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After reading lots of blogs about having a TNT (Tried And True) pattern,

I decided to find one for myself.

I chose the easiest garment to make—A Skirt!

The idea was simple: find a pattern I liked, make it fit,

then add (or subtract) design details to create the skirts I wanted.

So, I started with the essential, flattering-to-everyone A-line skirt.

I started with McCalls 3341:

I measured my hips and traced that size onto freezer paper.

Then, I measured my hips, waist, waist-to-hip, and high hip.

I compared these to the actual measurement of the paper pattern (plus ease),

I added a little here and there and cut out my adjusted pattern.

Since my first skirt was to be a muslin

(a trial run for you non-sewists out there),

I hated to use any fabric from my stash.

So, I snitched the plaid from the skirt of this dress

that was handed to me “in case you can use the fabric”.

I made this skirt, just as the pattern instructed.

For a review of the pattern, please see my review on PR.

It fit beautifully and made a great wardrobe addition for the winter.

The easiest way to tweak a skirt is to take it from

fitted to an elastic-waist gathered skirt.

So, I traced my new TNT pattern onto freezer paper

leaving out the darts and

placing the center back on the edge of the paper

eliminating the center back seam.

I also added a little extra at the top so I could make a

casing for my elastic waist. Here’s skirt #2:

(sorry about the crooked picture)

Remember my spring wish list?

Well, skirt #3 is my knock-off.

This one was fun to create on paper.

You can get the details in my PR review.

One other exciting bit about this skirt:

I installed my first invisible zipper.

Y’all never told me how easy it was!!!

And it looks so pretty.

Much nicer than:

Moving on…

Skirt # 4: My Spring Fun Skirt

This one was made like Skirt #2.

I did add a little extra fabric by placing the

“PLACE ON FOLD” mark about 1 inch from the fold.

And then there’s the Dolce & Gabanna skirt

I saw on their site earlier this year.

You can read the process for Skirt #5

on the PR review if you are interested.

And yes, it has an invisible zipper.

Last, but not least, there’s skirt #6.

I’ve been drooling over all the cotton lawn in

the Liberty of London line that’s out at Target.

So, I hiked into Hancock’s to see what

I could find in a cotton lawn.

Not much. Anyway…

I loved the way the fabric draped, and

that inspired me to make the ruffle.

This skirt is lined with a rayon lining and

has an elastic, gathered waist.

So, there you have it,

my crazy skirt project.

Proof that I’ve been sewing.

I have more ideas and more fabric ready to go.

If you live in the Shreveport/Bossier Area

and would learn how to take a skirt pattern

and tweak it like I’ve done,

check out this class at LSUS.