A few months back, I finally got around to doing something with this lilac fabric by making a matching top and skirt.
There wasn't much yardage to be had, as it was previously used for a dress many, many years ago. But it all worked out in the end, with a minor bit of piecing on the back bodice!
Turns out, a Rita Top paired with a knee length little skirt is a great idea. And the skirt, in particular, has had a lot of wear this summer.
It's always a good sign when I keep pulling something out of the closet so soon after having finished sewing it together!
Sometimes those quick projects are the perfect sewing palette cleanser.
I did, of course, finish the insides with seam binding, and faced the skirt hem to give it a bit more oomph. You can take the girl away from the underlining and hand basting, but you can't pry the Hug Snug from her hands.
And I am quite proud of the fact that my resolution to add more separates to the closet is still going strong. Which is not to say that there will be no more dresses in my future . . . you can count on the fact that there will be!!
Blouse: Made by me, "The Rita Blouse"
Skirt: Made by me, Butterick 6558
Shoes: Miss L Fire "Bel-Aire"
Earrings: Vintage
The Rita Blouse was a design that I was curious about from the beginning; but I have so many other projects to work on. But then I kept seeing so many cute versions pop up, so I decided to jump in and try a new pattern company.
And I am glad that I tested this one out! I am so comfortable working with Simplicity, Vogue, McCalls, and Butterick, that nine times out of ten, one or two standard modifications means their garments fit just about perfect. That's not to say I don't make a muslin when special fabric is involved, or I want to play around with pairing different sleeves to different bodices or swapping out skirts and needing to match darts, but for the most part, things work out pretty well on the first go around.
I pulled out a vintage shirt that had seen better days to use as a wearable muslin. The collars and cuffs were discolored, but the rest of the fabric was definitely useable.
My only real fitting issues was that underbust seam was very snug, which is not a measurement that I generally worry about. I also couldn't get away with using a B-cup like I do with multi cup patterns from the Big4 and needed to use a C-cup. But at least I figured that out before cutting into a fabric that I really loved!
It was a squeeze fitting all of the pieces on my lilac fabric remnants, and I ended up needing to piece the back bodice. I also really wanted to have a little ruffle along the neck and armhole edges. Normally, I would just extend those areas by and inch or two to accomplish this, however, I was down to scraps, and that wasn't going to work.
So I pieced together bias strips using the remaining scraps, and when all was said and done, I had about six inches of bias leftover. I just love when things work out perfectly!
Of course, one of the reasons I had so little fabric to play with was the fact that I really, really wanted a matching skirt to pair with the top. I stole the skirt pieces from View C of Butterick 6558 and added a simple waistband which worked out perfectly.
I have made a lot of quilting cotton skirts in my time, and they sometimes feel rather lightweight - especially with a full skirt that has a tendency to move with the slightest breeze.
As an experiment, I cut a six inch wide piece of fabric using the bottom edge of the skirt pattern to create a facing. Actually, I cut two for even more added weight. You can see that the hemline has a nice flare on the dress form.
Having worn the skirt a couple of times, I can say that this technique works quite nicely, and I am sure that I will use it again in the future. And I am thrilled that I managed to add two more separates to my wardrobe that pair so nicely together!!
