Pencils and Fusibles

These makes are my take on this 2015 photo from The Sartorialist This has been on my to-make list on Pinterest for YEARS. I love everything about it but, of course, had to make some Katya tweaks.

I wish I could take outfit photos like this!

This is a TNT make all around, a white Nettie tee and a pencil made from my much loved pencil skirt pattern from Gertie's Book for Better Sewing. I already had a loose tee like this in a light grey so I felt like making another in white wasn't adding much to my wardrobe. I love a low back and my Nettie tee is pretty much the only tee pattern I use any more. Unfortunately I forgot that I sew the shoulder seams at 1/4 in to accommodate my broader shoulders so it's a little narrow but not unbearably so. I love the look of the length of the skirt in the photo but that length in a narrow skirt on me is... not my favorite so knee length it became!

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My last couple of pencil skirts have used a couture style waistband using hair canvas stitched onto silk organza which is then sandwiched between the outer and lining fabrics (or petersham ribbon, as I often do.) It takes an extra chunk of time and I was wondering if it really made a difference so I swapped it out for some good ol’ fashioned non-woven fusible that my mom had in her stash. It was quite light weight so I did two layers on both the outer fabric and one on the lining for bonus stability. (If it wasn’t already obvious, I like my waistbands to be very stable.)

To the casual observer it looks pretty much the same as the couture method but I have noticed a few slight differences:

1) The fusible method is more likely to roll when I sit down. A heavier fusible interfacing might help this but I think would end up altering the hand (feel) of the fashion fabric. The nice thing about sew-in interfacing is that they provide structure with less impact on the outside of the finished garment. Again, the difference is subtle but noticeable to me.

2) The edge of the waistband isn’t as crisp. The couture method uses silk organza cut the same size as the pattern piece while the heavier hair canvas has the seam allowances trimmed off. This makes a clean break for the fabric to fold over. I think it could be mimicked by cutting two layers of fusible in the same configuration. This will be my next experiment!

Pattern: Pencil skirt from Gertie’s Book for Better Sewing, per usual.  Nettie Dress+ Bodysuit from Closet Case Patterns

Fabric: Gingham underlined with a cotton bottom weight for stability, fusible interfacing.  White cotton jersey, both from Mill End Fabrics in Oregon.