I stumbled upon this image of a Banana Republic polka dot skirt a couple of nights ago and was tickled at the navy dots with yellow combination. Fortunately for me, I had some fabric in a nearly identical print (though not a nearly identical weight) in my stash.
I downloaded BurdaStyle’s free Twinkle by Wenlan A-Plus A-Line skirt pattern, and was off! Oh, I wish I had a cute yellow cardigan now, but as I do not, I’ll model it with my lemony shoes:
The skirt has a front and back yoke, and a couple of pleats down the front.
The back of the skirt is plain:
I cut the yoke on the bias to mix the dots up a little so it wouldn’t be vertical stripes of dots the whole way up. The fabric is a heavy cotton (I believe the Banana Republic one is a lightweight cotton silk blend.), about the weight of cotton duck, and it’s cut a non-stretch ribbed weave:
I used a vintage white metal zipper on the side and some white rayon lining, leftover from the Guggenheim Coat.
My New Love
Best of all, I have no idea how I remembered this, but I found some navy lace hem tape in my sewing box. I don’t know how I ended up with this, but I’m guessing it was probably in a sack of random notions I found at a thrift shop ten years ago or something. Have you ever used this stuff? I hadn’t until yesterday, and now I am IN LOVE! (That’s right, Dan was away for about 10 hours before I found a new object of devotion and affection.)
I handstitched the lace to the edge of the skirt, and then I did an invisible hem along the edge of the lace, also by hand:
And not only does this make it pretty on the inside, it makes the hem sooooo invisible on the outside!
Look, ma, no hem! The zero-bulk of the lace means that the invisible stitches are really truly invisible and there’s no line where the edge of the fabric is attached. I’m going to be buying a LOT more of this stuff.
The Gripe (stop reading here if all you want is the warm, fuzzy side of the skirt story and don’t feel like hearing me complain yet again):
Because The Selfish Seamstress can always find something to grumble about, I do have a gripe with this pattern. I love the style and the fit was great (I made the size 0, and I didn’t edit a thing except to shorten it at the hem). But the pattern was FIFTY-ONE pages. It took more than a tenth of a ream of paper to print out a simple skirt pattern. (If I were to mention this on BurdaStyle, I would undoubtedly be assaulted with a firestorm of “Stop complaining, it’s free, and if you don’t like it, shut up and don’t download it!” type responses. I do love BurdaStyle, but a lot of people there sure seem to love picking fights.) But seriously, it’s not that I’m too lazy to do the work of taping it together or too cheap to buy paper. But I don’t care for the resulting resource waste:
Moreover, the pattern itself uses sooooo much more paper than it has to because the skirt front and back are not drafted on the fold! Instead of creating half of a skirt front and half of a skirt back and instructing the sewer to cut it on the fold, the pattern includes an entire skirt front and an entire skirt back meant to be cut on a single layer of the fabric, even though there’s no reason not to cut it on the fold. Also, the drafting is slightly off so the skirt pieces aren’t quite symmetrical down the center. If one were to use the pattern as drafted, one would actually end up with a less symmetrical end product than if one were to cut it on the fold. I folded them down the middle to figure out why my polka dots weren’t lining up quite right and found this with both pieces:
See how the sides aren’t drafted the same, and the hem isn’t quite symmetrical either? I went back and shaved off the overhang so it was symmetrical and then my dots matched up after that.
I discovered this after also finding that the Sidonie skirt pattern used 26 pieces of paper because they included separate pattern pieces for the skirt and the skirt lining, even though they are exactly the same with the exception of a 1 5/8″ hem allowance on the skirt and a different grain marking.
Each of these patterns used nearly twice as much paper as they should have. I realize that they are patterns intended to appeal to the beginner sewer, and pattern companies assume less and less sewing knowledge as time goes on, and do more and more hand holding with patterns and instructions. But I think even a beginner can handle a very simple concept like cutting on the fold. Are the pattern producers worried that a beginner, confronted with only half of a skirt front pattern and asked to double it in a symmetrical fashion would misunderstand and put zippers on both side seams??
