This is my first self-drafted half circle skirt. Made from the finest poly-crepe and lined with some heavy stretch satin because gravity ain’t that clever!
I nearly went for wool crepe which I think would have worked even more beautifully, but the idea of messing up 2 metres @£40 was a little bit more daunting than @£9!
The drape is lovely on the poly and I’m so chuffed with how flattering it is around the hips, but my oh my does that cause nasty stretchy bias hemline issues.
To draft the skirt, cut and sew together is child’s play. And it was a perfect project to practice a lapped zipper too. But to get an even hem on this skirt required patience of some saints. I blogged the other day about my time-starved, light-rationed sewing time so I won’t harp on any more about that but lets just say a massive learning curve was attained with the help of some basic tools, a bit of determination and a few swear words!
I incorporated 2 buttons as a closure instead of the usual hook and bar and used black bias binding to finish the hem. And no I did not do it by hand!
I so needed another black go-to skirt. And it feels right to go back to black. I do love a pencil skirt but I also love how swishy and elegant this one feels. A little bit Grease and a little bit Mad Men but also very much me. I can even run for the bus in it! Just need a few more 50s style blouses or peasant tops to go with it now.
Amazing photographs by Daniel Selway
Just beautiful! X
Thank you Tina x
This looks truly gorgeous – it has just the right amount of ‘swish’ – and I love the photos too, they are magazine worthy.
Thank you Tialys. I love the way it moves when I walk!
Two ickle buttons at the waistband – inspired. Love the skirt and you looked fabulous in it yesterday. Great photos!
Thank you Karen. So lovely to see you on the weekend x
It is chic! You lookf fabulous in this skirt!
Thank you RPT 🙂
Lovely skirt and gorgeous photography!
Thank you Amy. 🙂
The skirt is really great. The outfit is completely inspired and inspiring. Awesome photography too!
Thank you Sara 🙂
Lovely skirt and great buttons. It was definitely worth the hassle of the hem. Love the photos too!
Thank you ClairE. I can see that now! 🙂
Look at that gorgeous drape! A very flattering skirt… And I agree with Tialys, magazine worthy pics! I SO wish Mr CP was interested in even picking up a camera!
Thanks so much CP. I am very lucky indeed to have such a willing photographer! 🙂
Gorgeous! The perfect skirt.
Thank you Amy 🙂
Very chic!!! Love your style!
Thank you Helen 🙂
Just divine!
Thank you Vicki x
Elegance and a bit of funk together, so very you! xo
Gee thanks MrsC. x
Pretty lovely…black always seems so boring when its fabric but when its clothes its so elegant.
Thank you Layla. I made a serious move away from black but I’m slowly coming back to it!
This skirt is amazing 🙂 Simple, yet very chic and stylish! You are very good with accessories also, btw 😉
Thank you so much Siri 🙂
Looking good (very Mad Men!) Great photos too! X
Awww… Thanks Jen. Not as cool as Christina but I’m happy to work on it! xx
Amazing outfit! And I love your jacket, polka dots in two colours on the outside and inside, fun. *^v^*~~~
Thank you 🙂
Love your look! This skirt is beautiful, I can see it on other blogs but with medium weight fabrics, this one with lightweight fabric is gorgeous! Love the photos, as imaginative and love your jacket too.
Thank you so much Rosy. I really wasn’t sure how the fabric would behave till I’d finished the skirt. Very refreshing to finally sew something other than cotton print. Can’t wait to try other medium weight wools 🙂
Wowza!! Looks beautiful, Janine!!
Thank you lovely Beth x
I bought some silk crepe that I hope to do exactly the same with!! This is a perfect wardrobe staple! You look amazing!
Oh wow. Silk crepe would be so lush! Thanks so much Nettie 🙂
It’s beautiful and you look so elegant in it! I love bias cut skirts but I have not tried a half circle skirt for myself before, I’m keeping this skirt idea for one day when I can get my hands on some awesome fabric like this.
Thank you Erin. It was just polyester crepe. Mine was £4.50 a metre, the more expensive one. You can get it cheaper apparently.
