I have spoken many times on my blog about the fast fashion industry and how harmful it is to people, animals, and the environment. One of the reasons why I like making my own clothes so much is that I feel like I have a tiny bit more control over my carbon footprint. I try to get fabric from companies that are local or that have goals that I believe in, and I try to use up every scrap of fabric that I can. I purchase new fabric (versus thrifting fabric) because I have very sensitive skin and can only stand certain materials, but I find that by using up the fabric as wisely as I can I feel like I have done my part to use as little as possible.
This skirt is one that I am very proud of in that regard! I used this fabric for my 'Mystery Dress,' a 1940s dress with a beautiful pin tuck design on the back. This fabric is a stunning mens wool with a window pane design that I got from a local fabric store, Rick Rack Textiles. After making the 1940s dress, I had a tiny bit of fabric left and I have been spending the last year trying to decide what the perfect garment for it is. I thought about making a 1960s styled mini dress, which would be adorable but not reached for as often in my closet. I went through many different ideas before realizing that all that I want from this fabric is something in my style that I can wear as much as possible.
I have always been a huge fan of 1940s and early 1950s styles and I find them really easy to wear. The pattern that I used for this skirt is one that I have used twice already - it is an early 1950s shirt dress pattern that is so comfortable and adorable, and I constantly thought about how great it would be to make a skirt out of that pattern since it has the perfect level of swirl without being too big. 6 panel skirts are so beautiful and allow for the waist and hip of the dress to be pretty slim while flowing out into a comfortable yet elegant A-line skirt. A-line skirts are fabulous because you have complete freedom of movement (especially when it is longer - no need to worry about showing more than you would like!) whithout having too much fabric to worry about getting caught in things. I have a few 1950s styled dresses that are very fluffy and they can be a bit of a nuisance when walking in areas without much space.
After deciding on this simple but lovely skirt pattern I had to cross my fingers that I had enough fabric. The amount of fabric that I had left over was paltry, to say the least. It took me almost 45 minutes to find the perfect layout where the pattern pieces were still (mostly) on grain without losing any fullness at the bottom or length. I had to sacrifice any kind of pattern matching, but I didn't care. Nothing is more historically accurate than using as little fabric as possible!
It was all easy sailing after cutting the skirt out. I spent about a week working on it outside of work, finishing the seams with lavender bias binding, drafting my own quick waistband (that used the very last scraps of the fabric to make), and setting in the lapped zipper by hand in front of the telly.
I am so excited about this project! Whenever I find a fabric that I love this much, I want to be able to get as much out of it as possible and I know that this skirt will be one that I will wear over and over again, with every other item in my closet.
Have you ever made a project with the last scraps?
Thanks for reading!
~Katherine
