drafting a skirt inspired by simplicity 1802

I have had my eye on Simplicity 1802 for a while.  

Some of the comments on Pattern Review are a little critical of the drafting for this dress, and I wasn't 100% sure about the bodice on my body.  

When the curious kiwi decided that it  wasn't going to work I figured that the sewing Gods had spoken - this was not the dress for me.  

I still hankered a little and decided that I'd like to try a skirt with those fancy godet things even if the whole dress wasn't for me.  Try as though I might I couldn't find a pattern for a comparable skirt, I resent buying a pattern that the Internet sewing community in general seems to regard as badly drafted, especially just to hack it about and turn it into a skirt.

Eventually a friend asked why I'd spent numerous evenings and several hundred dollars on pattern drafting classes and still seemed tied to the limitations of commercial patterns.  

OK, I can take a hint - I'll have a go at drafting my own skirt inspired by the Simplicity Cynthia Rowley dress.

I started with my basic skirt block.  This is simply a pattern for a straight tailored skirt that is drafted to my measurements and I've been through the whole muslin-fitting circuit enough times to know that it is a perfect fit.  In fact, any well fitting straight skirt pattern would do.  (note, there are NO seam allowances on the pieces in these pictures)
So, I traced my basic front piece with the centre front fold on a folded piece of tracing paper. 


I then drew two identical arches on either side of the pattern piece.  (I actually drew one, cut it out and drew round it to produce a second identical one). I then separated the arches from the main skirt front.

The remaining piece became my front skirt piece, and I removed the folded over section by cutting up the centre front fold. This left me with a front piece to cut on the fold.  In case you're wondering why I put it on a folded piece in the first place....

I wanted the godet piece whole, not a half piece.

I then unfolded the godet piece and made two cuts, not quite to the top of the godet...

I was able to spread out the three "legs" of the godet piece and pin them onto another sheet of tracing paper all spread out.  I then drew round the spread out pieces to produce a more flared godet piece, joining up the "legs" with a slightly curved line.






I then had a pattern for a godet piece to fit into the arch that I had cut out of the skirt front. (remember I haven't changed the outer edge of the arched pieces at all, so they should still fit into the same arch shaped gaps that they came out of.)

I cut the same pieces out of the back skirt so that I would have a skirt with four arches cut out of it.

Since I prefer a centre back zip I ensured that I left enough centre back seam to insert a zip before the godets start.

I then sat on the idea for a good  month.  There was an element of procrastination in the month, but also having a guest sleeping in my studio did make it a little harder to get into sewing projects  Last weekend I got my studio back and jumped into the skirt project.  I'm not 100% sure about the outcome.  I suspect that a check might not have been the best fabric, but I've already made a jacket, pants and skirt out of the fabric, so a second skirt seemed to make sense.  One of the jackets and the skirt have some red detaiing I added piping round the edge of the godets

 
Although the photos came out looking rather fussy the skirt works.  In real life it didn't look as un-ironed as the photos and was comfortable depite not being lined.  If I was doing it again I might make the godgets a little wider, but other than that I can see this skirt getting used on a regular basis, especially with the matching jacket as a slightly unusual suit (which also happens to match my favourite large handbag)

Since I can't resist using it , I still had to let my embroidery machine loose on a little of this project so I made a T shirt and added a tuatara in the black and white check

This was project 16 on my lists for 2013.  I'm still a little behind, but I know what I'm doing at the moment.
 
I now have a suit with two posible jackets, two skirts and a pair of trousers.  I also have a good couple of metres of the fabric left.

I'll pack it up and take it to the Auckland bloggers sewing Meet up that dresses and me is arranging and see if I can find it a new home.