Marfy 9263 size 48 Completed!!! Attack of the Dog Roses

Another project done....well I actually finished this project a year ago (July 2011) but didn't get to document it until now because of 2 failed hard drives and lost data but we are getting it back slowly.

Okay, so, as you know Marfy patterns aren't for beginners but skirts are quite easy to put together if you

1. Follow and match points of letters to letters and notches from each piece
2. Add all seam allowances and hem allowances
3. Use the company's visual reference picture
4. Translate the concise instructions of the pattern piece if you can
5. Rely on your experience to put it together or consult some books if you want

I love skirts and this style was sooo cute and summery I just couldn't resist it.  I believe it may only be available by email request now through Marfy alone.  I don't know which year this was catalogued in, but check it out, it may stll be available (as of 2012).

Here is the visual reference from the company:

(I had to scan my printed file here because I did lose this original file)
*Now, looking at this reference, you got to hand it to the company for having an imagination for trendy awesome clothing. I see here in the seam of the top half and the flounce that there is a idea to stitch on a chain stitch, feather stitch or fly stitch, not to mention a hand stitched running stitch for aesthetics*

Now, I am aware that some newer and specialized machines can sew a running stitch which would save time, but doing it by hand is just as effective and costs pennies.

Can you imagine I may have done more than that?  You bet I did.  Not only did I sew a running top stitch, I also hand stitched a heavy chain stitch along the seam line and embroidered a mess of wild roses growing into each other along the flounce hem line.  What's a life without challenges?

Anyway, here are the pics:




Heavy chain stitch with perle thread

Wild roses on the first third of the flounce

Wild rose of white variety on the back of the flounce

Rose of local variety at home(R. nutkana) on last third of flounce



Finished skirt!!!

Well, along with this skirt came a waist band.  I used sew-in interfacing as I always do.  I also made this skirt out of a light plain weave cotton that isn't that opague in one layer,so, I have to wear a slip for modesty reasons. As for the colour scheme except Rosa nootkana, I had to make several photos of wild roses at the college so I can get my colour blending to meet certain criteria, and hopefully at the smaller size to look somewhat real.

And, don't forget the invisible zipper in cream colour sewn into the left side.  I only used a 1 cm allowance here.

Well, that is this Marfy skirt completed in 3 weeks.

Thanks!
(BTW, I know this skirt is wrinkled.  I have been wearing it a lot with the few hours of whole sun days we have every year)

Simplicity 5259 Skirt completed!!

Yay!  It's done.

This is my second skirt from this pattern that I made.  This one is View F with the slit in the left front.  This was a very easy skirt to make, but in my case it always takes longer because I tend to do a lot of thread painting on my pieces which can stall a project for up to 3 weeks depending on my work or school schedules, so I usually give it a good 3 weeks to finish the handiwork anyway.

Looking at the envelope, the finished project is supposed to look like the one featured on the front, so,

And I made mine in black, not fushia(YUCK!!)

I had an idea come to me as I was thinking of making view F and thought about putting a white flower above the slit on the left front along the seam line.  I have lots of books with projects of white flowers and I came across one that I copied (with minor alterations to leaf structure)from Trish Burr's Redoutes Finest Flowers in Embroidery, that was labelled Le Lys Blanc and I had to do this one.  So for reference, here is the book front cover, in case anyone is familiar with it:

So, in having a nice white flower on the front it gave it a nice contrast which is what I was going for.  I did make some substitutions for colour schemes in the buds of the lillies, and I also didn't pad the work for dimension because I figured it would be kind of messy when it comes to dry cleaning time.

For this project I used:

1.5m of cotton twill in black
DMC embroidery floss in off white, ecru, optic white, varying shades of green, yellow, orange
1- 18cm invisible zipper (black)
black thread(I love JP Coats-always works for me)
black serging thread (if needed)
black medium weight sew-in interfacing for facing at waist level.

Now, onto the actual pictures:

Step 1:

Put the skirt fronts together.  DO NOT sew the 2 back halves to the fronts yet.  Finish the seam where the embroidery is going to go.  When you work on areas that have not been finished, you will lose your fabric to fraying.

Step 2:

Prepare your image on your fabric by using a trace of the flower.  Pin trace onto the fabric and use an appropriate fabric pen or pencil.  Since I have  black fabric, I need to use a white marker that will mark finer lines.  DO NOT use tailors chalk.  It's too thick. I suppose a tracing wheel might work but we got some very small detailing and fuddy-duddy areas, so, no.

Pin tracing paper onto the spot where you want

Step 3:

Start embroidering!!  Whatever method you use, it doesn't matter.  Make sure your hoop is drum tight.




Progress

 



Progress








Finished!

 

Step 4:

BASTE FIRST BEFORE SEWING PERMANENT STITCHS!!!

Sew in the invisible zipper in the centre back.  I always use invisible zippers on skirts because they are very easy to install.  When dealing with commercial patterns, they always give you 1.5cm allowance.  I usually use a wide serge finish that actually measures 0.5cm(5 mm), so, in placing the zipper in the centre back, all that needs to be done is setting the edge of the zipper tape with the serge finish.  This will only work if your serge is 5 mm, otherwise, readjustments need to be made. 

Now, when I sew Marfy patterns, sometimes I only add 1cm allowance for invisible zippers, which by itself is enough for invisible zippers, but commercial patterns have a lot of extra "room", so, that's why  do what I do with commercial patterns

Baste in the zipper.   I line up the zipper tape with the edge of the serge finish to line up the seam below zipper

Step 5:

Apply interfacing to the facing along the waist area. 

Since this pattern originally intended the outcome to be unlined, we need the facing. If you want to line this puppy, all that needs to be done is reverse the skirt front and back for the lining right sides and sew together as you would with the fashion fabric.  Then, since you are sewing the lining to the bottom part of the facing, you may need to cut the top part of each skirt front and back below the top so that the distance will match the bottom distance of the facing.  I think the top of the skirt isn't as wide, so I will get back on that later, and I will explain more in detail.

Otherwise, I left this unlined because I didn't have anything of aesthetic value to add to this, nor do I have enough of what I had.

***I will line this.  WHY?  It will preserve the life of the embroidery from wear and tear.  I am on it!!!***

Step 6:

As for the hem, it is a simple matter.  3.2cm(1-1/4 inch) standard hem from commercial companies is common, so I don't have a fancy blind hemmer machine and I can't get my blind hemmer stitch on my machine to be of any use to me,  so I hand stitch it.  It is so fast!  It looks like a cross between a herringbone stitch and a whip stitch, but it works!

The slanted hem stitch from R to L because I am a southpaw



And that sums up this project.

Bye for now!!  Stay tuned for the lining!!!