Bamboo Skirt

This skirt started life in a very different manner to what you see before you. I've had the fabric (a  drapey bamboo print viscose from Fabric Godmother, now sold out) squirrelled away for ages. If it looks familiar it's because I used the same fabric in red for my Sew Over It Pussybow Blouse. It worked perfectly for that project so I thought I'd use it to try out a shirtdress from Butterick (B6333). 

It turned out to be a very poor fabric choice for that particular pattern - the viscose was too drapey. Despite measuring all the pattern pieces carefully, the resulting dress was far too big and hung on me like a rag. Even after pinning it for a closer fit it felt like I was wearing some kind of glamorous dinner ladies overall! The dress was stuffed in a bag and forgotten about for most of the summer until I re-discovered it last week. I immediately knew I couldn't bear to waste such lovely fabric, so decided to see if I could hack it into something else instead.

The version of the shirtdress I originally intended to make was view C which has a narrow skirt with darts to the back, pleats to the front and inseam pockets. I really wanted to keep those skirt features so decided to turn the dress into a slim, drapey skirt instead. After removing the bodice and pinning the centre front together, I realised that I could actually get the skirt on and off without any openings. Aha! All I did then was to sew the front plackets closed and attach a wide elastic waistband to the top (I used my own Easy Elastic Waist Skirt tutorial for this). One finished skirt!

The only problem with the skirt is that you can't see any of the pleating details (or even the placket for that matter) amongst the bamboo print. I know it's there though! Because the print is so busy I can only really wear it with a plain top. Unless I'm feeling particularly brave of course, in which case I could pair it with my Pussy Bow Blouse and swan around in double bamboo! Needless to say I haven't tried this yet...

I think this skirt will be a great transitional garment for autumn: light and drapey for warm days yet smart enough to wear with tights and autumnal knitwear once the weather turns cooler. It's a shame the original pattern didn't work for me but sometimes it's easier to accept that and move on. I'm just pleased I managed to salvage such a chic little skirt out of the wreckage. Happy Sunday! x