simplicity 4047 wool skirt

today's make is a simple pencil skirt.  i was given this absolutely beautiful italian wool from tessuti for mother's day.  when i first opened the present i wasn't sure what i would make, but mr flagg suggested a straight skirt and i was sold.  i have never sewn with real wool before so went to IG to seek some fabric prep knowledge. thankfully rachel suggested that i didn't need to do any prep if i was going to dry clean the finished item.  simple.  like.

the pattern is simplicity 4047.  i had a few straight skirt patterns in my stash to choose from, but i chose this one as google images collated a few examples for me that looked good.  in terms of sizing my waist and hips correlate with size 16 but i cut a 14 - basically because my pattern was only size 6-14.   i basted the side seams first and then ended up taking it in and cutting my lining as a size 12.

the sewing of this make was very straight forward, although i found the bulk of the wool a bit tricky for two aspects - the zip and the back vent.  i used a conventional zip and needed to do my exposed stitching line quite wide given the bulk of the fabric, so i also hand stitched the zip on the inside closer to the zip teeth so my zip opening does not gap...too much.

the other area i have a bit of bulk is the back vent.  i have only made lapped back vents before so i didn't even check the pattern for construction of the vent.  when i got to this stage i had a look at the instructions and found that the vent was constructed using an additional piece called a 'pleat underlay'.  grrr i then had to unfold all of the tissue to locate this small piece.  i do actually like how the back pleat works, but on this skirt it is a tad bulky given the weight of the wool.  to do the top stitching of the pleat i used some quilters quarter inch tape as a guide.

this skirt is super warm and great to wear.  i lined it with black radiance from fabric.com as i couldn't get any more elegance from martha pullen.  both fabrics are sold as 55% cotton 45% silk, but the elegance is easier to sew with, not being so slippery.  regardless both are great linings and the radiance makes the skirt feel great on.  i like the contrast of the mustard wool and black silk/cotton too.

and a few more pics...

back and front.

back darts and lapped zip.

lining.

i seem to be into skirts at the moment and am just about to cut two more of these out in spring fabrics.  having said that i am definitely keen to give the myrtle a go for summer too - it looks like a perfect work and play dress.

hello too to all the victorian bloggers and non-bloggers i met up with recently in melbourne.  it was fantastic to meet you all - i had a super fun arvo!  thanks again for organising rachel.

emma