Lotta Skirt by Compagnie M. - Part 1

I was delighted to have been chosen to pattern test for Marte of Compagnie M. for her newly released Lotta Skirt.

 

 

The Lotta skirt is an incredibly cute, very full skirt with a flat waistband and these lovely pockets. It's all about the pocket flaps with this one, and having a little peek of some special fabric, or some really sweet buttons to pin them down.

 

I'm hardly a seasoned professional when it comes to pattern testing, but I figure the rules are this: Use fabric that's to hand, follow the instructions to the letter (even if it's not how you'd choose to do things) and find every typographical or grammatical error that can be found. Then take a few pictures to demonstrate the fit and get the feedback submitted on time.

 

Of course, when it turns out that the pattern is lovely, that just leaves you wanting to sew another in some 1st choice fabric. I've no doubt I'll make this one over, and over, and over...

 

 

These fabrics might not have been my 1st choice but they were A's, and she was sticking with them. I think she would have liked everything to be aqua (Elsa influence I suspect), but I only had scraps left from P's Travel Quilt. The main skirt fabric is some blue chambray that was gifted to me via my mother in law. It was sewn together at the corners with ribbon and I suspect it may have been a decorative table cloth of some sort.

 

 

The sewing instructions were detailed and illustrated with clear photographs. There is extra detail for how to evenly and neatly gather the front and back skirts, some nice tips for hemming, and good instructions for the invisible zipper at the back. Marte refers to her website for more detailed zipper instructions.

 

As a tester the only notations I made in the sewing instructions were those to do with language and typos. It almost seemed a shame to point them out as there was a certain charm to the translated instructions with their occasional odd Belg-lish (that's my mash-up of Belgian and English) expression.

 

 

I didn't have the best of times with my invisible zipper. I don't have (or didn't last week anyway) an invisible zipper foot, so I did borrow a few Oliver + S tricks; namely ironing the zipper open and marking the top of the zipper and the top of the skirt to keep both sides level. I'm not very happy with the top part but it was getting to the point of ridiculous to do it over again.

 

The pattern also comes with very nicely written instructions for inserting buttonholes and buttonhole elastic into each side of the back waistband. Perfect for when you try the skirt on your little one, she does that weird belly out thing kids do when instructed to stand up straight, you think it fits, then she breathes out and runs off only to have the skirt fall down. Just do up the elastic one extra buttonhole. Sorted!

 

 



There's a pattern tour going on this week, check the Compagnie M. blog for the tour links and a discount code.

You know, the Lotta skirt comes in adult sizes too, and I may just have found time to make one for me as well.....