I think yours is one of the first sewing blogs I have ever come across – starting about a year ago. Now, with Mr.Ooobop’s photography, I think you’re the best. I mean, I have thought about beginning a blog. I sew a lot – mostly from Burda but, man, I could not come up with the lovely photos that enhance and complement what you write about. Well done, you’re an inspiration. Lovely skirt but also – wow – great shoes buttons gloves – and the photos themselves. Well done.
Thank you so very much Lynn. I’m blushing from your wonderful words. Burda is such a great place to start and an amazing community. In fact I’d say it is wholly responsible for the beginnings of my own blogging. I can’t deny it’s quite time consuming keeping it all up but I enjoy it as a way of putting pressure on myself to come up with the goods. There’s so many things I want to make! 🙂
Ooobop, those pictures are amazing and so are you! They are totally mag quality. I love half circle skirts too…just the right amount of fullness and a lovely drape 🙂
Thank you Kat. I lucked out with a photographer boyf! 🙂
Beautiful skirt. And the shoes and handbag are divine! ~Laurie
Thank you Laurie 🙂
oooh! that is so sophisticated and elegant. Love it!!!
Thank you Elizabeth 🙂
What can I say – I’m with all the others! I love those photos and I certainly fancy some of that swish in your skirt .
Thank you Chris 🙂
SO. GOOD. Janene you’ve outdone yourself this time, the skirt, the outfit, the photos – inspired. Well done.
Thank you so much, lovely. 🙂
Wow, you look so elegant! Amazing. The skirt is truly a masterpiece! (I feel you on hemline. It’s such a pain on circle skirts…)
Thank you so much. It will be a test to see if it’s any easier on the next one!
You always do have the best photos! A fabulous outfit and beautifully made skirt!
Bless yer cottons. Thank you so much Carolyn 🙂
Looks chic.and practical. I need one of these. The styling is perfect.
Thanks for sharing..
Thank you MSS. It’s certainly more practical than some of the tight pencil skirts I’ve been wearing! I heartily recommend the making and the wearing of one of these!
Who needs fashion runways when one can admire great fashion on a cobblestone street? You look fabulous – the skirt is gorgeous and – the styling is perfect! I love this look…
Oh wow! What a wonderful thing to say. Thank you so much Karen 🙂
ooh, gorgeous. So beautifully finished!
Thank you 🙂
I like to sew skirts like that, especially when i line them in a different colour under neath. You look fab. I am from Malta and loved your pictures and what your where wearing in my beautiful country.
Thank you so much. I love a cheeky surprise lining too! Malta was our most favourite holiday. Seems so long ago now. We must return! 🙂
total babe
Soooo gorgeous!!!! Such a fabulous floaty fabric to swirl around in, and I especially love the waistband buttons – a great way to give a bit of detailed interest to an otherwise entirely practical garment 🙂 Those are my favourite details actually, because you get to enjoy them more often! You’re looking amazing here!
Amazing Janene! You look truly stunning, and um, can I hire your photographer? 🙂
Thanks lovely Clarey. And of course you can. He’d be delighted!
Perfect skirt, perfect styling, perfect photos.
Struggling with light issues would be even harder sewing black…I feel for you! BUT how awesome to have such a wonderful stylish cool and adorable swingable swishly skirt like this. And I LOVE your styling and the photos are amazing. Such a pleasure to read with my toast!
You look SOOO classy! I love that it’s a basic but at the same time pretty special and stylish. P.S. A-One fabrics on Goldhawk Road have some lovely wool crepe in loads of colours for £18/m…
I guess drafting a half circle skirt is a bit of child’s play for you after drafting the pencil skirt, eh? 😉 Besides the tricky hem of course 🙂 – both are equally fabulous though, and I must say, I’m a BIG advocate for black (as you know… and red, always!!). We share a colour palette so I’ll always be your black (and red) enabler 😉
Lovely swishy skirt! I love those red shoes too.
Gorgeous skirt and those shoes…just so Dorothy!!