I was busy that week. I saw the tester call for the Pauline's Pleated Skirt, and I love pleated skirts. But it has an invisible zipper... I've installed zippers before, but never an invisible zipper! So, I ignored the tester call. But then, I kept thinking about how much I love pleated skirts, and I really love learning new skills... so I went back, and it was still open, so I applied.
Like I said, I was super busy that week, but I was SO excited when I got the invitation to come test the pattern!
The Pattern:
List of required supplies... woven fabric, invisible zipper, invisible zipper foot? What's that? I'd never even heard of an invisible zipper foot. HA. So I visited my trusty friend, Amazon and found one. It was around $6. That's not too bad! And ordering via Amazon, it'll arrive in two days, YES!
There are a few options for this pattern. You can choose which length you like best. There is vintage length (which is more like mini), knee length, midi length, and maxi length. There are length options to make the skirt perfect for any occasion. I love knee length, because it's not too long or too short for chasing toddlers! 😉 But the girls who made the other lengths looked AMAZING. I especially love the midi length for church. I also think the midi length or maxi length would be beautiful for a holiday party or a wedding.
Then there is your choice of pleat size. Melissa includes the measurements you'll need if you want to sew 3" or 4" pleats. You just need to decide how wide you want your pleats to be!
You can also choose to add pockets to your skirt! I didn't add pockets to mine, but the pockets are really neat. The way the skirt is designed, the pockets are hidden by the pleats!
My Fabric:
I wanted to go to the fabric store to pick up a super beautiful, new floral fabric. I actually already knew which one I wanted from Hobby Lobby, but like I said, that week was crazy and I didn't make it. So I got to digging around at home, and found this fabric I bought from Wal-Mart a little while ago. It's navy with tiny polka dots! My fabric was on their sale rack for around $3/ yard I think, so I had about 3 yards of it! Plenty for this skirt! This fabric also drapes nicely and doesn't wrinkle! So I didn't have to iron it out of the wash - WIN!
Sewing the Skirt:
I'm going to be honest with you... I did a lot of new things sewing this skirt. I've sewn pleats before, but not Box Pleats, like this skirt has, so that was new! I've sewn zippers before (regular zippers, jean zipper, separating zippers), but NEVER an invisible zipper. I wasn't really scared of the process, but knew it all might take me a little longer, since it was all new to me.
If you've ever made a CKC pattern, you know they come with great photo instructions. So even if there are a ton of new skills, you can be confident that you will have success.
Honestly, the hardest part for me was cutting my skirt straight! I know that sounds crazy. Let me explain. Sometimes gathered skirts or pleated skirts that are basically just big squares or rectangle pieces don't actually come as pattern pieces in PDF patterns. It's a lot to print and tape and uses a lot of paper for a big rectangle. So, instead, the designers include pattern pieces for things such as the waistband here (that is not a rectangle), and a measurement chart for the rectangular pieces. And I'm just not the best at measuring and cutting rectangles. I always measure and mark with chalk and then remeasure to make sure I was accurate the first time. It's not hard but is time-consuming (for me at least). So one night after my kids were asleep, I did nothing but measure and cut. If you have a rotary cutter and cutting mat, I'd definitely recommend using it for something like this! It is easier to cut straighter and more quickly.
Next, I just followed the instructions for sewing the side seams. There is an option for pockets, but I didn't put them in my skirt. Then onto the pleats. I was the tiniest bit nervous that they wouldn't come out right. But, I followed the instructions and made one pleat... It was easy and perfect. Smooth sailing making all of the pleats. I basted them in place, and there was an option to either leave the pleats open or stitch them down. I decided to stitch my pleats down, and I love the finished result! Stitching them down didn't take too long, but leaving them open would have definitely been quicker!
I attached the waistband and zipper per the instructions on the pattern with no issues. I got to use my new invisible zipper foot, and my first invisible zipper. And to be honest, it might have been the easiest zipper I've ever done. I'm not sure if invisible zippers are generally easier to work with or if the instructions were just that amazing. Either way, I'm pretty happy! And now, I'll more eagerly tackle other projects with invisible zippers! 🎉
My Finished Skirt:
I finished it, and tried it on. I was SO excited about the fit! It's perfect!! I generally enjoy sewing knits, because they're so forgiving when you sew and in the fit, but Melissa's pattern was spot on! It's amazing! 💗
An Overview of this Pattern:
Like I said, I was super busy that week, but I was SO excited when I got the invitation to come test the pattern!
