This jersey skirt pattern is the first one in Tilly’s Stretch book (which was a very exciting Christmas present that I’ve been itching to make something from!). It’s a really simple pattern which gives great results – what’s not to love?
1. The fabric
I made this from a stretch denim which I had bought to make my Strides trousers. I had quite a bit left but it was in a weird shape. After a bit of puzzling I actually made both the Bibi skirt and the Bibi Pinafore out of it!
2. The pattern
The first pattern in Tilly and the Buttons Stretch book is the Bibi skirt. It’s made from four identical pieces and there are several different options you can do. You can add waist button straps which allow you to make the stretchy waist less stretchy when fastened. You can add a slit up the side with mitred corners. Vary the length. Or add a bib to make it into a pinafore dress!
I looked at the shape of my fabric and I decided to make the skirt, reduced in length by about 2 inches, and with the waist straps. After a bit of umming and ahhing, I decided to make a size 12.
3. The challenges
Despite the pattern being simple, I had quite a few challenges with this!
- After sewing it up I was puzzled that it seemed faaar too tight! I realised that I had cut the pattern with the grainline in the right direction, but my fabric was unusual and had one-way stretch in the wrong direction!! So I’d effectively sewn a stretchy skirt out of a woven fabric… In the end I re-cut the waistband the right way around so it could stretch, added waist straps to pull it in when on, eased out the side seams as far as the seam allowance would allow, and added in a slit up the side. It’s tight, but I can get it on, and I can walk in it, hurrah!
- After all that I really wanted to make the skirt again, but properly this time. So I studied the fabric I had remaining, and I figured out that I could make a very short Bibi skirt, plus almost enough fabric left to add the bib! I had to split the bib up into three panels to get it out of the fabric, effectively introducing princess seams (but without a curve). Happily I had very little fabric left by the end – mission accomplished!
If I had made the pattern as intended, with plenty of fabric and with a proper jersey instead of a stretch denim, then I would have found this to be a really simple, fun and quick to sew. So it’s definitely on my to-do list to make a jersey version at some point.
4. The final result
I now have a lovely Bibi skirt which is tight but looks great (and is sufficiently formal for me to wear to work when the time comes), plus a pinafore dress which is far shorter than I would ordinarily wear so I probably won’t wear out but it is still fun to prance about the house in!
Photos of the Bibi Skirt:
Photos of the Bibi Pinafore:
The sewing resolution 