Vogue 2933 Sandra Betzina skirt

I'm knocking out Sandra Betzina patterns in anticipation of my upcoming sewing week in San Francisco with her. I'm so excited. My friend Barbara and I signed up a long time ago to get the last two spots in one of her sewing camps for this year. Of course now that it is coming up I have many conflicts but most of them will have to be skipped or ignored so I can immerse myself in the sewing week. We stay in a hotel in SF from Sunday until Sunday with classes everyday with Sandra. We each have a sewing station (just like Project Runway) with cutting tables, ironing station, etc. all available to us. These spaces will be open late so we can continue sewing into the night if we like. Britex is just down the street in case we need something. Sewers heaven!!!

So of course I decided I needed a few new things from her recent patterns. This time it is Vogue 2933, a pull-on skirt with side drapes. Seemingly simple, it has a few puzzling construction details that remind me of some of the older Issey Miyake designs. Primarily rectangle pieces put together differently. It doesn't take much time to construct once you understand the process. There are a few places in her instructions that could be clearer but generally she does a thorough job including modern techniques. The line drawing makes it look as though there are side seams between the skirt and the drape. It doesn't say to do this in the instructions so I think they are not stitched.

It runs big. I wish I had cut size A although my measurements are closer to size C. It is pretty impossible to alter it once you've sewn the drapes on without taking it entirely apart. And you can't tell how it will fit and drape until that point. Also you need to determine the length and hem before you start. (Doesn't that sound like Miyake?) My knit has a bit of bulk to it so there are more gathers around the waist than I like. My friend Dorothy made this in a jersey with 4 way stretch and hers drapes more gracefully. But still I like it a lot. It is very comfortable to wear.

The fabric is a buttermilk or something similar from EmmaOneSock a few years ago. I picked it because it has mountains and trees on it and I thought it would be fun to wear when I visit my DS and his family in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.