Velvet Pencil Skirt

Self-drafted pencil skirt & my Seamwork Astoria sweater

The day has finally come my friends - I finally finished my first self-drafted pattern!!! A lovely and versatile pencil skirt! As some of you know, I took a pattern drafting class this past winter where we used our personal measurements to make a sloper. From the sloper, we created basic pattern blocks (fitted to our own bodies) that can be altered to make tops, dresses, skirts, & more! I didn't have to make too many alterations to my front and back skirt blocks for my pencil skirt, I just took the sides in (for a more fitted look) and narrowed the skirt as it got closer to my knees - to give me an hourglass shape.

Invisible zipper in back

Overall, I'm very happy with how the skirt turned out! It's hard to go wrong when you find stunning velvet like this! I picked this up at a fabric store in Charlottesville, VA. They sell a mixture of vintage and new fabric - I always find something I want. This lovely velvet wasn't on a bolt, so I'm thinking it's a vintage treasure  :)  I knew right away that I wanted to use it for a skirt. It ended up being a really close call getting it all cut out - there was no extra yardage whatsoever! I had to pull out some magic maneuvering for the pattern pieces to fit!

Found a friend on our photo walk!

I kept the skirt really simple, so the fabric could really stand out. I lined the skirt with some plain navy blue lining fabric. I had fun styling out a couple different looks with my new skirt  :)  I love how the rich velvet looks paired with my boucle-knit Astoria sweater! The mix-matched patterns and textures work so well together. It will be such a pretty outfit for fall. 

Next on my sewing table:

I'm cutting fabric for another Mesa dress! I was so thrilled with my first outcome, that I immediately wanted to start another one  :) Stay tuned for yet another color-blocked Mesa!