The directions for this skirt make it sound very simple. There are 3 tiers to the skirt, each tier contains 3 different sized pieces. The instructions tell you to simply cut 8 of each of the largest sized pieces from at least six different fabrics. Sounds easy enough, right? Pick out some fabrics…

Then you need to trim some of the pieces to the smaller sizes so that you will make 8 panels, each containing a piece of length a, b and c AND so that the adjacent pieces are different heights. Maybe some of you out there are confident and amazing enough to simply start whacking apart those pieces and have it all come out beautifully. I will admit that I am not such a person.

First of all, when I’m tracing a pattern piece that has three different lengths, I’m going to trace it as three different pieces because if I don’t, I’m definitely going to mess it up later. No problem there, but that means there are now nine different pieces for the main part of this skirt. In addition to keeping the adjacent pieces different in size, I wanted them to be different fabrics.

I made the following chart to use when cutting pieces and then assembling the skirt:

panel —– tier	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8
1	1/b	2/c	3/a	4/c	5/b	6/c	7/b	8/a
2	4/c	5/a	8/b	7/a	1/c	3/a	2/c	6/b
3	3/a	7/b	1/c	6/b	2/a	8/b	4/a	5/c

Each part of the table has the number of a fabric and the length of the piece. For the first panel, I need to cut fabric 1 using piece 1-b, fabric 4 using piece 2-c and fabric 3 using piece 3-a. For the second panel, I’d need fabric 2 cut using piece 1-c, fabric 5 using 2-a and fabric 7 using 3-b.

Since I’m using 8 fabrics, I’ll cut 3 pieces from each fabric. I simply checked the chart to see which pattern pieces to use and then cut the three pieces from each fabric and labeled them with a Post-It note. This is fabric 1, cut with piece 1-b.

Once they were all cut, I referred to my chart again to lay all the pieces out on my table in the proper order.

Next, I stacked each panel with its pieces, so I had 8 stacks.

Since I’m using 8 fabrics, it works out conveniently and the fabric number on the pieces in the top row also correspond to the panel number. Next I assembled each panel.

Since I didn’t want to worry about mixing them up, I attached the panels to each other as I completed them. I just kept attaching them to the right side.

Now, one of the nice things about this skirt is that, unlike the usual patchwork, there is no worrying about the corners in the middle of the skirt all lining up nicely because you’ve intentionally arranged the pieces so they are different sizes. This makes putting the assembled panels together less painful. Once you have all the panels assembled and sewn together, you’ll just need to put on the waistband and bottom frill.

I wanted to use a thicker elastic, so I cut the waistband piece 3″ wide. You can see where I’ve marked the quarters so I can attach it to the skirt.

After attaching the waistband, I use my zipper foot to help me get nice and close to the edge while I topstitch around the waist.

So far, so good!

We still need that bottom ruffle, though. Since I can’t just leave things alone, I also cut the bottom ruffle at a 3″ width. I hemmed it before attaching it to the skirt so I didn’t have to deal with all the fluff when hemming. For the hem, I ran one side through the serger and then pressed it under and stitched it.

I put about 5 3/4 yards of bottom ruffle on this skirt, but it could have easily taken more. I used my ruffler set at 12 to gather the ruffles.

Press the hem

and you’re ready for the last topstitching!

It looks a little odd on the hanger, but it’s done!

This is a size 128, with 20.5″ of 1″ wide elastic.

This might be my new favorite sundress pattern. The green one I made seemed like it was a little big, so I made it again in a size 122. This time I also changed up the panels on the skirt portion, making 4 from each fabric and alternating them in twos. I think I prefer the single print version in green better, but Zoe loves them both.

And just because the first one went together so well, this one was one goof after another. I didn’t make enough binding, then I cut it wrong and had to make more! When I put the bodice together I twisted the elastic connecting piece in the back when I attached it, so I had to pick it apart and fix it. After doing that, I realized I hadn’t attached the loops for the back ties to go through. And where do they attach? Well, in the bodice seams, of course!

