Dress Like Your Grandma FO: Red Hollyburn Skirt

Once I finished the big project of my two Mimi Blouses, it was time to make a red skirt to go with it. I pulled out several patterns to choose from, and I was on the verge of making Simplicity 2444 as just a skirt when I had the forethought to look at my previous blog post from when I made that whole dress a few years ago and discovered that I did not like the skirt on my body, lol. Thanks, blog! So in the end I just decided that I would use a TNT pattern: The Hollyburn Skirt.

It almost feels like cheating at this point to use this pattern for part of a challenge. I've made so many of this pattern at this point that it's not a challenge at all to make one. I have the fit honed exactly how I like it, the pockets are amazing, and I wear some iteration of this pattern at least once a week. It's just a pattern that I love to wear, so why not make another one, right? That was my thinking.

I used a bright red "linen look" fabric I bought at The Sewing Studio back in 2013 (whoops). I know the reputation polyester fabrics get in the online sewing community, but I am a big fan of linen look. It really does look like linen, drapes like linen, breathes like linen, yet it does not wrinkle like linen. The best of all worlds! I have a Peggy skirt in navy linen look and it's super comfy and relatively wrinkle free while my linen rayon Hollyburn is a wrinkled mess very quickly at the waistline. Anyway, I was glad to finally use this fabric and for a skirt that I know I will wear a lot.

Gosh those pockets - this pattern is worth it just for the pocket pieces alone. I've used the pocket on self drafted skirts and they are amazing. The pocket is big enough to fit my phone (and it hides too - not peaking out) plus the way they are put together it doesn't look like you have anything in the pockets - the weight pulls inward toward your body and away from the skirt. Magic. I just want to put my hands in them all the time.

The only change I made on this (other than my usual adding 1" to each side seam at the waist) is that I went for a narrow waistband. I love the high waist, but my body shape just scrunches up a wide waistband immediately upon sitting down, making them look wrinkly and making me have to adjust them everytime I stand up. No bueno. It was a split second decision - I had actually cut a strip for the waistband at half the width simply because I thought it might be more comfy to line the waist with a softer fabric, but when it came down to it the fabric felt fine and I decided to just only use that hal width piece for the actual waistband. This worked out great and the waistband doesn't scrunch like my others.

You can really see the slubby texture of my fabric in the above picture :) I love using textured fabrics on basic items like this to keep things interesting. I also went full vintage and used a vintage pack of rayon seam binding from my stash for the hem (fyi my hem was exactly 3 yards and I only know this because I had exactly enough in the 3 yard pack of binding, lol). I hand sewed my hem and my waistband. I overcast stitched all the seam allowances (my usual method and it holds up great in the wash). I also did my usual lapped zipper on the back. Apparently I like to put my lap in the opposite of what is conventional - I'm right handed so I like the lap to be on the left side making it easier for me to zip without catching the fabric - which makes the process twice as cumbersome, but it's so worth it. Just one of my little things I prefer. Funny how you discover these things when you sew.

So that's my latest Hollyburn and I know it will not be my last. My grammy's skirt is slightly longer, slightly darker red, and I think a 1/2 circle skirt, but I'm very happy with my version because it pays homage while still being something I would wear often. I think she would appreciate that.

That completes my entry for the Dress Like Your Grandma Challenge :) I'm so excited to see the round up of everyone's makes with old photos. Did you make something for the challenge? I'd love to see!

Summary:
Fabric: 2 yards red linen look fabric - $4.50
Pattern: Hollyburn Skirt by Sewaholic Patterns
Notions: Pellon SF101 interfacing - $0.25, red thread - $ 0.75, 7" red zipper - $0.10
Time: 4 hours
Total Cost: $ 5.10