Failure and Success: Vintage Kwik Sew 626

Maybe you have figured this out, but I’m not very good at following patterns.  Usually, I have no intention of actually following the pattern and use the prefrabricated pieces as a guide for cutting and nothing more.  This time, I whole heartedly planned to follow the rules of sewing and make the pattern properly.  

I tried, really I did.

It all started out with this vintage Kwik Sew 626.  I thrifted it several years ago (envelope in much better condition) because I wanted to make the blouse.  However, when I got it home, only the skirt pieces were in the envelope.  So it just sat in the drawer until now.

When I started this project, I thought I wanted a nice, plain Jane, everybody’s got them kind of skirt.  The grey rayon/poly suiting in my stash seemed like just the thing.  So, I got started resizing the pattern.  Here is where the problem started.  

Since I was resizing the pattern anyway, I decide to just go ahead and add 9 inches to the lenth.  I love a long skirt.  

Then I widened the waist band…heaven knows why.  Because I could?

I resisted the urge to add inseam or patch pockets.  

When I went to cut out my pattern, I discovered that by lenthing the skirt I no longer had enough fabric to cut it on the bias like the pattern instructed.  No worries.  My fabric had more than enough drape on it’s own.  

After that, I was a good obedient seamstress for awhile.  I was actually patting myself on the back for the minimal adjustments I had made.  I even stuck to Kwik Sews rediculiously tiny 1/4 inch seam allowance!  

Then it was time to try on my skirt for heming.  It was so boring!  I can go for the librarian look, but this was 1850’s orphanage matron.  Not my vibe.  

I knew I would never wear it as is, so I grabbed a lenth of black broad cloth I thrifted this past fall and set about cutting strips for ruffles.  I cut a very generous ruffle.  So generous, that my husband actually voiced doubts about rather I could make it fit around the hem of my skirt.

Don’t try me, babe.

After I serged the skirt hem, I applied the ruffle leaving the edges raw to fray.  Even then, it wasn’t quite enough so I stitched a random button from my stash at the conjunction of each ruffle segment.  

Perfection!  

I’ve worn it 3 times in the past week, styled differently each time.  Now I am planning a high-low over-skirt to add yet another option.