Surprise Sewing Bee- update on week one

As reported, the first assignment for the PatternReview.com Surprise Sewing Bee contest is an a line skirt, with waistband, and lining.   It's been a while since I looked good in an a line skirt with a waistband, with or without lining, so I haven't bought that kind of pattern recently, but I managed to find a pattern in my stash, a simple a line with waistband from about 1965.

I also found this image from this years runways:

This looks possibly bias cut, but, with a jacket, boots, sweater hiding the results of wearing a waistband, this may be workable.  The length is nice.   I also found ones with pockets - this one is from Top Shop-which is a great idea:

So I set out with a plan.  A simple a line midi skirt with pockets.   In my stash is a gored skirt pattern with pockets.  Interesting pockets: 

The skirt in the background looks amazingly similar to the Top Shop runway skirt.  This one is from the forties.  But a gored skirt is not an a line skirt and, though it would be more flattering, I'm sticking with the rules.   If I, like these women on the package, had a waist as slim as my neck, it wouldn't matter at all.

So here is the combined pattern plan:

1960s a line skirt

 With a little bit of 1940s for pockets

Which will result, I hope, in something that looks 2014ish.


For fabric, I considered those for which I also had something that could serve as a lining, since I'm trying to limit myself to my stash and not make additional purchases for this contest. 

Two possibilities: a taupey gabardine and a beigy wool crepe or

 A silk boucle that I've had forever, because I can't decide if it looks like a rag or beautiful.  It is a fabric that would look best constructed, but is soft and flexible, so needs a lining.  So why not?

I think of this color as ballerina color.  It goes with lots of neutrals.  I'm trying to visualize a large triangular panel of it from waist to mid calf.

For lining, I am using a leftover piece of very odd silk crepe, from which I made a tee shirt.   You can see it in  this blog under the Two Piece Pattern entry.   Because the boucle is, well, bumpy since it's boucle, I'm also using the silk for the pocket.

I decided to  cut and baste together the lining first and use it to fit the skirt, since I have no idea what type of alterations I would need for a waistband a line skirt.  I added about two inches to the length to make it a midi.

 I also cut the pocket from the silk. Because I'm so impressed with the preservation of this pattern by whoever owned it previously, I did not pin but weighted it, to keep it in its pristine condition.

 After basting the lining together, I decided to add almost an inch to the outer sides of the pattern pieces, to have something to work with for fitting and because, with pockets, I need all of my seam allowance and can't cheat by sizing up by decreasing them.

I actually checked in with Vogue Sewing Book of Fitting, Adjustments and Alterations while eating fettucine for lunch, to see how to size up the pattern of an a line.  I suppose the fettucine may explain part of the waistband problem.

After lunch, I laid out the boucle, ironing it first because the Vogue says the grain is vital to an a line and this is a droopy kind of fabric.  Uh oh.

I sized it up and lengthened it as instructed by Vogue. 

All cut marked and ready to go.  Now all I need is time, this week, to actually construct it.