Hello, sewing friends! Shannon here, and welcome to our July book blog on Sew Serendipity: Fresh + Pretty Designs to Make and Wear by Kay Whitt. I have been wanting to make something from this book since it first came out, but it just hasn't happened yet; so, join me in a sew-along over the next few weeks as we make a Tailored Skirt (below)!
With the ease of all of Kay's patterns, this is a great project for beginners - not to mention a perfect summertime skirt to spruce up your wardrobe for the last few hot months ahead. So gather a copy of Sew Serendipity and all of your materials, and let's get started.
Before we start, you'll definitely want to take your measurements (Kay provides great guidelines for this in the front matter of Sew Serendipity) so that you know what size to make. I also highly recommend pre-washing your fabrics. If you want, you can make a muslin to practice the techniques and adjust the fit to your liking - but I'll be skipping this step.
Next Tuesday, on July 16, we'll dig into construction by preparing the waistline facings, creating the pockets and stitching the skirt panels together (steps 1-4). On July 23, we will finish piecing the skirt body and add the zipper. Then on July 30, we'll wrap things up by finishing off the hem band.
I can't wait to get sewing with you. Please be sure to share your progress in the comments as we go along, and join me for the next three Tuesdays to see how my own skirt is coming together!
Shannon Miller
Senior Editor, Sew Beautiful