This shirt is a size 122, I added about an inch to the length. It’s okay, but it could use another inch. The print is a ribknit, which took the lettuce edge wonderfully, but the sleeves are a jersey knit, and I ended up running around the edge twice to get the thickness I wanted with the wooly nylon. The neck is bound with a slightly sparkly black FOE. I’m hoping the sleeves will rebound after a run through the washing machine. We’ll see.

I had to make over seven yards of double fold bias tape for this, but I think the end result is worth it.

The straps criss cross and tie in the back.

This is a size 128, I think Zoe could actually wear a 122. The fabrics are both nice weight quilters cottons from the Serendipity line by Piece O Cake Designs for P&B Textiles that I picked up a couple years ago. The bias tape ended up about 3/8″ wide. I used 1/4″ for the loops on the back. It’s not warm enough to wear without a shirt underneath yet, so I need to take care of that and get a shirt sewn up this week.

This has been sitting almost done on my cutting table for too long. It was one of those things that just needed another 20 minutes and, for no good reason, I’d simply lost interest in it. Zoe saw it this morning and started looking for fabrics for a shirt to go with it and I thought I should get the skirt done.

This is the Hertta Skirt from the Ottobre Spring 1/2009 issue. I used the leggings from pattern #32 in the same issue to make shorts attached underneath the skirt. After attaching the waistband to the skirt, I attached the leggings in the seam allowance of the main skirt and waistband pieces. Then I put in the elastic, folded over the casing and closed it up using my coverstitch machine.

The main part of the skirt is a stretch twill. I used 20.5″ of 3/8″ elastic in the casing. The ruffles and pockets are quilter’s cottons.

If I make this skirt again, I will double the bottom ruffle so there’s enough to have a decent ruffle there, since it’s barely flouncy in its current state. And I may also leave the pockets off or change them a bit since too many skirts will heart pockets will start to look the same. Finally, though the 3/8″ elastic should be adequate, next time I’ll add 1/2″ to the width of the casing so I can use a wider elastic.

Another set from the Spring 2009 Ottobre (1/2009) – Taiji leggings #32 and the Orvokki jersey blouse, #18A. Both in size 128.

Things went much more smoothly with the cover stitch binder attachment this time. I tacked the shoulder seam down on the connecting side of the neck binding and it sits pretty nicely.

These are from the Spring 2009 issue (01/2009).

The top is the Orvokki jersey blouse. The print is a lightweight jersey and the solid is a cotton/lycra very fine ribknit. Both are a size 128. The top is a little short in the body and I’ll add an inch or so to it next time if I hem it with anything other than a rolled or lettuce edged hem. I’m trying to play nice with the binder attachments for my coverstitch machine, but it’s rough going. There’s a little gathering to give the sleeves a bit of poof and also on the top where the two pieces meet.

The leggings are the Taija leggings, in the same soft cotton/lycra knit as the top. The 128 is a little long, but Zoe’s growing so fast these days if we are lucky she’ll be able to wear them through the spring.

There are a couple variations for the top, and I may make another one or two since Zoe seems to be pretty happy with them. The slightly silly look about her is because she’s trying to show that her bottom tooth is missing and I’m wanting her to just smile.

This tunic length top is from the Winter 2009 Ottobre. The neckline is pretty wide on it, if I make it again, I’ll bring that up some. It’s a little bit wide, but not overly so. It fits like a comfy top. Other than that, size 128 is a good fit on Zoe. This pattern might work well with sweatshirt fleece, though I’d probably widen the sleeves just a touch.

Zoe is Mama Snowman in her class holiday play. She is to wear a white top in case it shows when she stands behind the cardboard snowman she’s pretending to be. We’re stretching “white” to include shirts that are white with silver snowflakes. The plan is to dye this after her program’s over as I’ve learned that white is just not a color my children should wear.

Pattern is just a basic top, Ottobre 1/2001, #21, size 128.

Size 122 again, just a boring hem through the coverstitcher for the sleeves and bottom on this one. This print is kind of growing on me. It’s been in my stash for a while and I’ve been lukewarm about it because of the streaky coloring. It’s a nice weight, though, and very soft. Zoe hasn’t seen it yet, I cut it out this morning while she and Jack were at school and just hemmed it this afternoon while Jack is napping. Hopefully Zoe will be pleasantly surprised when she gets home from kindergarten today.