Thursday, December 31, 2009

Au Bonheur des Petit Mains - Skirt with Twisted Drape (JHL08001)



My first review of an Au Bonheurs pattern! :)

I fell in love with this skirt when I first saw it on the Au Bonheur des Petites Mains website. However, there were a couple tiny problems. First, the pattern is sized 36-44 and I am not a 44. Secondly, I don't "do" a skirt with a fitted waist. But I just loved the drape/pocket detailing on this piece, so I figured I would make it work.

Once the pattern arrived, I traced off the skirt, enlarging it to a 46. I then converted it to an elastic waist which involved altering both the skirt and the drape. The pattern piece for the drape itself is large and comes as two pieces that you connect together. The drape is intended to be cut on the bias, but with my alterations the pattern piece was too large to put on the bias. Instead, I cut it offgrain as much as possible. If you look at the garment in the photo, it doesn't look like they cut it on a perfect bias either. :)

The fabric, folded back on itself. It's very different on the two sides!


My hand is inserted into the portion of the fabric that is double sided.


This fabric was a very interesting piece I found last summer. I folded it back in the photo so you can see that it is double sided. Or maybe I should say that the purple portion is double sided. The other areas are a single thickness. The fuzzy "trim" indicates where the double sided part of the fabric ends. Also, the dark stripes between the purple are semi-sheer. The reverse of the fabric is a very sophisticated and slightly shiny stripe. After much thought, I decided to use that side for the drape. Where the drape twists, you can get a peek of the purple before it goes into the solid section of the fabric. It's interesting, eh?

The skirt itself is made from a black woven fabric with a slight stretch and a black stripe-on-stripe.

This was very easy and quick to sew up. I have not put the pocket on it. I am not sure about the pocket on me. The pocket in the pattern is fairly small so if I did use it, I would be tempted to size it up a bit. What do you think?




I have enough of this fabric to make myself another skirt. I am conflicted. I think I will use the purple side, but I also love that darker side...

Edited to add: I did make the pocket. You can see it here and here:

7 comments:

  1. That's a great skirt! My vote is to put the pocket on :o)

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  2. Nice skirt, my vote is to make another one using the purple side!!
    Not sure about the pocket, I think maybe not.

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  3. What a great first piece! I'd vote for adding the pocket in, and to make it in black, so it is an added "texture" but not a contrasting color. That would balance the drape but not distract from it, in my minds eye anyway. (But then I personally MUST have pockets in my clothes)

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  4. This is a very interesting skirt. no vote on the pocket. I'm sure whatever you choose to do will be fantastic.

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  5. I would complete the look with the pocket. That skirt is so different and so YOU! It looks terrific on you.

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  6. I agree - add the pocket. It's a great 'design addition' - even if you never use it. It looks fabulous on and I'm so glad you introduced us to these great patterns.

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  7. Love love love this skirt and am TOTALLY ready to deal with the no-seam-allowance and being-in-French problems, but not with the putting-my-credit-card-into-a-website-in-French problem. Are you aware of any way to order them via a U.S. (or at least English-speaking) distributor? I Googled around a bit but without success.

    Your sewing is awesome! Glad I found your blog. Julia

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