2019: Burda skirt with pattern tetris

**This is a combination of past writing and current tutorial, if the tenses seem off to you.**


Aka, how I wrangled a skirt out of not enough fabric. 

In 2019 I got annoyed constantly looking at one of my cotton sateen scraps so I decided I was ready to make that into a skirt.  I’m so pleased with the outcome!  I couldn’t fit all 7 pieces on the fabric (only 6), so I did some fancy piecing with the side fronts and I’m pleased it worked.  I’m so happy that my sewing and problem-solving skills are so developed so that this is now easy and possible for me.  It opens up so many more possibilities.  And I got to use up some black silk/cotton scraps, which is a win.  I’ll write a tutorial on how I did this, as it’s worth sharing and repeating! 

The skirt is quite loose, being stretch cotton, and I think I’ll take some width from the centre front panel in due course (which I recall, I did). 

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Originally from Clegs, this floral sateen had already become a wardrobe staple as a New Look pleated skirt. I had enough to do something with it – and on the heels of the success of my princess seamed skirt, I thought I could make this work. 

You can see that I had enough width in my fabric to lay 5 out of the 7 pieces across, and fit one more piece on the extension, and have space for waistbands. 

I realised I could overlap two pieces on that extension, and perhaps piece those pieces to make this work. Something in my mind clicked and thought back to a David Lawrence skirt I have, with diagonal detailing on the side fronts and side backs. 

The best part of making a pattern multiple times? You can try a prior version on, pin fabric to it, and play out your ideas. It gives you confidence that what you’re doing is going to work out! 

Once I was happy, I transferred my ideas onto the pattern, and then set about creating a new set of pattern pieces for the scraps. 

I decided to flat pipe my diagonal lines to highlight the design detail. 

And all went swimmingly well. 

I made an internal waistband. 

 

And was left with a very small piece of fabric. 

UFO Busting Tips

The easiest way to bust your UFO’s is just to SIT DOWN AND DO IT.  Simple.  No emotion, no pep talks, just simple time and grit and determination to get it done.  Do one step, do the next one.  Repeat until it’s finished.

  For a distraction from the non-joyous task that finishing a UFO can be, and my ruminations about it, read on below.

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  Most sewers/crafters/quilters/people with creative endeavours at some stage will end up with an unfinished object (aka, the UFO).  A large percentage of those people will end up with more than one UFO…and several amongst us with many.

There are a multitude of reasons for this, but I find that they generally fall under the categories of:

  1. Time got away from us/life interfered
  2. ADOSD aka Attention Deficit Oh, Sparkly! Disorder aka getting distracted by new patterns/fabrics/offerings, other projects that spring to mind, an upcoming social event which definitely needs a new X, project envy, helping so-and-so make 50 crafty Y’s for the school fete…etc.  A surplus of ideas and mojo and a little lack of discipline, perhaps. *Note, not a real medical condition*
  3. Shit got hard, and you don’t know how to get out of that.  It can be tricky fabrics, fear of a new steps (hello, cutting welt pockets on your first coat), fitting issues you just can’t sort, or just not knowing what to do next.  Or, just a gigantic volume of work ahead of you…climbing up that big hill without a view of the top.
  4. Mojo loss, either from a loss of clarity/hope, because the project isn’t going to turn out fabulous,  or just because sewing ain’t your thing at this present moment/month/year.
  5. Fatigue & boredom.

I’m super guilty of number 2, 3 and 5.  I have multiple ideas and just not enough staying power to see it through, one project at a time.  It’s something I’ve been thinking about quite deeply this year, so I want a record for me of what my thinking has been (and perhaps, this will be useful to you as well).

My knowledge thus far

For me, I’m at a stage of my sewing where construction wise, I pretty much can do anything.  I see sewing as a skills-based endeavour, and, as a gymnastics coach (hello technical skills analysis!), I fully embrace the idea of mastering skills.  That means I will take the time to practice welt pockets on scraps, practice my hand picked zips, do half size samples, etc all in the name of improving my sewing.  I’m a big believer that attempt 10 will be better than attempt 1, and attempt 50 will be better than attempt 10.  Progress is mechanical.

I’m also pretty good at taking an idea, and being able to adjust a pattern to incorporate it.  One of my hobbies is jigsaw puzzles, and I’m pretty good at problem solving.

My current weaknesses are fit related, especially with my body, which has in the last year changed dramatically.  I actually fit into RTW sizing quite well for my upper body – yet in patterns, the bust darts and shoulders/sleeves are always oh-so-wrong.  My brain struggles with geometry and trying to reverse engineer wrinkles, and I just don’t have the confidence that what changes I’m making are right (and the knowledge to see what else they will affect).

