I’ve been a big fan of Grainline Studio patterns for a long time but until recently had not tried the Moss Skirt. I love that their patterns are classic and oh so very wearable. The Moss Mini Skirt is no exception. It’s a classic mini skirt with angled front pockets, front zipper fly and a yoke in the back. It's just the kind of skirt that every gal needs in her wardrobe, probably in a few colors.
For the fabric, I used a small piece of grey denim that I found years ago, probably at the Michael Levine Loft store. They have big bins full of random fabrics that you buy by the pound. You never know what you’re going to find but I love checking it out. I always go there first just in case they have what I’m looking for. Anyway, it’s a simple grey denim but the right side also feels really, really soft.
I made a straight size 8, which is for waist 29 inches, hips 39 inches with 1 inch of ease in the hips when finished. I mostly followed the instructions correctly for the zipper fly but had a hard time getting the skirt over my hips. So I ended up letting out the side seams and center back seam each about a quarter of an inch. The fit is good in the hips but could narrow more at the waist (you can see a little bit of wrinkling along the yoke). My hips are pretty solidly 39 inches but my waist varies from 28-29 inches.
If I make this again, I’ll definitely make the fly front a little bit longer and will possibly make the waistband a little narrower at the back. I’ll also make the skirt longer. I can’t really remember if I made this one longer but I know I didn't have much fabric. I’m 5’11” so a little extra length is usually required. My height also affects my waist to hip length and could explain my other minor fit issues.
Even though it’s short and I won’t be wearing it to work, it is a really cute skirt to have in my wardrobe. Grey is one of my favorite colors (does it really even count as a color though? haha). It’s so easy to match with anything. Here I'm wearing my mini with a knit Lou Box Top (size M) and my favorite accessories of the summer, my wood watch and elastic strap Birkenstocks.
This is a really great pattern and I'll likely sew it again. It's a great way to practice sewing a fly front (check out Jen's tutorial here) which I feel like I can always use more practice doing. While we're talking about practice, I thought I'd mention that I usually make a wearable muslin instead of a true muslin. The wearable muslin gives me a chance to practice any techniques in the pattern and identify any trouble spots. So even if the fit doesn't turn out perfectly, I've been able to practice my sewing skills. I have a few, ok four, more Grainline patterns on the docket (Driftless Cardigan, Lark Tee, Archer shirt, Alder dress) but there's only so much time during the day. Have you tried out this pattern? What's on your summer sewing list?
