When winging it works

I had been looking for maxi dress patterns for some fabric my aunt sent me one Christmas. I hadn't been able to decided what to do with it and it looked like it might be just right for a maxi dress now we are in the right climate for one. However I failed to find a pattern I like and on opening the stash cupboard I found another piece of fabric I have been harbouring for some time. It's a knit and I am not overly confident with knit but I decided it was either try it or it would sit in the cupboard for another four years, waste of a good fabric really. I believe it was from fabric.co.uk originally.

I also decided that I was going to wing it. If it didn't work it would be salvageable for something else.

I measured my waist and added seam allowance. I had a meter of the fabric, I folded it and marked half the measurement toward the top of the fabric, I then cut it out in a gradual A line the length of the fabric. After stitching the back and front together I discovered I should have made the waist rather a lot smaller so I pinned myself in it and then re sewed it, trimming the excess off after. There was just enough fabric left to fashion a waistband. I measured the strip to the waistband and sewed a loop, I then sewed the loop to the skirt. It's quite wide so I think folding it over works best, to stop the top rolling when it was folded I added a row of stitching to hold the seam flat.

You can see it on the right of the photo over the butterfly. It seems to have worked.

I didn't try pattern matching and I didn't hem the skirt, the first as there would never have been enough fabric, the second as I was happy with the length and as it wont fray I thought why bother.

Overall I was happy with the finished skirt. I haven't worn it out yet but I will and I have had a hankering for a maxi for a while so this should fill that urge for now at least. As the weather should be starting to cool down slightly I think it will be perfect for the school run.

I am slightly more confident with knit and with just going with an idea when it hits me. That used to be how I sewed all the time, then I got all hung up on patterns and doing it 'properly', but there is something satisfying about just doing it.