A Silk Slip

I have been meaning to make myself a silk slip for a very long time.  There are a few ready-to-wear options in rotation in my wardrobe (and they get quite a bit of wear, especially during the colder months), but another color/length is always nice to have as an option.

I tend to avoid PDF patterns because I don't enjoy the extra steps necessary to print and then tape a bunch of paper together.  But I was curious enough to see how I liked this design from Charm Patterns, so I decided to forge ahead.

The silk fabric is from a bolt that I found at a garage sale many years ago.  It has served me well, most recently as the lining for this coat.  Since I have a fair amount left, I figured I wouldn't be heartbroken if I didn't love the results of testing this pattern.

While I didn't think that this particular fabric would drop too much on the bias, I like to get that drop out of the way for a project like this.  If the bias were to drop after the side seamlines are stitched together, the remaining hem will bag out but the seamline will not, which looks odd.  Letting the individual pieces hang before sewing any seamlines resolves that issue.

I went with a French seam for the skirt pieces, and used a narrow zig zag as my stitching line to add an extra bit of give to the bias seamline.

One of my least favorite things to do is turn a fabric tube right side out.  This one wasn't terrible, but I still try to avoid the process as much as possible.

The pattern calls for bra findings to make the straps adjustable.  I pondered the idea of using a single strap cut to the proper length, but since I have a bag full of bra findings that I have harvested over the years from retired bras, I decided to make use of them.

So, while I don't think the adjustability is necessary for a slip made for my specific body, it was a fun technique to try out.

One of the reasons that I chose this particular slip pattern is that the bodice is self-lined.  Many other designs that I have seen use facing pieces to finish the upper edge.  I do like the clean finish that the duplicate bodice pieces provides.

Everything went together as expected.

And there was even an opportunity for a little hand sewing (my favorite!).

More hand sewing also means more time on the sofa with a happy pup.

Archie loves to oversee my projects, even if he appears to not be paying attention.

Overall, this project turned out great.

There is a length of dark red silk that I have been saving for quite a few years and I think it would be perfect for a slip.

I don't plan to repeat this project immediately, but I have a whole lot of dark red dresses that I wear in the winter, and I could definitely use another silk slip . . .