Anyway, this may seem like a petty gripe, but the truth is that task of assembling printed patterns doesn’t annoy me, even if it takes an hour an a half. What bugs me is that the assumption that even the most basic of sewing techniques, such as cutting on the fold, will be too challenging and discouraging for a beginner and the resulting repeated lowering of the bar (do we really have that little faith in people’s abilities and motivation?), combined with unnecessary environmental wastefulness which seems to run so very counter to the reasons why so many of the new generation of home sewers are attracted to making the idea of making their own clothes in the first place.
Oh well, I can’t say I didn’t get a fun skirt out of it :)
70 comments
Comments feed for this article
June 27, 2010 at 10:24 am
Tilly
OMG it’s almost identical! Really great skirt – a wardrobe staple, if you will.
June 27, 2010 at 10:30 am
oonaballoona
first of all, your skirt. is WAY. better than the RTW banana republic. that back seam of theirs is hideous. a good reminder that we accept things in RTW we prolly wouldn’t in our own sewing…
second! i’m one of those burdastylers that is often depressed by the negative comments left there– but that’s more about the thoughtless mean spirited stuff that peeps type without really thinking about what they’re saying (and definitely without imagining saying it to someone’s face). this is totally different- this is constructive criticism- you bring up several really great points, and you say them well. i think the team at BS would love to hear it.
June 27, 2010 at 10:32 am
Drsue
Ditto on irritating pattern downloads.
I love your skirt! Much better than the store bought one which is so wrong on the back seam.
June 27, 2010 at 10:41 am
Rachel
I like your skirt much better than the BR one. Better workmanship, better fabric weight. Better all around.
I don’t use BurdaStyle (though I should) but I think your criticisms are fair.
June 27, 2010 at 10:45 am
trudy callan
That is a gorgeous skirt. You look amazing.
Trudy
http://www.sewingwithrudy.blogspot.com
June 27, 2010 at 10:49 am
Elizabeth
Beautiful skirt! I think the dumbing down of patterns/instructions actually makes us dumber and more dependent on said instructions.
June 27, 2010 at 11:03 am
lsaspacey
Yes, I agree about the downloadable patterns and the waste of paper. Shhh, don’t tell anyone but that’s why I print mine at work.
June 27, 2010 at 11:03 am
Carolyn
I love when you can knock-off RTW that looks better than the original! And your’s definitely does! I’m also loving the yellow shoes and believe that with some time you will be able to find a yellow cardi to go with this. As for the printing of the paper pattern…egads, that’s what always makes me go sideways when people talk about pdf patterns. I guess I’m old school, I like pulling something out of an envelope and starting to work on it.
June 27, 2010 at 11:12 am
Karin van D.
Great skirt. I love the dots, very cute. I never made a downloaded pattern before, I have to admit that all the work of printing and taping is too much work for lazy ol’ me. :-)
June 27, 2010 at 11:14 am
Nikole
The wastage of paper with burda patterns has always been a problem for me but I’ve downloaded a couple anyway. I’ve always wanted to try this pattern so thanks for the heads up.
I with you on the drafting, if you’re gonna give something to beginners (or anyone for that matter) do it properly, you’re supposed to be experienced drafters and sewers.
June 27, 2010 at 11:15 am
reilly
Really nice post! I can’t imagine working as fast as you do with all of that hand-sewing!
June 27, 2010 at 11:24 am
Victoria
Fabulous skirt!
I am a fairly beginner sewer (although my Mum was/is an amazing seamstress, so I grew up seeing her sewing all the time) and even I can grasp the concept of cutting on the fold and not sewing a zip into both side-seams I have to say though, that I do, as a novice, prefer too much information than too little.
