WIPS: Pattern Hacking

This post may contain affiliate links. 

Do you hack patterns?  By this I mean take a pattern and tweaking it, but tweaked beyond personal preference and individual fit type issues.  So maybe "tweak" is too mild of a word.  I do this a lot.

I sometimes wonder how designers feel about pattern hacking -- do they love that someone admires their handiwork that they want to incorporate it into something new and unique? Or do the designers think of it as a bastardization of their work?

Maybe I could call myself a designer, I'm not sure.  I just love to create and I sometimes remember to jot down notes during the process and then share them.  I personally would LOVE to know that something I created inspired someone else's creativity.  

(Just to be clear, I'm not talking about stealing someone's work/pattern and calling it your own.  Although, that does beg the question of how far removed from the original does something need to be before it's a new pattern.  That's a question for another day.)

Today's WIP (work in progress) is a pattern hack.  I'm taking a lovely crochet dress pattern, The Sunrise Sunday Dress & Top, and turning it into a skirt.  I absolutely love the dress,  you can read all about that in my review, but I think a stand alone skirt based upon the pattern could be something really pretty.  

Little Abbee is sponsoring a giveaway for the Sunrise Sunday Dress pattern, but it ends today!  (September 7, 2016)

In other yarn-y news, The Yarn Fanatic Party is back!  Please come link up your knit and crochet projects -- and anything else that uses yarn.  The party has returned to a weekly format.  I hope to see you there! 

Do tell me your thoughts about pattern hacking!  Do you do it?  Are you a designer?  Do you hate it?   

I'll be linking up with Small Things, Frontier Dreams, and some of these places. 

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Pretty in Paisley Skirt

This post may contain affiliate links.

This skirt was a great afternoon sewing project.  My sweet husband kept the kids (mostly) out of my craft room to allow me some glorious (mostly) uninterrupted sewing time.  I'm pretty happy with how it turned out, especially since my skills are a bit rusty.  There are lots of little (and big) imperfections, but it's totally wearable and I think it's cute!

I used New Look Sewing Pattern 6354, view F, for my pattern.  I did make a few changes.  I added a lining, so I cut two of each of the skirt pieces.  I also didn't add any ribbon detail around the waist.  Another minor thing that I added was some top-stitching around the very top, it looks more finished and it helps keep the elastic in place. 

The pretty paisley fabric came from the Walmart clearance section.  As did the turquoise material used on the yoke.  (I can't remember where the tan fabric that I used for the lining came from; it was probably on clearance at either Walmart or Joann's.)

There are no visible raw edges on the skirt.  I dislike raw edges, because I think they make a garment look a little frumpy -- even when the wearer is the only one to see them.  (It's a personal thing, and believe me, I don't mind them on other people's stuff!)

Here's the inside of the skirt, where you can see the lining. (You can also see some of my very messy seams, oh well.)  The lining's right side is facing in (towards my legs), making the wrong sides of both fabrics face one another.

I hemmed the lining about an inch higher than the skirt.  For this hem I simply folded the material over, ironed it, then folded it once more to hide the raw edge, ironed again and finished it with a zigzag stitch.  The skirt hem I folded, ironed, zigzag stitched, then folded again and did a straight line top-stitch.  

I made a reversible skirt with this same pattern a couple of years ago. 

 

Rachel: The Philosopher's Wife

I will be sharing this at various parties around the web, including these!

How to Make a Lined (or Reversible) Skirt

I recently purchased a new sewing pattern.  I really liked the shorts, and ultimately that's why I bought the pattern, but also was attracted to the skirts.  After making a couple of pairs of shorts I decided to once again raid my stash and make a skirt!

I wanted to add a lining to my skirt.  The cotton fabric prints, while super cute, are often rather see-through--especially in the sun!  Certainly not a very modest look.  I decided that I wanted to make the lining nice enough that it could even be considered the "right side" which would make it reversible!

The pattern that I used, view F of New Look #6354, is very simple with only four pieces: skirt front, skirt back, yoke front, and yoke back.

To add the lining simply cut another set of skirt front and skirt back.

Sew the bottom edges of skirt fronts together--with right sides facing.

Long tube of fabric before pressing seams.

Do the same thing with the skirt backs.

Press seams.  (I hate ironing.  Really hate it.  However, when sewing an iron is your best friend. Use it.  Even if you hate it like me.)

Matching hem seams sew the sides.  Start at the top of fabric one and sew all the way down the side and finish at the top of fabric two.  Repeat on the other side.  At this point you should have a long tube of fabric.

Skirt Hem -- Notice how nice and finished
both the "right" and the "wrong" sides are.

Press seams open.

Pull the bottom half of the tube over the top half with the seams neatly hidden inside.

Carefully press the hem.  Top-stitch--I kept the edge of the skirt along the very edge of the foot.

Press the entire skirt make sure that there aren't any strange bunches or wrinkles and that the two fabrics are lying together nicely.

Proceed per instructions for adding the yoke.  (I used 1.5 inch elastic and did not add a drawstring or ribbon.)

Not only am I very pleased with the resulting skirt it was a fairly frugal project--everything was either on sale, clearance, or I had a coupon.  This project cost less than five bucks.  Not bad!

First Note:
I did not make the yoke with one fabric on one side and the other on the reverse--but it would have been easy enough to do and this would make it completely reversable.  The next skirt I make I will do it this way.  I will cut the yoke in half width-wise and add a seam allowance.  Then I will continue pretty much the same way that I did when making the skirt part.

"Wrong" side of waistband.  I do think
that it is nice enough, and co-ordinates
enough that it could be worn "wrong"side out.

"Right" side of waistband.  

Second Note:
I am not an expert seamstress by any stretch of the imagination.  This is just what worked for me. There is probably a much more "proper" way to do this!


I enjoyed looking through PatternReview.com before actually purchasing this pattern.  You can check out the reviews to this pattern here.

Check out all of these awesome places to party!