Thursday, April 10, 2014

African Inspired Full Maxi Skirt.

I love Pinterest for always providing me with inspiration for my sewing studio, kitchen and home. Some of my boards have hundreds of pins of things I like and plan to create. Every time I log on, my dream pins mock me and call me a failure for my lack of execution. I grew tired of the lies my "KNOCK it off" board told me this week and decided to knock off a skirt I pinned. I love these African inspired full maxi skirts.                                                                                                                         I have a thing for African prints and just love how Haitian-Italian designer Stella Jean uses the traditional prints to jazz uppieces.
 NEW! The Madison Maxi -African Print 100% Holland Wax on Etsy, $129.00
I love the fullness and length and vibrant colors! These are just a few of the images I pinned with the hopes of making and I finally decided to get to work. I shopped my fabric stash and found this fabric that I purchased at an estate sale in January. I was fortunate to get 5 yards of fabric for just $1! 


There is no selvedge information so I do not know anything about it. It does however, remind me of the African prints in my inspiration pictures. I shopped my pattern stash to find the right style and came across this one.


Have you ever heard of this pattern company? I hadn't and did a bit of research. Apparently, this pattern would have been ordered by mail through the British magazine Woman and Home. This particular pattern was advertised in the January 1976 issue (the year and month I was born). The original owner of the pattern even included the magazine clipping in the pattern envelope. 





The pattern had just three pieces, front, back, and waistband. The pockets are attached and not sewn in separately like in some patterns.  I added a simple waistband sash that is 5 feet long. Here is my skirt!






 Happy Sewing!

23 comments:

  1. Your skirt is wonderful and you look beautiful in it. Bravo!

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  2. Your skirt is gorgeous, love the fabric and the full skirt. You look marvelous. I want arms like yours!

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    1. Thanks Susan! I am a champion kid wrangler! They keep my arms in shape :)

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  3. Love your skirt, fabulous on you! I see your name on SPR is very similar to that of my home town in Northern Ireland. I come from Bangor and the ancient Irish name is Beannchor..... There must be some connection there!!

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  4. I swear I can hear you laughing in that one pic. :) Love the skirt! I want one!! And count me as the first to pin YOUR skirt (I'm sure I won't be the last). Nicely done.

    Hillary

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    1. Thanks Hillary! You make my day with your kind words!

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  5. Great skirt. I like how you styled it with the beaded necklace in the first pic.

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    1. Thank you! You should have seen it before, I had six more on! I scaled it back for the photo. :)

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  6. Hello,

    Where can I locate this pattern?

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    1. Hi,
      I am sorry, this pattern is 38 years old and no longer available. Simplicity 1755 is a dress pattern that has the fullness of this skirt. You can use that part of the pattern and make it maxi length and widen the sash. I have not tried it but that one looks close. Let me know how it turns out.

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  7. Bianca,
    I love the skirt and you look lovely in it! I hope you made a head wrap to go with it! While looking up the Simplicity 1755 I searched some other skirts. I am not a seamstress, nor do I know anything about how patterns work...so, could you look at these patterns at Simplicity.com and see if they would work. I have some Wax fabric I purchased from my first trip to Africa (Senegal) back in April 2014, and I really need to do have something made out of it. Thanks!

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    1. hi Charlotte, it's awesome that you have authentic wax fabric. The patterns you've shared should work with some tweaking. The pockets appear to be more center thsn in the side seams so you would have to move them. I plan to make the skirt for a customer this week. My plan is to go with Butterick 5756 it is a closer match than anything I've seen. It has a wide wsistband. but everything else is the same, full skirt, side pockets maxi length. I will post the finished product when I'm done.
      I need to get on making a head wrap to wear with the skirt. I'm glad you like it thanks.

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  8. What kind of fabric you purchase

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    1. I used a printed fabric that I bought from a resale store or estate sale. I do not know any details on this fabric. JoAnn fabrics has a range of ethnic fabrics that may work. I have also bought a few Ankara fabrics online. Etsy is a good place to start looking.

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  9. Fabulous model of African Print. you are looking good.
    african fabric wholesale

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  10. Beautiful😀.....Hi im a beginner í want to know if making this for plus size would í need a different pattern

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  11. look gorgeous on this dress.We have a great collection of African fabrics. Good quality at lowest price. For whole sell price Visit us hope you guys love them.
    Sequin Fabrics

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  12. Hi there! Is there any chance you know where I could get this pattern? Or if you could tell me what length /width of fabric it took to make your skirt?

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