Another skirt in time for the hot weather and revolution! A circle midi-skirt with free pattern. This skirt is very full, with lots of movement thanks to the lightweight cotton fabric. The length is youthful and flirty, but still mobile and comfortable.
I’ve chosen forest green because it’s practical: a dark neutral hides dirt, and I love the color, but also, it’s not too loud and upbeat. Bright happy colors don’t feel right to be wearing right now when so many people have recently died, and so many more are being brutalized by police. Not to mention the fact that we should all be reflecting on centuries long racism and oppression and what we can do to dispel our own biases.
This is not the year to pretend that everything is fine, when everything is very clearly not fine, and it is only with great privileged that I have the means, the time, the energy to sew frivolous things while the world is undergoing what will hopefully be a momentous and positive change. Honestly, I completed this skirt weeks ago, before the protesting started, but now there’s a bit of irony and guilt in this vintage tilt. What was originally a project narrowly focused on classic garment construction, a style of skirt used for decades, is now an examination of the shortcomings of past revolutions. I wish that this time, we as a society can do better. Black Lives Matter and police should not be above the laws which they enforce.
I’m going to talk about sewing again now, but I encourage you to really sit with the racism in our country, before, during, and after we’ve had our little sewing break. Reflect on how you’ve benefited or suffered from systemic racism, call out and shame hate speech when you see it, and donate or protest if you are able. Be human, be decent, be empathetic, and then you may sew.
To construct your own skirt, follow the pattern below as a rough guide, starting with a 60″ length of 60″ wide fabric folded in half. Plus extra length for the waistband. You are creating a full circle, with a 30″ radius, and another circle in the center with a circumference that equals the widest part of your hips. An elastic band in the waistband, attached to this circle, will cinch the skirt to your waist, wherever you choose to wear it. I’ve allotted 3″ for the band because I had a 1″ wide elastic. When folded over, the 3″ wide waistband becomes 1.5″, less with a tight seam allowance. Make sure you leave yourself enough of a channel to fit your elastic through.
