Made By A Fabricista: The Skirt that Brought my Sewjo Back

I know it can’t just be me. My sewjo has gone away and I’ve been having such a hard time trying to get it back. I remember the days when I used to sew every single day without fail and now, not so much. I think about sewing and all the things I’d love to make, but I just haven’t found the motivation. I kind of know what the issue is. I started a new job last October and ever since I started, I’ve been sewing less and less and I don’t like it! Well, in comes Simplicity S3237.  Summertime is here and it’s time to bring out all the skirts.

Simplicity recently released S3237 as part of their summer patterns. This skirt is a full, gathered skirt with a bias-cut yoke with side seam pockets and an invisible back zipper. The skirt comes in 3 different lengths – mini, midi and maxi.  I decided to make View B which is the midi length. I’m not much of a maxi length kind of girl and that mini was a little too small for me. I sewed up a size 22 with a few modifications.

Let’s talk about the modifications I made and what my inspiration was. While my sewjo has been away, I decided to do some shopping.  While browsing the internet I went over to Old Navy and checked out the Christopher Rogers collaboration. I got there a little late and some of the pieces were sold out, but I did manage to get a matching denim top and skirt that I loved. Immediately I thought, I need to make a pattern out of these! Well, I didn’t have to, for the skirt anyway. The skirt has a nice weight to it and topstitching which I love. As soon as I saw Simplicity S3237 I knew I wouldn’t have to make a pattern for the skirt. It was not a perfect match, but it was definitely inspiration.

I knew there were differences, but the main thing I loved about the skirt was the length and the topstitching. The Christopher Rogers skirt has an elastic waistband, does not have pockets and the skirt has pleats. Simplicity S3237 has a waistband facing and not an elastic waist. It does have pockets and the skirt is gathered and not pleated. It was close enough for me and so I decided to make my own version of this Christopher Rogers skirt. 

As usual, I have a few tips for you! When gathering a skirt, it is always recommended to do two rows of basting stitches. Sometimes, I don’t follow the rules and do only one row of stiches. Doing so comes with a big risk of your stitches popping while gathering. Depending on the fabric I’m using and how much gathering I need to do, I may skip the second row of stitches. I decided not to take that risk on this skirt because it was a lot of fabric to gather. So, I played it safe and did the two rows of gathering. Although it might take a little longer to do, I love the way the two rows of stitching look once gathered. I also think the fabric lays down nicer with the two rows of stitches. 

Another tip I have for you regarding topstitching is to make sure to use topstitching thread. You only need to use it for your top thread. You can use regular thread in the bobbin. My most favorite part about topstitching is using an Edge Stitch Foot. While there are other presser feet you can use, this is my favorite. The Edge Stitch Foot is often called a Stitch-in-the-Ditch foot. It features a center metal blade that acts as a physical guide, allowing you to easily run the foot along a seam or fold for beautifully straight, evenly spaced stitches. You can move the needle over to the left to topstitch the left side and you can move the needle over to the right to do the other side, if you’re doing two rows of stitching.

Besides the topstitching, the star of the show is the fabric! I picked up this Muted Navy Cotton Shirting which I love. I am always down for Chambray fabric. I love it so much because a lot of times it has the look of denim without the weight of denim fabric. A denim skirt with so much fabric can look and be heavy and with Chambray you don’t have that problem. If you take a look at the Fabric Mart website, I’m sure you’ll find lots of different Chambray options. 

I’m happy with how my skirt turned out and I’m happy to have shared my vision with you all. I truly enjoy the differences between my skirt and the Christopher Rogers skirt. Although initially I wanted to make the same skirt, I’m glad I didn’t end up with that. Who wants two of the same skirt anyway?

Until next time,

JOHANNA | @soveryjo