A Tragic End

I am deeply saddened to inform you of the tragic demise of my Colette Beignet Skirt. We have had a love hate relationship since construction, however we were on good terms just before the accident. Here's some memories to cling onto:

In her infancy, soon after construction.

Performing well during Me Made May 14

After her makeover...a new lease of life

And then tragedy struck...and it's all my fault. I decided to wash my skirt in the washing machine. I used cold water and special wool wash detergent but sadly this is the result:

Skirt after washing

I am shocked at how much this skirt has shrunk. You can see how far the lining is hanging below the hem of the skirt.

I prewashed this fabric (unknown fibre content) before construction to avoid a shrinkage problem. When I washed it the first time after construction it shrunk, which I blogged about in my original post, and I fixed the problem by turning up the hem lining again. I didn't think it would continue to shrink with each wash, especially not at this alarming rate.

Close up of the accident.

I am particularly upset by this tragic event because I have only recently invested quite a bit of time and effort into this skirt, replacing all the buttons. I think I will salvage the buttons and dispose of the remains in the rubbish bin. At least I have some photos to keep the memories alive.

Has anyone else had a shrinking tragedy?

Happy Sewing

Tempting Beignet

Beignet with powdered sugar

As tempting as this luscious dessert looks, I didn't fall under it's temptation. It was the Colette Beignet Skirt that has tempted me.

I have admired many Beignet Skirts on numerous sewing blogs but I was always unsure if this style would suit my figure. Also, all those buttons were pretty terrifying. Anyway, I have finally fallen to the temptation and had a go at sewing it for myself. 

I used some mystery fabric I had in my stash. I think it it some sort of wool blend. I washed and dried the fabric before cutting as is my usual practice to avoid any shrinkage later. (More on this later). The facings were made from the same fabric and I lined it with some poly lining.

I cut a size 12 at the waist and graded down to an 8 at the hips. Yes, I am rather thick around the middle. I was really pleased with how well this fitted my shape. I ended up taking a sliver out of the front panel seams to eliminate some poofiness which worked fine.

There are pockets in the side seams. I'm not really a pocket fan, but these have been quite handy for carrying my phone. I didn't make the tie belt, I preferred the look of a narrow belt that I already had.

Here are a few shots of the finer details:

There were a lot of pieces to cut out for this skirt: three back panels; four front panels; pockets; seven facing pieces; seven lining pieces and belt loops. It was rather like putting together a jigsaw puzzle. All the pieces fitted together beautifully and the instructions were very clear, which made the whole process relatively easy...just time consuming.

Here is a close up view of the facings and lining on my dress form. I have seen lots of people use a contrasting fabric for the facings (usually something a bit fun) which I will try on my next one. This wool blend fabric with the lining makes this a lovely warm skirt for winter. I have been wearing it with black tights and a black cardigan.

Getting back to prewashing my fabric to avoid shrinkage...I was devastated to find that after the first wash, post construction, my lining was longer than the main fabric. Yes, despite my pre washing, my fabric continued to shrink. Luckily it only seams to have shrunk in the length, not the width, so it still fits me (thank goodness). As a quick (and lazy) fix, I turned the lining hem up again and secured it with steam a seam lite. You can see in the photo above that it is a little messy where the lining was sewn into the facing, but I think I can live with it.

I chose these cute flower shaped buttons in black, so they would be a fun feature...tying in with the black belt, tights and boots. I was really happy with how my button holes turned out but all the credit has to go to my Bernina 350. It does the most awesome buttonholes and has totally dispelled my fear of sewing anything with buttons.

Here is a close up of the belt loops. The pattern instructed these to be made by folding the fabric in half, sewing down one side and then turning the tube inside out. This was an impossible feat with the fabric that I used so I improvised. I simply overlocked each raw edge and then folded it into thirds, with the overlocked edges underneath. I topstitched the edges to secure them. (I only made one long belt loop, and then cut it into smaller lengths later.) Then I simply turned under the ends and stitched into place on the skirt.

While I was making my Beignet I came across this pretty floral fabric at the local charity shop, and I thought it would be a great match with my skirt. It only cost me $3 and there was enough to cut a Grainline Scout Woven T-Shirt.

I had been wanting to try this pattern for a while after reading all the great reviews online. I cut a size 12 and graded down to an 8 at the hips. I found this pattern to run a bit on the large side and it is a bit roomier than I would have liked in the shoulders, and by grading it down to an 8 at the hips, I totally destroyed the lovely shape of this T-Shirt. Mine is very boxy, (however, this is not an issue tucked into my high waisted skirt). Next time I will try cutting a straight size 10. 

I love how neatly the neckline sits, and I love the length and shape of the sleeves.

I'm still not convinced that this skirt is really suitable for me, but I am really happy with the fit and I have already got lots of wear out of it. Quite happy with my new outfit.

Happy sewing