It’s finally warming up in New York. We’re having a very pleasant spring so far. Usually I feel like we switch straight from winter to summer, but this year there’s been a mild, lazy transition to warmer weather. My summer wardrobe was lacking in both shorts and skirts, so I decided to make a quick skirt out of this rayon/linen blend.
The pattern is the Goji skirt by Deer and Doe. It’s very simple – an oversized, slightly flared skirt, gathered at the waist with drawstring and elastic. Really it’s a glorified trapezoid! But it’s a trapezoid with pockets. They’re huge patch pockets, more than big enough to hold my phone / keys / wallet.
The pattern is straightforward and everything came together well. I tried to take my time and be a little more precise than usual. I think it paid off! I’m happy with the seam finishes and the pressing. I used my serger for some of the seams but mostly it’s constructed on my regular sewing machine. I even learned some new techniques – I had never made my own drawstring before, nor sewn an elastic casing. The “use a safety pin to thread it through” trick really does work.
I sewed a straight size 48 based on my waist measurement, and that fit me just fine. Because it’s a drawstring waist, fit isn’t so important for the skirt version. I’m not sure if the shorts would actually be flattering or comfortable, so I don’t think I’ll be making them, but I might make another version of the skirt.
I think this will quickly join my heavy rotation of summer basics. I’m really happy with how the Kaufman Brussels Washer Linen drapes, and it has seemingly magical wrinkle-resisting properties. I’ve already gotten some compliments on it!
trikanto (n): one who works with string 