Arielle Skirt

This pattern has been around our house for a long time. It required just that little bit more thought for cutting out especially as I wanted a lined version so it always fell to the bottom of the pile. 

The fabric is top quality. It was given to me last year in a donated bag from a colleague's elderly mother but I tell you what, she spent money on this. It is called 'Modern Buchanan' and is the softest of wool tartan. There was enough to make the short Arielle version and have some room for pattern matching. 

I really have come to enjoy pattern matching, it presses the button for my inner sewing geek. The buttons are vintage ones given to me as a gift in a jar and they are perfect for this smart look. If I am honest, I planned the whole skirt around these five buttons!

The skirt has a lot of pieces including all of the facings so lining it makes for extra pieces to cut out and label but the finished result it very fine indeed. Perfect for Sunday Lunch out.

In my opinion...
I am tagging this one as one of my 2018 resolutions. Tilly and the Buttons are one of the best independent pattern houses. The instructions are photographed; clear for beginners but not too onerous for intermediates; no tracing is required; the pattern is on thick paper so it will last a long time; seam allowances are included and the packets are not over complicated. Because of the paper quality, the price feels just right. The modelling imagery has developed in a way that feels much more diverse than it was in the early days - I like this too.