Skort in Nani Iro double gauze: gift that keeps on giving

At my recent French class lunch party a friend commented on the skort that A was wearing and asked if I took commissions...

I don't think I actually answered. The answer, for the record, is sometimes: If it suits me, if I'm interested in what it is that needs to be made, if I don't have that much else on, if I think you'll be sufficiently appreciative (not fawning, just quietly delighted will do)....

 

The idea did really appeal, and so it happened. The pattern is skort "i" from Girl's Sassy Clothes by Yuki Araki

I had made the size 90cm for A last summer and it still fits quite well. I figured the size 130cm should be plenty big enough for my friend's eight year old daughter.

 

 

Here's A's version made up in some lovely gauze with embroidered spots. The skort has had plenty of wear but I think the photo below might be the only time the white After School blouse was ever worn.

 

 

My friend liked the pattern but was also quite taken with the lightness of the fabric, so I knew exactly what I had at home that I should use for her daughter's version.

My first ever piece of Nani Iro double gauze. (Naomi Ito's Herringbone Pencil in Ocean to be exact) It seemed perfect that this fabric should be sewn into a gift, as it was given to me as a gift.

Here's a rundown of how it came to be: This beautiful dress was offered up to a new home and I pounced. To keep the karma flowing I offered up some of A's dresses that no longer fit. I posted off a few parcels and back came some gift vouchers to cover postage costs, or return parcel envelopes, and even this 1 metre cut of exquisite fabric. Thanks Wagyu Burger, I love it!



The fabric had been cut a bit off grain and with the border stripe it was going to be a tricky challenge to get the pattern cut out nicely. I was pleased that I managed to use both selvedge border prints at the same height within the pattern. It's a bit weird that it happens to be exactly crotch height but there you go, win some, lose some.

The only change I couldn't avoid making was to cut the overskirt about 1 inch narrower than it should have been, but there's still plenty of gathers such that I really don't think it's noticeable.

In using a the last bit of fabric for the waistband I thought why not make a feature of the selvedge and so there is a "label" at the centre back waist!

I didn't take a picture of this part, but the pattern suggests making a little window in the waistband so that the elastic can be pulled through the hole and adjusted for length. I love that. Better than buttonhole elastic, which always rolls in my experience, and safer than guessing at a waist size and potentially getting it wrong.

By sheer luck, when I put my waistband join/opening at one side seam the selvedge label lined up perfectly at the back. Nice!

Apart from the skirt width, the other changes I made were minor ones to sewing technique. I flat felled the crotch seam for extra strength and then enclosed the waistband seam allowances for a cleaner finish.

To check the fit on an almost the same size kid, and for a bit of a laugh, I called in my best model. He was pretty reluctant and insisted on no face shots, fair enough, I only wanted to check that it would be the right size.

 

But still, he busted some moves and then fell so in love with the fabric he could have happily kept wearing the skort all day! I hope my friend's daughter feels the same way.