Sew a Circle Skirt in 2 hours that looks great
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Birch Street Clothing's Trumpet Skirt & Blouse pattern is a must for your modest sewing pattern collection. The skirt is a full circle skirt with a yoke. It drapes with such grace you won't believe it's so easy to sew! Not counting cutting and hemming, the sewing took me 1 1/2 hours, including finishing seams without a serger. The finished product is really beautiful.
I found the trumpet blouse a little more challenging. For my needs I had to raise the neckline and extend the sleeves. If you need your elbows and collar bone covered, I can give you suggestions on what I did to adjust the pattern before cutting. Otherwise, I would suggest wearing a lycra shirt underneath to cover collar bone and elbows as my adjustments take away a bit of the top's looseness. I lost track of how long I spent on the blouse, as I had many interruptions. In the end, everyone thinks the blouse looks great also. I'm actually not all that happy with my alterations.
The empire waisted top would be great as an early maternity top. In fact, if you made the skirt yoke from a stretch fabric and made the top a size larger than your usual, I think this outfit would last well into pregnancy. Not being pregnant, but having an "inner tube", I think I'm not the right shape for empire waists.
The advantage of a separate top and skirt is that if you are sized larger in one than the other, you can "mix and match" sizes. I made a small top and a medium skirt. Having so many sizes in one pattern is a great value for your money.
The pattern, as most of Birch Street's patterns, comes sized from XS to XXL. The pattern is printed on standard pattern tissue, with the instructions also printed on the tissue. I cut out the instructions, pressed them, and stapled them neatly together to keep with me while sewing.
Mix and Match the Trumpet Skirt with Other Tops
Since I own other Birch Street patterns, I decided to mix and match tops and skirts. I love the Godet Skirt, but it's tons of work. So what I did for a wedding outfit was to make the Trumpet circle skirt with the Godet Vest. The Godet Vest took me all of a few hours to sew and looks very elegant. When you make these patterns in elegant fabrics, they come out as exquisite luxurious garments. You can feel comfortable in modest formal clothing.
Don't forget that sewing also means matching accessories. I bought some contrasting lycra fabric and assembled a snood with the fabric from which I made the Trumpet skirt and blouse. For my girls I often make scrunchies from the same fabric as their dress or skirt.
So if you're looking for a great circle skirt pattern, I recommend you visit Birch Street Clothing. Click for more details on the Circle Skirt Pattern.
To find a cheap circle skirt already made, try eBay.com! There's always a bargain going on at the auctions. Below are some current auctions:
