Slow Sewing

I love sewing with knits - the fit is forgiving, the sewing is quick and they usually get a lot of love and wear. But from time to time I like to make something with a difficult fabric, complicated pattern or couture techniques, even when all the labour goes into an item that gets little wear.

Such a labour consuming item is my latest make - a short button-up skirt out of wide rib corduroy. This is my first time working with such a fabric and it's a struggle! Because of its thickness, it acts as a 3D fabric and I have to baste everything tightly with wide zig-zag baste hand stitches, otherwise pieces move in all directions, especially when stitching the flimsy lining fabric to the corduroy.

And then the pilling - I must have dusted the bedroom / sewing room a thousand times since I cut into the fabric, as it constantly drops small fluffs everywhere. For that reason I decided to finish all seams with Hong Kong seam binding with bias tape. I have a big piece of viscose fabric from a purple shirt I made for myself some time ago and it was a perfect match for the main fabric.

The only two edges I hurried to finish on the overlocker were the waistline of the skirt and the outer edge of the waistband, for fear of fraying during the long process of sewing.

The additional elements of the skirt - the pockets and the belt tabs, are fully lined. I still haven't decided on the fastening - the pattern suggests snaps, but I don't have the hardware for installing large snaps and I am not very keen on looking for a service that could do it for me, so I think it will be buttons. I fancy the idea of brass jeans buttons and if I can't find suitable downtown I might sew temporarily some plain plastic ones and order brass buttons on Aliexpress or ebay.

And of course, the skirt is fully lined. 

I'm really taking my time with this skirt, slowly and carefully sewing an element or two. After I took these pictures, I attached the front pockets and the lining to the two fronts and I think I'll take a break for today and do some knitting and watch another episode of Vienna Blood. With me and my hobbies it is really all about the process, not so much the product.