Wednesday, 13 December 2017

Silver party skirt

Need something snazzy for the party season but don't have time to sew a dress? Here's the next best option: a faux leather party skirt! This skirt is ridiculously easy to make, cheap as chips and, depending on how much drink you manage to knock back, allows you instant access to your inner rock chic...


I bought my silver faux leather from Fabric Godmother (also available in black or gold) or Girl Charlee have a good range in stock, including red, navy and some lovely metallics. It's softer than I was expecting, with a decent drape and a reasonable amount of stretch. At £10 a metre it's good value too - after cutting out my skirt I still have quite a bit left over that I plan to make into purses and make-up bags for presents. 

Any pin holes, needle marks or unpicking will be clearly visible on faux leather, so my main piece of advice is to choose a pattern that fits well to avoid any unpicking mishaps. I chose the lace pencil skirt from the GBSB Fashion with Fabric book, which I've made before and is a good fit on me.  This time round I added a split to the back seam - a pencil skirt without a split is fine if you're posing for blog photos at home, not so good for getting in and out of a taxi! I also cut the skirt pieces two inches longer than my first version as I wasn't planning on hemming it.


Construction was seriously quick: two darts to the back, two side seams, invisible zip and back seam. Done! I rebelliously used pins (positioning them within the seam allowance to avoid puncture marks) and a leather needle. Faux leather doesn't fray, so my seams were pressed open and left unfinished. I used fabric glue on the back seam to secure it open and give the split a neat finish. I also used it on the top edge of the skirt, which is simply pressed under and glued into place. I secured the seam to the zip at the back opening with a few hand stitches for extra security.


I wore this skirt out for dinner with friends a few nights ago and felt fabulous in it. Being silver and faux leather, it's quite a statement in itself, so I made sure the rest of my outfit was a bit more toned down. A fitted black cardigan, high boots and a sparkly bracelet was all it took and I felt glammed up but not over dressed. Definitely £10 well spent! x






22 comments:

  1. Oh Jane! That's an adorable skirt, and a complete bargain. It looks a lot more than £10, and it perfect with the black. Very stylish!

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    1. Ah thank you Evie! I'm so pleased with it, it takes all the pressure out of sorting out a party outfit. x

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  2. The skirt looks expensive and chic and you styled it perfectly.

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    1. Thank you. It makes getting ready a v speedy process! x

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  3. Lovely! I'm in the process of making a similar skirt but on my fitting test, I found the fabric to rustle 😫 Is that an issue with your skirt? Haven't tried mine on with tights or silky underskirt yet and thought it might help...

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    1. It does swish a bit. I wore mine with a half slip underneath and that seemed to help, it also gives more of a smooth line. The fabric isn't that forgiving, so I'd also advise plain underwear as any lace/bows etc will show through. Good luck with yours! x

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  4. It’s wonderful! Absolutely perfect for Christmas

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    1. Thank you, I'll definitely be wearing it again over the Xmas period! x

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  5. It's gorgeous Jane and I love how you've styled it...very chic. I'd love to know what fabric glue you used for gluing the seam allowance flat at the back? I have a bit of bronze faux leather that I bought from Girl Charlee at GBSB and may need some for my project.

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    1. Hi Diane, thank you! The glue was this one: https://weaverdee.com/products/prym968008?variant=967973735 and I used a pressing cloth and iron to press into place. It seems to be holding up so far, it didn't fall apart when I wore it out anyway! x

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  6. It looks fabulous I love it! Great fit too.

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  7. Understated glamour for a tenner; that is brilliant! (Those boots are just lovely, too) Susan x

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    1. Thank you! I put the boots on initially because they were warmer than shoes but now I love them with the skirt! x

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  8. Merry Christmas! Love from Jo xx

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  9. OOOOh fancy, this looks amazing and great tips re glueing the split etc I would nto have thought of that at all.

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