June 27, 2010 at 11:26 am
Rebecca
Lovely skirt. I’m on a navy and white kick right now. I have yet to make a burdastyle pattern because I think it is ridiculous that they waste so much paper.
June 27, 2010 at 11:30 am
Hoosiermama
51 pieces of paper for a simple skirt–this is not a small quibble. Burdastyle needs to get their act together on this. I have not (yet) tried downloading one of their patterns, and the thought of all that wasted paper would definitely deter me from it unless I was seriously crazy about a particular design, which seldom happens. (If a skirt takes 51 sheets, how much would a dress or a pair of pants take?!)
June 27, 2010 at 11:33 am
lorrwill
Awesome awesome skirt. I love knock offs, espeically ones that improve on the original and yours defntely did that.
Thanks oh selfish one for the tip about applying the seam tape/lace by hand and then doing the invisible hem. I have a nice sateen skirt with a yucky ridge at the hem; I think I know what the problem is now.
Burda Style – don’t get me started. I hear you about constructive criticism being the attacked. I only when there once on that forum. I helped lead to why I know longer use Burda Style.
June 27, 2010 at 11:42 am
Claudine
Lovely skirt. I love the bias yoke and it looks fab with the yellow shoes.
June 27, 2010 at 11:46 am
Ana
Burda does seem to come with caveats. I printed out a downloaded pattern at what my print dialogue box said was 100% only to find that printed pattern was at 110% (my 10cm test square measured 11cm).
And talking about waste, I made a dress from a Burda Style magazine a couple of weeks ago and was really shocked to see how poor the pattern layout was on the fabric. Fabric is not cheap, yet there would have been a good 6 inches to spare around every piece had I laid out the pieces as shown in the instructions. I’m used to buying a little less that patterns say they need but I had a whole yard left over, which is really idiotic in my view.
On the plus side – great skirt, love those shoes!
June 27, 2010 at 11:46 am
Angie R
Fabulous skirt, IA that yours is better than BR’s. I love lace hem tape as well. I have tons of it in every color from thrifting.
I’m concerned about the waste of paper so I’ve only printed one BS pattern (at work, LOL).
June 27, 2010 at 11:48 am
Anonymous
I love hemming lace too, I’m old enough that I was taught to use it when I first began sewing, and watched it fall by the wayside as RTW turn and stitch methods became popular. It really works well to reduce bulk and I like the bit of retro detail it adds.
I am NOT a fan of PDF patterns, and I regret that the trend is going that way. I guess it does allow for more designers and more patterns to be made available. I don’t like sorting and matching all those sheets of paper just so I can retrace in my fav tracing medium.
I see so many ‘mistakes’ being made in online tutorials and patterns because the writer is self-taught and reasonably new to sewing but talented, do you think the pattern draft issues you ran into are well-intentioned but naive?
June 27, 2010 at 11:55 am
Cindy
I love your skirt! Is your fabric from Vogue? I am in Chicago–I believe, you are too. Thanks for sharing! I might be a copycat. Also, I have made a few Burdastyles. I ended up printing at a print shop but they each cost 18 bucks! Convenient yet expensive! I am not sure which route is better.
June 27, 2010 at 12:15 pm
Belly
Beautiful skirt, better than the original (but their idea of matching it with yellow is epic).
I agree about the paper waste. It’s a shame, and it makes me think twic before using their patterns (which is a shame, b/c they’re cute and inexpensive), and does npt suit the indie, eco spirit of the crowd they’re seeking.
June 27, 2010 at 12:27 pm
Beth (SunnyGal Studio)
I think not using the “cut on the fold” is shameful – how are people going to learn proper techniques, and move on to more intricate patterns if they are treated like idiots.
As for the hem lace. It is invaluable, particularly for wools. it just disappears into the fabric, your hand stitches have room to shift a bit and so no line across your hem. I have become a garage sale scrounge, and so feel triumphant when I find a old unopened package, with the original 15 cents price tag. Makes me like it all the more.
