Sunday 6 September 2015

Jersey pencil skirts

In the past few years - read, since having a baby and losing all time to iron clothes/select outfits/look in the mirror before leaving the house - I've grown to love jersey pencil skirts. They make me feel put together and slightly dressed up without having to think about it.  I just pick out a nice t-shirt or tank top and that's me sorted. In the winter they'll work with tights and a sweater as well so they're pretty much a win-win in my book.



B/w skirt, worn with tank top (top of maxi-dress)
Worn here with my new Tiny Pocket Tank

These two were both re-fashions, though not exactly taxing ones. The black and white one was a short-sleeved dress from H&M that was too short and kept riding up. I just cut it off under the arms and then added elastic. Easy peasy! Now it's longer and doesn't ride up, plus it was a double layered fabric so no transparency issues to deal with.  The pink/purple jersey was once a tiny pocket tank maxi-dress. I wore it loads when I was pregnant but the fabric was just too heavy really and I kept having to re-hem it as it stretched. Plus as it was heavy it meant it was also pretty warm, too warm really, so I haven't worn it much this year. I decided it would get more wear as a pencil skirt. This was a quick and dirty re-fashion - I simply laid the b/w skirt on top, drew round it with a coloured pencil, remembering to include a seam allowance, cut it out, turned it right sides together and stitched, then added an elastic waist. I even re-used the original hem so this was another quick make.  Not wanting to waste the top half of the dress I took a bit off the length then re-hemmed it - new tank top, ta da!

Quick refashion in progress
There's not much else to say about elastic waist tube jersey skirts. Except, except that is that this tutorial from Lladybird totally changed the way I looked at elastic waistbands. As Lauren says herself there's loads of tutorials and instructions out there for doing this but I hadn't seen them before so I was really grateful for this quick and clear tutorial. It looks nice and neat on the outside, and best of all no twisting!

Does anyone have any other quick makes that they find really satisfying?

18 comments:

  1. I love a Jersey pencil skirt. Nothing easier to wear or sew. A great way to refashion your unsed dresses. Great work. I use the pattern from Gertie Sews Vintage Casual and it uses the same way of creating the elastic waistband.

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    1. ah ok, I've read some good reviews of that Gertie pattern too. I can't believe what a difference the waistband makes like this!

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  2. The skirts really good. I am inspired to remake a dress into one! X

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    1. Thank you! Yes, you totally should, go for it!

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  3. You are so right about jersey pencil skirts. So comfy! Yours look great! This post reminds me that I have some jersey dresses I have been meaning to refashion. Thanks!

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    1. Thanks Margo. I'll look forward to seeing your re-fashions!

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  4. Great refashions! I have to admit though I am wary of jersey pencil skirts. I am always worried about VPL/lumps and bumps, but also do they work with tights? Considering I have to wear tights about 9 months of the year, this is the main reason I haven't really made/worn them. If you need to wear a slip, doesn't this negate the stretch factor (plus increase the potential for lumps and bumps)?

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    1. Thanks Helen. The skirts I've made work fine with tights but I guess it might depend on the thickness of the jersey? Maybe if it was too fine it would stick to tights but I've never had that problem. Re lumps and bumps - thicker jersey is the way to go, it hides the lumps and bumps. Unlike a red jersey dress I made recently out of really fine jersey, which definitely does NOT hide lumps and bumps and is about to be shortened to a t-shirt for that very reason!

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  5. Bam! A whole new mini-wardrobe! I really need to try inserting elastic into knit waists that way.

    This doesn't even count as sewing, but I had a very satisfying refashion recently - I found a nice Breton striped top at the thrift store with a weird rhinestone/mesh embellishment sewn on. Ten minutes of seam ripping and the shirt was delightfully wearable!

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    1. haha I know! I hadn't really even planned it as a mini-wardrobe but it's pretty great it worked out that way.
      Why, but why, would anyone put rhinestone/mesh embellishment on a Breton top ?! That sounds like a very satisfying rescue!

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  6. Looks comfortable and chic! Such an easy thing to throw on. And stretchy clothes are good for running around after kids.

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    1. Thanks Claire! Yes,. I love how comfy they are from running around, and getting down to toddler level and back up again!

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  7. Perfect easy-to-wear clothes - great job! And nice to bring things back to re-use after they stop working for you

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    1. Thanks Kerry. Yes, I'm much less sentimental about me-mades than I was when I started sewing!

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  8. Nice refashions, I love to wear jersey skirts too, in fact I´m wearing one right now. And thanks for the tip about the elastic tute. I really must check that out! :)

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    1. Thanks Solvi! I have a feeling I'll be making a few more for winter too. and yes, definitely check that tutorial out if you haven't seen that method before, so simple but it looks so much better!

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