My brain’s journey thus far

  • Experiencing the couture sewing approach with Susan Khalje in the last 2 years has shown how much there is a solution for every problem, and that nothing is too complex…it can all be broken down into steps.
  • Anne Whalley wrote a blog post last year that COMPLETELY changed the way I think about sewing.  It reminded me that sewing is a cycle, and that the (or the most major?) point of buying fabric is to sew it up so you can wear it!  (Of course, having it displayed as a wall hanging/art is also a great use).  It puts into writing thoughts I had had, but never been able to articulate, and offers some commiserations.  I particularly love the idea of the romance between you and your fabric!  (Who puts a hot date in a cupboard?!).  I’ve printed this out and stuck it on my wall.
  • On New Year’s Eve for the last few years I’ve deliberately sorted through my UFO’s and made decisions on whether it’s something worth bringing into the following year.  I’ve either had the time/given it the importance to finish/fix it, or not.
  • Lladybird has a fabulous post about her sewing habits/anti UFO status, and it’s a brilliant discussion which I come back to constantly.  She definitely can produce volume (as well as quality), and so reading her stance on UFO’s-killing-productivity is intriguing.  Her commitment to discipline is inspiring.
  • Similarly, Mel at Poppykettle put up an IG post asking ‘are-you-in-the-1-project-at-a-time-only, or multiple-projects-at-once-camp?’.  Thinking fodder for me…and without accusing anyone in the ‘multiples’ camp (which I’m in, BTW!), I did notice that those in the multiples camp appeared, via social media, to produce less.
  • Do I fall into the multiples camp, because I aim to sew a garment from start to end, or do I just like doing certain tasks?  In particular, I like tracing, cutting layouts, being creative, sewing seams and pressing…is the other stuff just far too boring?
  • What are my roadblocks and why?  What are the commonalities?  Could I track this, identify them, and then figure out ways to prevent/manage the task better?
  • Can I write down every step I need to take to finish the garment?  *I constantly find that struggling to make a decision on the design or method can slow you down big time.  ESPECIALLY when couture sewing.*
  • Am I someone who actually COULD stick to 1 garment at a time?  Would it make me a better sewer, or complete more garments?  Would it fulfill the needs that sewing does?  Would I feel trapped and pressured by it, and would the end result be worth it?
  • What are the benefits of having no UFOs?  Does it feel good?  Is it good?  How long do those feelings/satisfactions last?

Practical Tips

  1. Just do it.  Literally.  Stop avoiding, just do it, and yes it’s not going to be the greatest enjoyment of your life.  But every step you take is one step closer to finished.
  2. Done is better than perfect.  Every sewer is on a learning curve.  Accept this, and know the next one will benefit from this experience.
  3. Chunk your projects, and use small amounts of time with a high frequency.  Helpful: writing down each step that needs to be taken (post it on your wall!) so you can see the journey you need to take.  Putting a timer on your phone…I bully myself it 10 minutes of complete focus.  After that, I can keep going if I wish, or I can walk away.  (A great one for running!).  I use 20 minutes on/5 off a lot as well.
  4. You’ll most likely want some hand-holding, mojo and support from others, so go find it!  My favourite mantras: What gets done early, stays done…less emo(tional), more robo(tical)…do the worst first and the rest seems easy.  I also constantly google various phrases: ‘ufo busting’, ‘how to be more productive’, ‘what is hard work’, ‘the grind’, etc.  There’s a wealth of information and perspectives out there.  Also, bringing your friends into it…whether it’s posting on the sewing FB page “On a 24 hour UFO completing mission!” and asking for support (I’ve done this!  I got a cheersquad, AND it inspired another lady to finish something of her own – which I’m so proud of her for!).  Or, building your friends into a positive reward, e.g. going for a walk after putting yourself through 30 minutes of pain, etc.  Sewing does not have to be a solo activity.  (You could even host a UFO busting meet up!).
  5. Similarly, ASK FOR HELP.  I find IG a quick and talent-filled world, and so willing to offer help/advice/support.  My IG is sewing-people only, so that helps make it the right world for me.  Google is also your friend – sewing forums, sewing blogs, youtube, etc.  Reword your query to maximise resources.
  6. View completing the UFO as another chance to practice your skills.  You may have no desire to keep the end garment, but Vinnies doesn’t want an unfinished project either.  Someone else may love and wear your garment, so imagine them and make it a glorious find for them.  Also, as you’re giving it away, it’s permission to tolerate small mistakes.
  7. Make tough decisions.  Putting it back in the cupboard doesn’t solve your problem, it just delays a solution.  It creates dead space in your storage.  Similarly, know when to give up.  It’s your time, your money, your investment, so it’s your decision about whether it’s worth it to you to keep going.  You’re not cutting corners learning heart surgery (and thus affecting someone’s chances of living!), you’re involved in a hobby for your own enjoyment.  Determine your own stance of whether you’d be ok with putting your project in landfill?  (In Sydney, Achieve Australia will take projects in most states to re-use for quilts etc).  Will someone else finish it instead of you?  (Rare!).  Do you want to salvage the hardware (zips etc) and give the scraps to the local primary school’s art department?  Make a decision and stick with it, and enjoy it guilt free.  Just learn from it so you can avoid a repeat experience.

Likely I will adjust this post for clarity and any extra thoughts that come to mind.  Feel free to leave comments/start a discussion with your own views.