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I only own a denim skirt that I bought a long time ago (around 20 years ago…). That means I need more!
Because I really enjoy sewing Itch to Stitch’s patterns*, I looked for the adequate skirt.
- Pattern: Taroko*
- Denim
- Zipper
- Clear elastic
- Button
- (Optional, but cute) Topstitching thread
Some skirt patterns
Kennis already designed some skirt patterns, but I had never tested any of them until recently.
For a denim skirt, there’s either the Quebec*:
and the Danube*:
They look alike. The maindifference is that Quebec is a pull-on skirt. That means you will need fabric with some stretch in it.
I don’t like pull-on skirt/pants because it gives me a muffin top.
The Danube skirt was too straight for my liking.
Since I had tested the Taroko skirt, I opted to sew a denim Taroko.
Taroko, a perfect pattern (again!)
It’s fair to say that I love Kennis’ patterns. She has a way to explain things that makes sewing even tricky patterns, easy.
I wanted a quick sew and I skipped the front pockets.
In terms of alterations, I pushed the pockets more to the center back. I should also have moved the darts since, now, they are not centered on the pockets.
A challenging denim
A size 6-8 skirt is not a fabric hog. I had this remnant of denim from a I-can’t-remember-what-kind-of-project!!! It was heavy and with absolutely no stretch…
Taroko* needing a no stretch fabric, I thought I could use this denim.
I assembled this skirt with a size 100 denim needle because there were multiple layers.
I played with topstitching. I bought this Gutermann jean threads kit* and I love it.
TOPSTITCHING tips:
- Stitch length: 4-5
- Less tension (a notch down)
- If your machine can’t handle heavier thread, you can use two regular threads and a topstitching needle.
Even with a rather powerful, but still domestic, machine, I couldn’t sew the belt loops.
I also tried to sew my buttonholes using the topstithing thread. Bad idea: bird’s nests all along.
Once my skirt was finished, I tried it on…
Well, I TRIED to try it on. The denim was so stiff I should have sized up at the hips.
If you compare this skirt to the corduroy I made before, you may notice it rides higher on the legs. Actually, the poor skirt is trying to lay where it can!!!
I don’t know if it’s something that has already happened to you, but my second project of a same pattern is always a failure! I don’t know if I’m too confident or else, but about 80% of my second projects end up going to the thrift store because of sizing errors, poor choice of fabric, etc.
Too bad for this skirt… I really wanted a denim skirt and it was pairing nicely with the yellow Santorini top I made.
