My new most favorite thing I've sewn

Yesterday I finished up a new skirt that I think is going to be my new favorite me-made item.   I may flatter myself, but I think it would be totally at home on a rack in Anthropologie!   No pics of me wearing it, but here it is adorning the wall of my sewing room:

Sorry for the poor image quality (my camera seems to be a bit under the weather) but you get the idea.   The pattern is Simplicity 2655 -- a modern, in-print pattern, no less.  (I'm telling ya, put it on your list for the next 99 cent pattern sale!)  I used a lovely cotton voile by Denyse Schmidt for the patterned part, navy cotton batiste for the flounce (and the lining of the flounce) and a sorta buff-colored batiste for the rest of the lining.  There's piping where the waistband joins the skirt (woo woo!) and I made 1/2" bias tape to put along the seams on the front and back of the skirt.   Taking the time to add the little details is what makes for the super-duper skirt love -- gotta remember that for the future.

A better look at the bottom flounce

Adding cotton batiste bias tape to the seams on front and back.

Because I didn't want to have to deal with the curving hem,  I sewed the lining and outer shell together at the bottom, which makes for a very nice finish.  From there I treated them as one:  I serged their edges together at the side seam where the zipper was placed, and they were attached to the yoke together as well.  So one side seam is not as pretty, but I think the bottom edge is a darn sight nicer looking.  It gives the flounce a nice weight, which I like .... YMMV.

The fabric choices are almost the same as a "New Moon" variant I made a while back.  That one is okay, but I don't think I took full advantage of the fabric's potential, and it's also a bit loose in the waist so it hasn't made it out of the closet too often.  (And now it is in the Goodwill box -- buh bye!)  I used the same navy batiste as a narrow band on the bottom edge.  The lining of the New Moon version is rose-pink -- I think the lighter lining makes the white areas of the print pop a bit more.  You can't tell from the photos here, so just take my word for it.  :)

So long, sucka!

I'd also done a first version Simplicity 2655 using some of my treasure trove of quilting fabric.  That one came out pretty spiffy too, and I wore it to work last week.   This particular piece of quilting fabric came from JoAnns, and the lining is cotton batiste (almost all my cotton batiste is from High Fashion Fabrics here in Houston).  For whatever reason, this is one of those quilting cottons that actually doesn't wrinkle much:  these photos were taken after being worn all day.  Even the back part I spent most of the day sitting on is barely wrinkled.

This print did dictate that I be fussy about pattern piece placement in order to end up with a final result that looks more or less balanced.  Again, the lining's attached at the hem -- I wouldn't want to sew this skirt any other way.   For both Simplicity 2655s I made, I cut size 10 at the waist and graded out to 12 at the hip, plus used a slightly narrower seam allowance on the back pieces through the derriere area.   I also angled the edge of the main skirt pieces before attaching the ruffle so that the front would be about 1/2 inch shorter than the back, which on me is what it took to get a hem that hangs even.

So, in summary -- yay for this skirt pattern.  I'd like to make a "basic" variation next.  (You know, a solid, neutral-colored skirt actually matches stuff?)  Then it'll be time to move on to something new.  But I bet I'll be back for more of this one sometime in the future!