White Stripes Button Placket Madeleine Skirt

 

Ages ago I saw a skirt on the Vivien of Holloway web site, sadly they don't have it anymore so I can't post a link.  It was a full skirt with a front button placket and pockets with triangle flaps over the edges.  Then I made my first Victory Patterns Madeleine Skirt, and the Vivien of Holloway skirt popped back into my head.  I also recalled the button plackets from my two Tilly and The Buttons Picnic Blanket skirts, and remembered that the working-out of a button placket was in the instructions (in Part 3).

 

So anyway, the idea rattled around my head for a bit longer, and I thought it would look well in red, with black and white buttons - which happen to be colours used by one of my favourite bands, The White Stripes, (hence the skirt's name) who have sadly split up, but Jack White's solo album is brilliant.  I digress...

I took the pattern for my second Madeleine (where I had changed the outside pockets to inside pockets), and changed the curve of the pocket opening to a straight line; and then drew the triangle flap onto the pattern.  When I was happy with it, I traced out the triangle shape.



This is my eyeballed triangle on the front pattern piece, I'm not sure how well it shows up.

I folded over the seam allowance on the back piece and cut this as one piece on the fold, and then worked out the button placket using the measurements from the Picnic Blanket Skirt instructions.  The only thing I didn't take into account was the size of the buttons/buttonholes.  I originally had planned to use bigger buttons, but the placket was too narrow for them.  But I'll know again to make a test buttonhole first, and work out the placket size from that. 

It went together quite easily.  I cut the waistband as two pieces because I think it makes it a bit more sturdy.  I triple stitched down both sides of the button placket, all around the waistband and hem, and also around the triangle flaps.

The fabric is red cotton I got in The Spinning Wheel in Belfast, it was about £6.99 a metre, and the underneath of the pockets and triangles are red polycotton.  The buttons are 15mm black and white polka dots, and came from ebay.



The third button down isn't that off-centre, the button placket just needed straightening!

 

I'm very pleased with it, and wore it to work on Thursday, but I noticed that the colour on the second button down has worn off a bit at the top.  I'm pretty sure it wasn't like that when I sewed it on, so I think it must have rubbed off in wearing.  I've swapped it for another button, so I'll see how it goes.

You may have noticed the 2013 Sewlutions button on the right hand side.  This is an idea dreamt up by Karen of Did You Make That? to set one sewing goal for the year.  She's going to keep a note, and report back in December, so, you know, no pressure!  I have resolved to attempt to make a pair of trousers.  I already have the pattern, which is Sewaholics Thurlow trousers.  I fell for this pattern as soon as I saw it because I have owned a few pairs of trousers like this, and my current pair have seen better days.  I bought it when I bought the Alma pattern (saving on postage!), and that was why I asked for Pants For Real People for Christmas.  I got the fabric I ordered for them today, and am working my way through the book.  How hard can trousers be?!...