First Sample – Pinstripe Panel Skirt

First Sample – Pinstripe Panel Skirt

Do you remember the Pinstripe Panel Skirt?  Blogged in May 2014, and first sampled by Capital Chic, this very creative piece of corporate wear is stylish, wearable and very popular.

At the time of posting I found the time to cut this pattern but not the cloth.  It’s been sitting under the pattern table ever since.  So I dug it out and cut it in a light suiting pinstripe of dubious origin (by that I mean a blend of unknown origin) from my sampling box of fabrics.  I used my skirt block and the original post to cut this pattern.
The lay plan is something to behold!  Although the pattern shapes are a little weird: there are so many small pieces that they are easy to lock in together if you take a little time.  Ultimately, for this size 12, they fit into 1.3m of cloth at 150cm wide.  It’s a single lay cut so be aware that you will need to chalk in two of the front and back waistband.  I used my notches (see diagram above) to do my best to get the stripes to match on some of the seams.  Be advised that it’s impossible to match on ALL seams.  Many of them have been quite deliberately set at a different angle (chevron) for an interesting play with the pinstripe.
As you cut each piece of your skirt, piece them together on the table, to help make sense of the order of assembly (sewing).
So here’s what I think about matching stripes on this Pinstripe Panel Skirt:
  • Seam 5 is easy to match as it’s in the middle of the same pattern piece and the panel shapes are heading in the same direction.
  • The change of grain between the two pieces for seam 2 means the pinstripe will chevron reasonably well.
  • Seam 3 seems to go together well when matching the stripes.
  • Seam 4 between the front and the back does not exactly match but still looks ok.
  • The grain between the pieces on seam 6 chevron as they do on seam 7.  That means they won’t necessarily match but will make a great pattern where they meet.
All-in-all this design is a challenge when cut in the pinstripe fabric but that’s the point of the design.  To have a lot of fun with the lines in the pinstripe and bewitch the eye.  All that cutting on different grains would be lost in a plain or printed fabric.
My greatest concern is the Inverted Pleat at the end of the back left panel seam (where you see the pins).  Half the pleat allowance has no seam support and will need to be stitched through the skirt and will show on the outside.  So colour matching your thread for the this job is important.  This could be considered a weakness in manufacturing for this design.  However I’m not willing to sacrifice half the pleat as it would throw the design balance out in the back skirt.  I really enjoy the way the matching pleats come off the curved panel seams at the back.  So I’ll put up with the stitching showing.  🙂
The pattern alterations I required were all around the fit of the waistband so I may not be able to save the toile.  Far too much unpicking and recutting.  I’ll finish it off and  send it down the road to the Salvo Stores. 🙂
I’ve made those alterations to the pattern, so I think it’s time to pop that back under the worktable for another year!
Hahaha…  watch this space!
Anita McAdam
enquiries@studiofaro.com
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