This project was inspired by a favorite, well-worn skirt I bought from New York & Company about five years ago. The fabric it was made of was 70% polyester, 25% rayon, 5% spandex.
The skirt had center back and front topstitched seam lines, a back vent, and a wide flat waistband that encased a narrower piece of elastic.
Because of this construction, there is no evidence of gathers and the waist lays flat both on and off the body.
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| Vogue 8962 |
For the last year, I had casually looked for a pattern to replicate this skirt, originally thinking I had found the right one in Vogue 8962 (OOP) but an online review revealed that the waistband treatment was no different than the skirt patterns that I already owned. Then this year, Lisette released Butterick 6464 and after reading the instructions at Jo-Anns* I knew I had found exactly what I was looking for!
Pattern: Butterick 6464 (2017)
Pattern Description: Close-fitting, pull-on skirt with side panels and thin elastic inside a wide waistband.
Pattern Sizing: Size E5 (14-16-18-20-22), I cut halfway between a size 16 and 18.
Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing it? Sorta, the actual skirt's waistband appeared more gathered than in the drawing.Were the instructions easy to follow? Extremely easy. Great pattern for a beginner and it has more style than a basic pencil skirt.
What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? I could see myself making all three pieces but it was the skirt that won me over because its construction was the same as my favorite RTW skirt.
Fabric Used: Mahogany brown 58" ponte knit (poly/rayon/Lycra) from Fabric Mart, (70 denier 100% polyester tricot in Oat from Fabric.com), Stretchrite 1/2" polyester braided elastic, Gutermann 100% polyester thread in #592 Chili Brown.
Pattern Alterations or any design changes you made: I checked the design ease for this skirt. They had calculated 1.5 inches (43.5 for a 42" hip), which I thought was far too much positive ease for a knit skirt. I decided half of that would be much better so I cut my skirt pieces halfway between a size 16 and a size 18.
I love the way the waistband is constructed, it consists visually of a wide waistband/yoke with elastic inside. However, it's extremely clever because unlike most elastic waists the channel of elastic is not evident from the outside. The yoke sections are stitched together on the sides only, a casing is formed at the top edge where a thin elastic is inserted, and once secured the entire yoke is turned right side out; essentially hiding the elastic. The yoke is then attached to the skirt pieces.
The rest of the skirt is incredibly simple, consisting of center and side panels on both the front and back. The instructions suggest that all seams, if not sewn on a serger, should be double-stitched. I topstitched the panel seams, the waistband, and the hem in order to replicate the details on my inspiration skirt. I increased the hem to 1.5" . The only detail missing was the back vent which I didn't need with this shorter skirt.
Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? Yes, I will definitely make more of these and can also see using this same waistband yoke and attaching it to different shaped skirts and possibly some pants. I definitely recommend this skirt pattern.
Conclusion: This was a successful make, a slim skirt with an ingenious waistband treatment and visual interest provided by the topstitched side panels.
* Yes, I am that woman who before she buys a pattern glances through the instructions and unfolds the pattern sheets just enough to find the finished garment measurements and wearing ease. That second step helps a lot when determining which multi-size combination to buy. Luckily for everyone else I always refold EXACTLY like they were before.