June 28, 2010 at 1:05 pm
Martina
I grew up using hem lace…I always narrowly zigzag it to the hem allowance (right at the very edge) and then handstitch it invisibly. It is great stuff. My other go-to finish is to machine stitch a straight line about a half inch from the edge, and then pink. The pinked edge doesn’t fray, and it’s flat enough that it never shows through.
June 27, 2010 at 12:31 pm
Beangirl
Well, I personally think that BurdaStyle website/forum/whatever-the-hell-it’s-supposed-to-be is about as neato as the fifth level of hell (and I go there about as often as I plan on going to said fiery inferno), but this is a very cute skirt and, as mentioned above, much nicer than the RTW.
Also, why should pattern companies resist stooping to the lowest common denomator when (apparently) no other part of our society does? You’re probably expecting too much of them. Perhaps because you think people related to sewing in some way Should Be Better. I fall for that kind of wishful thinking a lot too. It’s just another drop in the constant stream of disappointment that is life.
(No, I’m not hormonal. Why do people keep asking me that??)
(OK fine. Maybe a little hormonal.)
June 27, 2010 at 12:44 pm
Anonymous
Great skirt! I am thankful my husband owns a copy shop – he has no idea how many patterns ‘he’ has printed for me! Looks like he’ll be printing me another one tomorrow!!!
June 27, 2010 at 1:00 pm
Summer
BurdaStyle bothers me, with their zealots not allowing any constructive criticism. The site is not very professional in many ways, as you demonstrated, and the organizers don’t seem to care. The whole test square thing never seems to work, instruction files are corrupted, drafting problems. Blah. I’m happy to use my existing paper patterns, Burda mag and draft my own.
June 27, 2010 at 1:40 pm
Alethia
Love the skirt. As far of downloading patterns, yeah you are on target, too much paper and I am not sure is cost efficient.
June 27, 2010 at 1:43 pm
Jacqui
Very cute skirt! I have the Twinkle Sews book it comes from and it’s interesting to see that they haven’t managed to fix ANY of the issues of the patterns from that book by transferring it to BurdaStyle. I’d just assumed that when I got around to making it I’d print it off from there and hopefully it would work better than the patterns from the book. Just to make you feel better about the whole process let me tell you about printing a pattern off from the book’s CD. Each size is a different file, so you have to find it amongst all the other size files for every outfit in the book and each comes in .pdf or an Illustrator formats. Then you print it off. The top I printed was 80-odd pages. The pdf is only for US Letter and the rest of the world uses A4 near as I can figure, so you will be printing at 93% to fit it on. The Illustrator files can be altered for A4 but not many people have access to it. Then you print it off and discover that there are no matching symbols and you have to eyeball where the lines should join up and get the curves just right. I went through a whole roll of sticky tape. Nothing is cut on the fold, even large symmetrical top pieces. Needless to say the resulting pattern pieces are huge and unwieldy. I printed it off for free at work but if I were doing it commercially at say 20 cents a page (or even at 10 cents) I might as well go out and buy a pattern where all the work has been done for me and save myself the massive effort. I tell you what, a pattern had better be pretty damn special to justify the amount of work to do it this way and I think people often ignore the fact that it’s not much cheaper either.
June 27, 2010 at 2:32 pm
Linda L
Really nice knock off of the BR skirt. Looks great and love the yellow shoes!
June 27, 2010 at 2:42 pm
katikando
I completely agree with you on the waste of paper and oversimplicity of the pattern downloads, I suggested to BS a few years ago that they allow you to print only your size, it would save the user ink, paper and frustration (and allow them to buy more patterns) I personally don’t download the patterns as often now that I’m a more experienced sewer because I find the oversimplicity annoying.
June 27, 2010 at 3:05 pm
Handmade
Excellent skirt – I am intrigued by the hemming lace – I have not come across it – I don’t quite understand how you used it, could you elaborate?
