Skip to main content

Made By A Fabricista: The Skirt That Should Have Been Pants!

Hi Fashionistas!

So, here I am sharing with you a project that did not go as planned.. but I could hear Tim Gunn say the entire time "Make it work".. so I did!

I was so excited to be making a pair of pants since I have not made one in a while. I had high hopes for the perfect pant. I had the most amazing fabric and such a cute pattern picked out. But alas.. it just did not go as planned.

So long story short, after I sewed up the pants, I did my first fitting before applying a facing.. and I knew right then and there that the pants would not work for me. I did not even want to attempt the numerous alterations I knew it would take.. so my sewing adventure took a plot twist. I turned the pants into a skirt.







Here is the back view:






We all have projects that don't go as planned.
Sometimes I feel these projects are good because they challenge our creativity. I am happy with the skirt, the only thing I don't like is the center front seam. If I were to draft this skirt from scratch, I would have only two front darts.





I styled this skirt with a black tee and snakeskin pumps and tassel earrings. My daughter picked these earrings out for me last weekend. Aren't they so happy?







For the ruffle, I took wide strips of fabric cut on the cross grain. I did some freehand pleating along the selvage edge of the fabric because it would not fray. I then topstitched it to the skirt. I also cut the ruffle along the cross grain instead of the straight grain. 



So now let's talk about this project. I started out making a pair of pants. I was convinced these would be the cutest pair of pants and that the fit would be amazing? Why?!! Because the pattern envelope told me so. Maybe it was overconfidence or my optimism (that's what I chose to believe - I'm just always thinking positive haha ). I seriously expected to sew up these pants, do one alteration and end up with a fabulous fit. Boy, was I wrong. If you have had the same experience with this pattern, do share.  The pants seemed extremely high waisted, and also very long. (I am 5 feet 4 inches) This was the longest crotch ever. I knew right away that this could end up being that projects that got very frustrating very quickly. I heard my inner critic say "You should have made a muslin".  Anyways, the reality was, that I did not make a muslin. I was still so in love with the fabric, I wanted to salvage the project. The only thing that fit me on the pant was the waist, so I decided to turn the pants into a skirt. I had to take in the side seams, back seam, and front seam in order to get a better fit. I do love these pants so much.  I am going to attempt them again, but next time I am going to make a sloper. The fit is amazing on Mimi G.

Here are the Simplicity Pants I started out with.




Have you sewn this pattern? Or have you had to hack something up like I did? I would love to hear about it!

This is my last summer pattern before I jump into sewing for fall! I am so looking forward to long sleeves! I hope that you are having a lovely summer.   I am SO ready for back to school (aka back to sewing!)

XOXO
-Vatsla from Fashion Behind The Seams

Comments

  1. Beautiful skirt! I have this pattern but I have not made any pants yet. I need to get have the fear of messing up and just do it!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Great SAVE!! I would have probably just dumped it and call it a day, not knowing that you can create a pants. Thanks for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Great save! I have a few of Mimi's pants patterns but haven't tried them yet. Hers always look amazing! I too will be creating a muslin for any of her pants patterns--or any pants pattern! Love your skirt! I always enjoy your posts!
    Sue

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Thanks for leaving a comment! All comments are reviewed before posting to help us eliminate spam. Your comment will be posted within 24 hours.

Popular Posts You Might Like

Made By A Fabricista: Celebrating warm weather with Spring sewing!

Hi sewing friends! I don’t know about you but boy, was winter cold and dreary this year! The weather here in the Philadelphia area has been slowly improving, but Spring sure did take her sweet old time to arrive. So by April, I was definitely in the headspace of needing to sew up things that were either bright and cheery or meant for the warmer weather I am very much craving right now. I recently purchased a few SewBexx Patterns so I took them on a test run to create some Spring makes. First on my list was to make a top using this absolutely gorgeous ITY fabric I picked up last year. I had two yards which was enough for a long sleeve shirt. I chose the Olivia top, which is oversized with a drop shoulder, has multiple lengths and a split hem. I think the pattern is intended for heavier fabrics but I was envisioning how lovely this top would look with the drape of ITY knit fabric, and it did not disappoint. It came together for me quickly and was a straight forward sew…and I love the br...

Made By A Fabricista | Chasing Time: My White Rabbit-Inspired Look for Atlanta Frocktails

For this year’s Atlanta Frocktails, I found myself captivated by a character who’s been quietly tugging at my imagination for years—the White Rabbit from Alice in Wonderland. There’s something so relatable about his frantic energy, always checking the time, always running late. While he’s worried about being on time, I’m usually calculating how late I can be and still technically arrive on time. Spoiler: I’m often wrong. It’s a cycle of procrastination and anxiety that I know all too well. So when I imagined my look for Frocktails, I thought—why not honor the White Rabbit? After all, time has been chasing me too. But this look isn’t just about Wonderland whimsy. It’s also deeply inspired by this year’s Met Gala theme, Tailored for You, which includes a focus on Black Dandyism—a celebration of Black elegance, intellect, and expressive style. I’ve been obsessed with this theme since it was announced. As a Black creative, I find it powerful and moving to see style used as a way to reclaim...

Made By A Fabricista: Getting into the Spirit of Summer

I'm not gonna lie y'all, I had a completely different project I wanted to do, but that's gonna take more time, and I wanted something cute, comfy and fun to wear for my birthday on the 19th. When I saw this goldenrod & off white linen jacquard , I thought it looked a bit like the design on a Koroks body, especially Makar from The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker! I started with the bodice from the free Elderberry dress pattern from Mood, but deviated for the skirt, it felt a little plain of a design, and I had scraps of a Korok fabric that I knew would be a nice accent with some cut out pockets. I've made these pockets once before, deciding the cut out was based on aligning with the seam on the bodice for how far in, and as for how low depended on where I wanted the pouch of the pocket to start. From there I cut the visible part of the pocket, making sure to match the curve of the waist and following the line of the side seams of the skirt, as well as cutting a facing to...