Latest Design: Plaid Button-Up Skirt

We recently visited Atex Designer Fabrics in Gastown. They are our go-to for plaids, wools and all things warm and fuzzy. It also helps that the owner Dave is a super chill dude. This is one of many plaid fabrics we picked up. Lets just say we are exploring a very 1970's and/or 1990's vibe right now. Read on about our latest design- Plaid Button-Up Skirt.

Project Specs

• 0.9 M of Wool fabric from Atex Designer Fabrics
• 0.6 M of Silk charmeuse lining from Fabricana
• 0.2 M of fusible interfacing
• 6 Self fabric covered buttons

• 1 spool of medium grey thread
• All major seams stitched on a Juki DDL 8300
• Buttonholes stitched on a Janome 4030 QDC
• 8 Hours over the span of one month

Design Elements

Drafted from skirt blocks, we kept the silhouette simple but amped-up the quality of the design elements. We kept some waist darts to maintain shaping, got rid of the traditional CB seam and extended the CF edge to create a front opening.

Facings (Waist & CF)

Anytime we design with wool, we think its best to line the garment fully. So in turn, facings are an important element. Although they cannot be seen, facings are all around in this skirt. Separate pattern pieces were drafted for the front and back waist facings because of the  curved waist and the darts. Along the center front (CF) button extension, we drafted a built in folded facing. Same on the hem. The waist facings and the CF facings were interfaced as well to provide stability to these areas. 

CF Button Opening

Front openings on garments of all sorts are so in right now! It makes a simple plaid skirt not so simple anymore. What do you think of this type of opening? Do you prefer back, side or front openings on a skirt?

You may have noticed we are in a fabric covered button phase right now. Well get ready for more because we bought wholesale a large pack of buttons to fabric cover. This is the perfect choice when you just cannot find the perfect button to match your fabric.

Matching Plaid

There is no way we are going to design a plaid skirt and NOT have the plaid match perfectly around the body.  

Tips for matching plaid fabric.

• If it is your first time matching plaid, pick a fabric where the plaid repeat is smaller and closer in repetition.
• Plaid matching is best for designs that are more linear or straight in nature. For example, you cannot achieve a perfect plaid match along flared or very curved seams.
• When lining up vertical seams like a CB seam, avoid placing the most solid stripe right on the CB. Use the negative space in between to achieve a more flattering overall look. 
• If your design involves, exterior pieces like pockets, flaps, collars, cuffs etc. Cut those pattern pieces after you have cut out your main pieces. For example, if you are creating a patch pocket on the front of a blazer. Press back the top line of the patch pocket placement on the front blazer. Hover this piece onto uncut fabric until you find the exact plaid match. Weigh front blazer down on fabric. Grab patch pocket paper pattern piece and line up top to the folded edge. Now you have a match!

Final Design

We are loving this subtle plaid print! So much that we are making a matching tailored blazer. Stay tuned for that one in the new year.

Matching printed fabric is challenging! We would love to have you in studio for a lesson on how to match prints on your next design. Contact us to book lessons!
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Happy Sewing!
Designed, photographed and written by Sheila Wong Studios.