GBSB Box Pleat Skirt -

After reading a few posts on another sewing related blog knitwitsowls by Frankie Baldwin I decided it was time to use my GBSB book as more than a book end. Don't get me wrong I've been through it on several occasions but nothing has really jumped out at me.

I had first thought of making one of the dresses Frankie has blogged about as I could do with a few more dresses, the ones I have seem to have shrunk around the ribs, or perhaps I have grown, though I am still wondering how my rib cage has grown. But when I went into the cupboard I found my measuring tape fabric which I have been holding onto since I went to Knit and Stitch with my dear friend in 2015. We went on a recci to Goldhawk Road and came away with a few choice purchases.

It called out box pleat skirt to me after again seeing Frankie's versions of the skirts. Now also being in a Facebook sewing group with Frankie I asked her about sizing from the book and she thought it was fairly true to size, so I measured my waist and got cutting.

I am not sure quite what happened next as after basting my box pleats, adding my pleasing zip, went in first time for a change and attaching the waistband I found it was too small. I think I made a mistake on the back pleats. So after a day of muttering to myself for not checking before sewing I unpicked the waistband and redid the pleats. This time checking and checking again before basting. I had enough of the fabric to lengthen the waistband but I didn't pattern match it, I am assuming no one will be getting that close to my waist to notice. And I reattached the waistband, backwards leaving a row of top stitching on the outer of the skirt rather than inside. By this point I decided it wasn't a big deal and went to the hemming. This however I did unpick after the first few stitches and decided to hand sew it, (for the first time), as I didn't want the stitching being too obvious and with the shades of the tape measures being so different I couldn't find a shade of thread that would work. I finished with a black kam snap rather than a button on the waistband. I know it's a bit lame but I have to admit to being done with this project after the hemming took so long. (There is probably a faster way but I have yet to find it). So for me a kam snap will suffice. 

Apologies for the awful picture, we don't have a great picture spot in this house.

All in all I think I am pretty happy with it. I have yet to wear for anything other than the photo but it's been so hot it's been vests and shorts for the last few days. I do need to wear it before I decide if I will make another, but it has opened me up to the possibilities of using the GBSB book more.

Bedtime for the smallest person is calling but I shall be back soon with some more summer sewing. Perhaps some experimenting with knit this time.