Hello sew-friends! How are things? Would you believe that it is March and this is my first blog post of the year featuring something I made? Utterly shocking! And, at the same time, not that surprising. The delay has been part lack of time and part lack of motivation. I've been thankful to be very busy with freelance design work this year but it has cut in to my sewing time. The lack of motivation is directly cause by the lack of places to wear my makes. We're now a full year into this pandemic lockdown and I just wear the same sweatpants, leggings and sweaters every day. But, I'm feeling hopeful that we'll be able to wear our makes and enjoy the company of others in person soon.
That bit of a ramble was to explain why, on the brink of spring, I am sharing a flannel lined, winter-friendly skirt. This would have been a great skirt for Christmas but I was probably wearing sweatpants. This skirt is my Nita Wrap Skirt pattern. It's a fitted wrap skirt with a dramatic front angle. I first released this pattern back in 2016 and I updated it at the end of last year to update the sizing and branding to match the rest of my patterns. This pattern now goes from a size 0-32 for hip measurements 32-58". If you purchased the pattern directly from me, you should have already received an update. If you purchased from another seller, you can email me a copy of that receipt and I'll send you the update.
The Nita Wrap Skirt comes with a bunch of options so you can make exactly the skirt you're dreaming about. It has three lengths (mini, midi and maxi) and three closure options (button, D-ring or self tie). The one I made here is the midi length with a button closure. The closures can be mixed and matched with any length.
I made between a size 12 and 14 for this skirt. It’s fairly easy to tweak the sizing with a wrap skirt by moving the placement of the closures. I also have a video for how to move a dart in case that helps you get a better fit. You can check out that video here.
There is also an option for additional coverage where the angle of the front pattern piece has less of an angle (which means more fabric and more coverage). The additional coverage pattern piece can be used for both halves of the front skirt for maximum coverage. Or, it can be used just for one side, as I did with this skirt. If you like the style of this angled skirt but are concerned about coverage, I recommend wearing it with leggings or tights.
I was inspired to make this flannel lined skirt by one of my testers. The lining is optional and there are instructions for sewing the skirt with and without the lining. The outer fabric is fairly heavy non-stretch denim and the lining is a regular old flannel and it is really heavy and cozy. The denim was leftover from this jacket and the flannel was leftover from these pj pants. I tried to get a photo of the lining while I was wearing the skirt but they were just awkward and looked like I was trying to flash someone. lol So you’ll have to trust me that it’s a super cute lining!
I'm so glad to have a substantial stash to sew with during this pandemic! I've bought fabric online three times, for very specific purposes but otherwise I've just been working on my stash. (And on my scraps! There's been a lot of improv quilting around here.) When 2021 began, I had this loose idea of using a fabric that had been in my stash for a long time once a month, or to be more realistic, one a quarter. I call it a "deep stash fabric" btw. So far, it's a slow go. I'm hoping that as the weather warms up and the days get longer, I'll find myself spending more time in the studio, sewing away.
For this skirt, I tried a new technique of finishing the inside raw edge of the waistband with bias tape. I'm planning to share a video of this technique later this week. To be notified when the video launches, you can subscribe to my YouTube channel. You'll also be able to find this video and a bunch of other helpful posts in the Nita Wrap Skirt Sewalong.
I really like how this skirt turned out, even though it's a little late in the season. The flannel is so soft and even without wearing leggings, it was pretty warm to wear on the day I took the photos. These fabrics are heavy and a bit bulky but it works for winter. And of course, I have another unlined denim Nita Wrap Skirt that I love wearing in the summer.
This pattern is an advanced beginner level and a great way to build your sewing skills. It's a great skirt for learning how to sew a dart and use interfacing. By the way, there are tutorials for doing both those things in the sewalong. As one of my testers said, this skirt looks complicated but it's actually really easy to sew. I loved hearing that because I always try to make my patterns as simple as possible, even for things that might seem hard. If you're interested in this pattern, you can check it out below or in the shop. Happy sewing!
