Miette and Apricot Femme

So.  This outfit almost didn't happen.  I bought the skirt fabric on sale last spring (4 yards for $15!!) and it sat over the summer while I pondered how best to use it.  I knew I wanted it to go with two blouse fabrics, but wasn't sure what the best pattern for the yardage would be.  I had bought the Miette wrap skirt pattern in the late spring, adjusted it to the length I wanted (it is drafted at an above-the-knee length), and then realized that the pattern calls for a whopping 4 yards and remembered I had all this fabric sitting.  I figured a wrap skirt can't be that hard.

*cue ominous music*

The cutting went well, and I opted to cut the waist band in one big length rather than six smaller ones as directed, since I dislike having lots of little seams in a waist band like that, and I knew I could get enough length by cutting on the cross grain (which Kathleen recommends for waistbands anyway).  

I cut the pockets, but then once I was sewing, I decided that I didn't want a big horizontal seam line across my widest part and left them off (plus the pattern wants you to self-face them completely, and the fabric, while supple, is kind of thick for that sort of thing).  I finished the waist band and ties, and then hung it up to let the skirt hang before attempting to hem it as I figured the slightly bias cut would drop.  I worked the button hole for the tie pass-through and then tried it on.  Complete disaster.  The waist band gaped badly in the front, and I couldn't tighten it enough to make it work, plus it pulled oddly across my middle.  I nearly gave up at this point, but decided to google fixes for the pattern and ran across another blogger with a similar issue.  She fixed hers by trimming the sides, but I decided to try pinning some darts into the back flaps, which helped considerably.

Yesterday I sewed the darts in (slapdash style), decided to add the pockets back in, which required me to unpick parts of the waistband, center and side seams, and I also decided to face the pockets with bias tape to reduce the bulk, which worked quite well.  I had a few snags trying to fit the pockets in, partly because I was retrofitting, and partly because the pockets aren't designed to sit flush with the skirt.  I got the pockets on, then decided to fix the darts so that they fit into the waist band, which meant unpicking significant sections of the waistband and resewing.  Then I realized I was starting to run low on thread. 

I used double bias binding on the hem, and had almost enough to just leave it like that (I was less than 4" short on one side), plus I thought the skirt was too long without turning under, but the bias cut and the weird fiber content meant I was only going to manage a 1/2" hem at best.  I turned under and started sewing, and ran out of thread about 6" from the end.  I found some close-enough thread and just finished the thing, and then steamed the heck out of it.  Seeing the pictures, I realize that the hem is a bit wonky, but at this point, I don't care.  I'm not fixing it.  The blogger with the gaping waistband problem had a similar issue, so I'm wondering if it is a drafting problem.   The skirt is wearable, and it looks great with this blouse (and will look good with another blouse I'm working on), so I'll make do for now, but I don't think I'll be making this pattern again.  I really wanted to like this pattern, as the silhouette is flattering and the construction is pretty easy, and the waistband forgiving for these puffy bloated days, but the fitting was difficult, and I don't love it.  Plus it is a super fabric hungry pattern.  I still have high hopes for the Hollyburn.

The blouse is a pretty straight-forward button down Gertie Portrait blouse, but I goofed when I cut the facing, so it ended up being a little bit narrower in the front that previous iterations.  I could have recut the facing, but I suspected it might fit better if I worked with it as is, and it does!  

I did have to leave off the waist darts, but that is fine.  It is possibly the best fitting blouse of this type I've made so far, and I really love the fabric--Art Gallery Apricot Femme.  I also have a vintage red skirt that doesn't quite fit yet, but matches the red flowers perfectly!  Perhaps next spring.