High-Waisted Skirt

I've had my eye on this high-waisted skirt pattern for quite some time. It is from the January 2009 issue of Burda and there have been a number of inspiring, beautifully crafted versions on Pattern Review.

Image from here.

Since I recently finished a pair of high-waisted trousers, I decided to continue the theme. I'm glad I did, because the style and fit are exceptional.



I used the same wool suiting as the high-waisted trousers and lined the skirt with purple bemberg rayon. The only pattern alterations I made were to the length --- decreased the waistband by about 1/4 inch and the skirt length by about 2 inches.

I made a few design and construction changes that I think worked well. Because of the high-waist styling, the waistband needs additional support and stability so it won't "crumple" when worn. A while back, I purchased some fusible hair canvas for tailoring, and decided to use that for the waistband. I like the stiffness it gave to the waistband, and fusing was a lot easier than sewing it in.

The waistband has a cool corset style, so there are multiple panels that are shaped to achieve a fitted look. I wanted to highlight the vertical lines, so I thought it would be interesting to insert a contrast fabric. I chose some silk twill I had in my stash --- lavender with red dots.



I used a fusible interfacing to stabilize the silk and cut 1-inch strips that I sewed to each panel, making sure about 1/4 inch of the silk remained visible on the outside. I then topstitched on both sides of the silk. In addition to adding interest to the waistband, this process served to further stiffen the waistband and actually seemed to act like a very light boning. The photo below shows how the waistband seam looks on the inside --- you can see the hair canvas and the interfaced silk that has been sewn to each panel and topstitched.





I used The Sewing Lawyer's belt loop technique (again!), which is really a great technique. They would have been perfect except for one small episode that involved a furry little feline. Just as I was about to sew on the second belt loop to the back, I got distracted by Simon sitting by my sewing machine. It was so cute that I dropped my fabric and ran off to get the camera. After a lengthy photo shoot, Simon tired of it all and walked away, so I went back to sewing the loop. Unfortunately, I got turned around and sewed it to the wrong side of the seam line! Ugh! My consolation is this photo of my little sewing assistant --- judging from his expression, I don't think he has a long future as a sewing cat!



So here's the back with the belt loops.



I sewed an invisible zipper along the back and added a little tab with a snap to the inside for a secure fit at the top.



Here's a photo of the skirt without the belt.



Overall I'm happy with the result!