The Westhaven Skirt

Sewing, 33 Comments

I’m going through an “I like nautical” phase at the moment, and when I spotted the roll of striped grosgrain that I hadn’t yet put away, lying atop some recently acquired red linen, the idea for a new skirt was born.  Sometimes being untidy is good!!

We nipped down to Westhaven marina for some shots yesterday evening.  DH took the photos this time – look at my hair, the wind, the electricity between us!

On the left you can just see the Auckland harbour bridge, which locals have nicknamed the coathanger because of its shape.  On the right you can see Rangitoto Island which is one of our many volcanoes dotted around about the city.

This is probably the best photo of the actual skirt (and my hair!) behaving:

This skirt has two outward facing pressed pleats either side of the CF and CB that are stitched to just above the hipline.  It is easy to draft from a basic skirt block – you just add the pleat allowance and incorporate the darts into the pleats.  I shaped the front waistband and gave it a centre notch for a bit of interest:
The pleats and the waistband are both topstitched at 6mm with 120weight thread.  I got a bit carried away and did a bound buttonhole – I only did that because my machine doesn’t do buttonholes, and I couldn’t wait until Monday!  It does look nice though, and was easy to do in the linen.  I machined the hem and sewed the grosgrain over the stitching to hide it:
Look at these lucky guys getting ready to sail off for the weekend.  We’re staying at home to work on the house – paint removal is not fun.  Don’t be surprised if I choose to sew instead!

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33 thoughts on “The Westhaven Skirt”

  9. I love your skirt. One of my pet hates is a feature on the front of an item of clothing but not on the back … Just makes me think “cheap”. The colour is really you and it looks like a fantastic day in Auckland … lucky you… I loved living in Auckland it's a great city!

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  10. Very cute! Love the photo with the boats in the background. Any tips on how to get the pleats to be more permanent in home sewn items? I have a pattern for a similar skirt but everytime I wash it I have to spend half an hour ironing the pleats back in.
    Andjxx

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  14. wow, that is really pretty. I love the little notch in the waistband and the ribbon on the hem. And the bound buttonhole is a really nice touch. That is something that would please me every time I wear the skirt.

    And thanks for the photos of the gorgeous scenery.

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  21. wow Sherry wow! Not only an impeccably created skirt but a gorgeous back drop. I love how you got to sneak in your navy thrifted purse and the nude heels look fab. Truly fabulous styling and great work on the skirt.

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  24. Beautiful skirt. Your photograph of the Auckland Harbour Bridge triggered a funny memory. I was 18ish, drunk and my friends and I were arrested (but not charged) for walking home using the underspan of the bridge. We were wild travellers then.

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  31. Sherry, you look wonderful in this sharp looking skirt. Wonderful ribbon detail. And I love seeing the Auckland views! We're flying from Florida next week and can't wait to spend three weeks exploring NZ.

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  33. Pingback: Whatever Happened to All Those Things? | pattern scissors cloth

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