That paper waste is ridiculous – and not on the fold – blah!
Anyway, super cute skirt!
June 27, 2010 at 3:23 pm
kathleen
Your skirt is much nicer than Banana Republic’s skirt! I hate wasting paper too- they probably never actually printed it out themselves to see so they don’t know how much it uses. They didn’t test – or if they did shame on them. Now I need a polka dot skirt!
June 27, 2010 at 3:43 pm
stitchywitch
I love the fabric – I agree that the BR skirt is appalling in the back – they didn’t even try to match the print! I’ve never used hem tape either, though I do have some in my sewing kit… maybe I should give it a try (I love how it looks on your skirt!)
June 27, 2010 at 3:50 pm
anke
I’ve been reading your blog for a while and I have to agree with you on the pattern instructions. I recently rediscovered an old pattern book of my grandma’s. Obviously, it was written in a time when most everyone learned to properly sew in home ec, so there are literally NO unnecessary instructions – which led to some experimenting on my part but also lots of experience gained, and a lovely sixties blouse so far =)
June 27, 2010 at 4:26 pm
arnysews
I am a Burda size 46 so I don’t have quite so much wasted paper :)
June 27, 2010 at 5:25 pm
Meredith P
Oh my, do I love your polka dot skirt! Promise you’ll post again when you get your yellow top! Please?!
June 27, 2010 at 5:28 pm
Meredith P
Meant to ask, is the cat taking your pics now? Or perhaps the photographer hasn’t left the premises yet :-)
June 27, 2010 at 6:00 pm
Curry
Love the skirt!
June 27, 2010 at 6:29 pm
Denise
I’m with you on the waste. Further, there’s the toner cost. So, really, it isn’t free. Why doesn’t Burda offer these patterns in their store catalog, so those of us who don’t want to waste time, paper, ink can just buy the pattern?
You look adorable in the skirt, though. And thanks for sharing the hem tape advice.
June 27, 2010 at 7:11 pm
cape owner
Lovely skirt! And you wear it so well! Yours is so much nicer than the BR one, especially in the back.
The arrogance of Wenlan toward home sewers is beyond me. The wasted paper, the poor instructions, the mistakes. Whatever. I’ll never buy any of her books.
Beth (Sunnygal): Cut-on-the-fold is actually not a proper technique. It’s an amateur/lBetty HomeEc technique. Professional designers and pattern makers never design “cut on the fold” pattern pieces. Since Wenlan is a professional designer (not a home sewing patterns designer), it makes sense that she designed the pattern this way.
June 27, 2010 at 7:28 pm
Shara
The skirt is great! The shoes are amazing! This is a great look for you! I take my patterns to a local printer and spend 7 bucks to have it printed one piece. Do not all of the patterns have this option?
June 27, 2010 at 8:28 pm
Gail
Stunning skirt. Australia has a new female Prime Minister. I noticed in one of the photo gallery shots that she was wearing a black and white large polka dot skirt. Definitely the new power look!
June 27, 2010 at 8:44 pm
Rose in SV
Great job with the skirt! I agree–your version looks better than the BR version. Thank you for showing the hem tape. I have some and I keep forgetting to use it.
Rose in SV
June 27, 2010 at 9:18 pm
fangaroni
Your skirt is very lovely! Way better than the inspiration photo and looks good with yellow shoes! About the Twinkle A-line skirt – ughh it was the first skirt I ever made, but even then I saw the pattern pieces were off, the instructions made no sense and the amount of pages needed was ridiculous. I print patterns from Burdastyle only on scrap paper that I’ve saved up, and also print at the level that uses the least ink, but still printing paper patterns is quite a resource waster.
June 27, 2010 at 10:01 pm
Catherine
Lovely skirt, and I love the lace hem idea. I read this blog for sewing tips like this.
