Sewing Weekend, Part 2

I'm obviously suffering from Sewing ADD this weekend as this is clearly not the plaid Magic Pencil skirt I went upstairs to sew per last post. Although it IS plaid and it IS a Magic Pencil skirt.

Again, "old" fabric was yelling louder than the new piece, and since my machines were already set up with the appropriate color threads …

I bought this fabric back in July or August from Joann's (of all places), when I was getting ready to sew interview clothes. I'm not usually a windowpane plaid kind of girl but this one spoke to me then, and it made itself heard again tonight. To match the plaids across the sideseams, I had to really eek it out, cutting the hem of the front piece on the same cut as the waist of the back pieces and I still came out a little short on the front hem. But I serged it all even (mostly) and no one will ever be the wiser. I really have no idea how I was ever going to get a skirt from this piece back in August when (1) I was wider and (2) I didn't yet have this great pattern. It's a good thing I let it age.

This fabric is a stretch woven and I wasn't sure if there was enough stretch to enable the skirt to still fit without alteration, since my previous makes of it were from knits. I sewed 1/4" side seam allowances instead of the 1/2" per the pattern and the skirt fits perfectly. Whew! I really should've played it safer and cut bigger seam allowances but for some reason, it just didn't occur to me until it was too late. I also added a back kick pleat to this one but lowered the start of the opening 3/4" since the first one I made with a kick pleat was nearly too high.

The wine plaid skirt is actually cut out but … I'm now out of elastic. Figures! I'm going to run through Joann's tomorrow before I hit the grocery store and hope I find something suitable, or I'll have to wait for an internet order to arrive. Although the thought is now crossing my mind that maybe I can steal some from too-big pants or a skirt Hmmm, not sure if all that ripping out will be worth it and I don't think I have any waistbands that are free casings instead of serged on and turned/topstitched.

Well, I suppose I could always work on the top instead … or whatever else that distracts me.