Wardrobe basic - corduroy skirt (S2451)

Shown with blouse I also recently finished and reviewed here.

I've made this skirt pattern once before out of a stretch black twill fabric and wore it a lot. Because I didn't line that one, it stuck to my tights and I was always having to tug it back down when I walked. The original skirt is now too big (yippee!) so I decided to make a new one. I've always loved corduroy skirts and  I found some black stretch wide wale corduroy at our only local independent fabric store, Banasch's Fabrics. This stuff is so soft! I love that it has a little stretch to it but I ended up lining it with a woven, which eliminated the stretchability!

I made the version with the vent in the back but forgot to shorten it first so I lost some of the vent when I hemmed. Oopsie!  I tried like heck to follow several different tutorials for how to attach the lining to the vent but I couldn't figure any of them out. So I did a lot of hand sewing.

Pattern is Simplicity 2451, View C. This is a great pattern, winning PR Best of 2010 patterns (voted by PR members).

Some front and back photos (lightened to show detail).

Fun lining - it's just an inexpensive silky poly purchased from one of the online vendors. I bought a bunch in this colorway and a blue scheme to use for linings:

Purple blouse (V8747)

I'm sure this blouse looks familiar. The pattern is Vogue 8747, View D. It's been reviewed oodles of times at PR. I thought it was a "Best of" pattern sometime in the last few years but I can't find it on the lists. I remember loving Lori's version! I didn't intend to copy her exactly but I did have this beautiful purple stretch cotton shirting from FabricMart so that's what I used! LOL

I made lots of mistakes as I made this top and it took me FOREVER to finish it. I tend to sew in short time spurts, sometimes with days in between, and I think this top would have worked better if I could have stayed more focused. But having said that, I am very happy with how it turned out. It may be the best collar I have made yet and the buttonholes turned out very nicely.

Here it is with the skirt I just finished and reviewed here. (I didn't intend to chop my head off but I was using a tripod in my office and had to get back to work!)