Always late to the sewing party, I have finally jumped on the bandwagon and made a Bobbi skirt from Tilly and the Buttons. I made a similar skirt last year and I’ve worn it so many times, it’s a brilliant everyday basic:
A new version was on my Make Nine and I was going to self draft, but this pattern release came in perfect time because it saved me the faff of drafting! The pattern has two variations: a skirt and a pinafore, both of which are so so gorgeous.
The design features princess seams at the back and a curved waistband, creating the ideal opportunity to nail that perfect fit. There are lots of small pieces to cut so it’s a good way to use up leftover tracing paper, and small pieces mean you can cut from minimal fabric; Brucey bonus! I used offcuts from my I Am Artemis jacket using mustard denim from Sew Me Sunshine.
(See in this photo how I’m wearing that skirt again – I’m not joking, I wear it all. the. time)
I measured up as a 2 on the waist, 3 for the hips and 2 at the hem. The design has an A-line shape but I wanted to create more of a tapered shape at the hem so I was ready to take in the sides a bit more below the hips. Everyone has their one thing they can’t be arsed with when sewing and mine is interfacing – it’s slow and boring, and this pattern has quite a lot! However, once past that, it’s a quick sew with the crystal clear instructions to be expected of Tilly and the Buttons’ patterns.
I’m not sure if it was because I graded between sizes and/or if I didn’t trace the pieces properly, but a few of the notches didn’t come close to matching. Luckily none of the pieces are desperately long so it was fine to join the seams without the guidance of notches, but I’m not sure if anyone else has come across this too??
After joining the front and back pieces I tried the skirt on to check the size and it was way too big! This could be because I was after a more fitted finish, but I took in 1.5cm at each waist seam which I eased out to 1cm at the hips, then curved in some more towards the hem to taper the sides. That cracked the fit, and the princess seams on the back make the fit on the bum really flattering.
To finish I used some vintage buttons from my stash, there were only five so I had to space them out a bit too much; a popper is definitely needed to preserve my modesty! Although there were a couple of fit hiccups along the way, I’m so pleased with this skirt, and I can’t wait to make another with some black cord offcuts!
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