The Pattern:
List of required supplies... woven fabric, invisible zipper, invisible zipper foot? What's that? I'd never even heard of an invisible zipper foot. HA. So I visited my trusty friend, Amazon and found one. It was around $6. That's not too bad! And ordering via Amazon, it'll arrive in two days, YES!
There are a few options for this pattern. You can choose which length you like best. There is vintage length (which is more like mini), knee length, midi length, and maxi length. There are length options to make the skirt perfect for any occasion. I love knee length, because it's not too long or too short for chasing toddlers! 😉 But the girls who made the other lengths looked AMAZING. I especially love the midi length for church. I also think the midi length or maxi length would be beautiful for a holiday party or a wedding.
Then there is your choice of pleat size. Melissa includes the measurements you'll need if you want to sew 3" or 4" pleats. You just need to decide how wide you want your pleats to be!
You can also choose to add pockets to your skirt! I didn't add pockets to mine, but the pockets are really neat. The way the skirt is designed, the pockets are hidden by the pleats!
There are two side seams and a center back seam. The center back seam has an invisible zipper. The waistband is countured and fits amazingly.
My Fabric:
I wanted to go to the fabric store to pick up a super beautiful, new floral fabric. I actually already knew which one I wanted from Hobby Lobby, but like I said, that week was crazy and I didn't make it. So I got to digging around at home, and found this fabric I bought from Wal-Mart a little while ago. It's navy with tiny polka dots! My fabric was on their sale rack for around $3/ yard I think, so I had about 3 yards of it! Plenty for this skirt! This fabric also drapes nicely and doesn't wrinkle! So I didn't have to iron it out of the wash - WIN!
Sewing the Skirt:
I'm going to be honest with you... I did a lot of new things sewing this skirt. I've sewn pleats before, but not Box Pleats, like this skirt has, so that was new! I've sewn zippers before (regular zippers, jean zipper, separating zippers), but NEVER an invisible zipper. I wasn't really scared of the process, but knew it all might take me a little longer, since it was all new to me.
If you've ever made a CKC pattern, you know they come with great photo instructions. So even if there are a ton of new skills, you can be confident that you will have success.
Honestly, the hardest part for me was cutting my skirt straight! I know that sounds crazy. Let me explain. Sometimes gathered skirts or pleated skirts that are basically just big squares or rectangle pieces don't actually come as pattern pieces in PDF patterns. It's a lot to print and tape and uses a lot of paper for a big rectangle. So, instead, the designers include pattern pieces for things such as the waistband here (that is not a rectangle), and a measurement chart for the rectangular pieces. And I'm just not the best at measuring and cutting rectangles. I always measure and mark with chalk and then remeasure to make sure I was accurate the first time. It's not hard but is time-consuming (for me at least). So one night after my kids were asleep, I did nothing but measure and cut. If you have a rotary cutter and cutting mat, I'd definitely recommend using it for something like this! It is easier to cut straighter and more quickly.
Next, I just followed the instructions for sewing the side seams. There is an option for pockets, but I didn't put them in my skirt. Then onto the pleats. I was the tiniest bit nervous that they wouldn't come out right. But, I followed the instructions and made one pleat... It was easy and perfect. Smooth sailing making all of the pleats. I basted them in place, and there was an option to either leave the pleats open or stitch them down. I decided to stitch my pleats down, and I love the finished result! Stitching them down didn't take too long, but leaving them open would have definitely been quicker!
I attached the waistband and zipper per the instructions on the pattern with no issues. I got to use my new invisible zipper foot, and my first invisible zipper. And to be honest, it might have been the easiest zipper I've ever done. I'm not sure if invisible zippers are generally easier to work with or if the instructions were just that amazing. Either way, I'm pretty happy! And now, I'll more eagerly tackle other projects with invisible zippers! 🎉
My Finished Skirt:
I finished it, and tried it on. I was SO excited about the fit! It's perfect!! I generally enjoy sewing knits, because they're so forgiving when you sew and in the fit, but Melissa's pattern was spot on! It's amazing! 💗
An Overview of this Pattern:
- 4 length choices (vintage, knee, midi, maxi)
- 3" or 4" pleats
- optional pockets
- side seams and center back seam
- invisible zipper
- drafted for woven fabrics
- on sale for release for only $4.20 (What a STEAL!) Regular Price will be $6.00
- support from the CKC Facebook Group
Grab your pattern here:
Thank you SO much for reading this post! If you don't already, please come follow me on Instagram! I'd LOVE to see what YOU make!
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