So, on my last trip to Japan (which I may go back and write some posts about), I visited Nippori Textile Town in Tokyo. On all my previous trips, I either had no cash (and Nippori is almost entirely cash only) or most of the stores were closed. You have no idea how frustrating it is to bike halfway across town only to get there and the stores are closed for a holiday you weren’t aware of…

But I digress….

I found this fabulous cotton with a two tone indigo print of skeletons at a little shop near the beginning of the main street.

I drafted a pencil skirt ages ago but my measurements have changed significantly since then. Also, I needed something I could wear riding my bike or just walking around in. An a-line skirt seemed to fit the bill. I didn’t want to invest a lot in the pattern, in case I didn’t like it or an a-line wouldn’t work for my needs. A little searching the web brought up a free pattern from SewThisPattern.com. The skirts shown on the site are cute and fit all my requirements. I downloaded the pattern and printed it out, keeping a digital copy of the instructions on my phone.

I like that the creator included photos with the instructions, as well as an average time to finish. Though, to confess, it took me a little longer (about 8 hours) from start to finish for a few reasons:

1. My fabric needed to be pressed quite a bit before it could be sewn
2. I did a bit more finishing on my internal seams than was required in the instructions
3. I put the zipper in the wrong way
4. I also suck at invisible zippers, though I think I’ve got it down now.

I’ve had such a bad time with not finishing the fabric edges and seams well on previous garments that I could not resist stitching everything down pretty significantly. I not only did a quick zigzag stitch around each piece of fabric before starting, but also turned every seam back in on itself and restitched them together. I don’t want any of the edges to unravel in the wash. Its THE number one reason I don’t wear a lot of my handmade clothes on a regular basis.

I made the skirt a size larger than I should have and used a smaller seam allowance than specified but it fits at the top of hips instead of my waist, which still works for me. I’ve already altered the pattern to the next size down and will use the allotted seam allowance to fit a little more snugly to my waist for clothes to wear to work.

Do you have a favorite skirt pattern?