About the waste of paper with Burdastyle – what I do is use used paper that has been printed on one side only, and just put it in the printer wrong side up. I generate so much one-sided copies at work that it’s a relief to be able to re-use it.
June 27, 2010 at 10:03 pm
kaitui_kiwi
The back of your skirt looks so much nicer though, they lined their print up so badly! The Twinkle skirt with side zipper works so much better with the print. Oh and I totally agree with you for the paper wastage in that pattern, I ended up putting all the pdfs together in photoshop and I cut the back in half for cutting on the fold because I noticed that too. I was then able to print it on 1 large sheet more efficiently, but I’m just lucky I have access to that kind of stuff.
June 27, 2010 at 11:55 pm
twistofdynamite
I actually own that BR skirt! Bought it for $4 at a thrift store a few months ago. LOVE it. And you’re right–it is a silk blend. Your version looks fantastic though. Nicely done.
June 28, 2010 at 1:18 am
senaSews
Fantastic skirt. It looks so fun and flirty – great job!
June 28, 2010 at 5:24 am
Jali
Your skirt definitely looks better than the original. I am completely dumbstruck looking at the similarity of the fabric print.
I can’t bring myself to print out any of the BurdaStyle patterns for use and its not because I am too lazy to arrange and paste the papers together as well. Can’t quite reconcile how I would get a free pattern and waste a significant portion of a ream of paper on these. A lot of pattern companies use lightweight paper/tissue don’t they. I would think that this is better for the environment.
June 28, 2010 at 5:55 am
Melanie
Absolutely adore your skirt. So much better than the RTW. The back seam on that RTW was a disaster! Love the bias yolk on yours.
June 28, 2010 at 6:28 am
Lydia
I love your skirt. You do such lovely and neat work. I’m inspired everytime I read your blog. I agree with you about the waste of paper. I either compost the scissored scraps or put them in the recycle bin but I wish the patterns were more judiciously laid out to begin with. Keep being selfish – I love it!
June 28, 2010 at 7:32 am
meli88a
Seriously cute skirt! I would have been afraid to try wearing big polka dots, but you really pull them off!
June 28, 2010 at 8:20 am
Catherine
Super cute! I’ve got a very similar material but it’s white on navy and I’ve been thinking a skirt is just the thing for it. This is great inspiration – thanks for sharing!
June 28, 2010 at 9:28 am
Funnygrrl
I picked up the same fabric but made it into a short jacket. Looks great as a skirt too. Very nice.
June 28, 2010 at 9:31 am
AnaJan
I like your post very much. Love the skirt, but I love the criticism as well. I’ve noticed that BurdaStyle patterns waste a lot of paper, without any real need for that. However, I have to say I was surprised by one member’s lack of perception. She used a dress pattern I posted. On my pictures, it was a maxi dress, but I intentionally cropped the pattern to a knee length, in order to save some paper. I didn’t think there was a need to emphasize something as obvious as the fact that the pattern’s length was cropped. Yet the member I’ve mentioned cut the fabric following the pattern as it was and was stunned by the dress’ length.
The moral here is that some people do take things (and patterns) for granted.
June 28, 2010 at 10:20 am
Jennifer
Very pretty! I think it looks much better than the RTW one! The BR RTW skirt is very cute, and before learning to sew the back seam never would have bothered me…but now it sticks out like a sore thumb at me. You know they are asking an arm and a leg for that skirt at their store, and that shows that the quality is not nearly as good as what you can do yourself. Good job! I love the hem tape too! I buy it for every single dress/skirt I make. I use the machine for sewing it to the edge and then do a blind hemstitch for the hem. Unfortunately, the last garment I made, the stitches still stuck out a bit. I plan to go and fix it as soon as I get a better color thread. I am way too lazy to actually hand sew anything unless I have to though!
