions of unstitching. Initially this was to make my bias binding; the fabric I had chosen did not have a clear front and back, making it difficult to be sure when sewing! The other was a couple of button hole issues. The thread got caught in the button hole foot of my machine a couple of times meaning I had to unpick the hole and start again. In the process I managed to rip a bit of the waist band and have had to make some minor cover up stitches. For the final button it meant that it isn’t in line with the others. Even so, not bad for a first attempt.
I’m looking forward to trying it in a lighter weight, more flexible fabric. Although I’ve decided its not really a style of skirt that suits me. I shall wear it over the next few days and let you know if I change my mind.
The Highland Stitcher 