By the way, if you have Target close to you…they have a bunch of cardigans in the Merona label for $19.99 I believe. I know they have a gorgeous punchy yellow because I almost bought it last time I was in there! :)
June 28, 2010 at 12:16 pm
Susan - KnittersDelight
All the paper has been one of the reasons I haven’t done one of their online patterns yet. You skirt was certainly worth it, though. I buy hem tape all of the time, but never use it….that’s going to change, now.
June 28, 2010 at 2:45 pm
Amanda S.
Your newest addition is super cute. I have the book “Twinkle Sews” which includes this design, and is probably the source from which they got said pattern. Not one piece of any of the patterns in the book are cut-on-the-fold. Which is dumb and uses way too much paper. But if you want someone to blame, I’d blame Wenlan. Of course I’ve not yet made any Burdastyle patterns yet, so this could be typical waste from them.
June 28, 2010 at 3:52 pm
Karen
I love love love that polka dot skirt! You are so talented! I may have to look at the Twinkle Sews book! I also love the side zip idea. So much better than a back zip!
June 28, 2010 at 4:01 pm
Tasia
I love hem tape! Looks so pretty and adds a special touch. I’ve stocked up on a neutral taupe-y colour to use on everything. Your skirt version is much nicer than the BR skirt!
Agree about the burdastyle patterns, free is great but I’d be using the ‘home office’ printer and wasting all the office paper…which would get me in the bad books I’m sure. I liked the tip of printing on the opposite side of scrap paper, that’s a good way to be less wasteful! 51 pages is a LOT for a lil skirt like that!
June 28, 2010 at 4:36 pm
Your stitching links of the day « Green apples
[…] series on the fashion of Mad Men? It’s a must read for fans of the period! – The Selfish Seamstress makes me jealous with her awesome polka dot skirt! Happy […]
June 28, 2010 at 7:58 pm
BeckyW
I see why you are called Selfish. You seem to get all the perfect fabric for yourself. I am not jealous (yes, I am)!
Love your skirt. I downloaded the pattern. You were dead on about the sheer volume of paper – horrible. If only I could find such perfect fabric.
June 29, 2010 at 4:31 am
Nancy K
Nothing is really free, is it? That’s a lot of trees. If you hadn’t used a patterned fabric you would never have noticed until after you’d sewn the skirt. I’d rather trace than print out so many pages. Much less paper used. I also like to tissue fit, and paper taped together is not conducive to this technique. I downloaded one pattern from them and have yet to tape it together.
June 29, 2010 at 5:05 am
Angela
Cute skirt!! I love the polka dots! I downloaded this pattern as well but didn’t want to waste paper printing it. 51 pages? I didn’t realize they were full pattern pieces… I didn’t know they even made patterns like that.
June 29, 2010 at 8:57 am
Amy
I’m green with envy over that skirt!
It’s a shame that the way the pattern is prepared ended up wasting so much paper.
June 29, 2010 at 10:58 am
ali
love the skirt!
July 1, 2010 at 7:20 am
amber
That is so freaking fabulous! You know I love all of the pretty things that you sew, but this is one of my new favorites. I want it in MY closet!
May 3, 2012 at 9:33 am
From Coffee Date to Knockoff Kate: Selfish copies the Kate Spade polka dot “Jillian” dress « The Selfish Seamstress
[…] I don’t know on what blog or website I first saw the dress, but I am sure that the picture above is the first one I saw, and the one I fell for. I don’t think I would have gotten quite so excited over it if I had only seen the modeled dress. Subsequent research on the dress revealed a slightly more sedate, less flared skirt than I had expected as well as a rather polka-dot-disruptive back seamed skirt that I wanted to avoid (as I had done before when knocking off other polka dot garments). […]
June 19, 2012 at 12:48 pm
Subtire, de vara :) | fabrix.ro
[…] 1. Polka Dot Skirt courtesy of Selfishseamstress […]
July 6, 2015 at 1:25 pm
Shauna
I absolutely love this skirt. I am looking for this fabric to have a skirt made. Can you tell me where you got the fabric please?
Shauna