I decided after much trial and error to try a hand-stitch on the zipper. After breaking a needle and jamming the sewing machine several times, it was really my only option. It turned out to be my best option. It came out very clean and professional looking (pats self on back).

I had to go back and cut away the excess fabric on the inside of the waistband that was left after I added the finishing stitch:

After doing this, I tried the skirt on again. There is a weird curve underneath the waistband now and you can faintly see the seams and darts through the linen fabric. I’m contemplating on lining the skirt. What do you guys recommend? Would releasing the darts a bit underneath the waistband fill out this unwanted curve? Also, what are your thoughts on cutting away the excess fabric where the darts are? Keep in mind that you can only faintly see it and I am probably just being too much of a perfectionist so it may not be worth it.

It’s been quite the productive day. I went ahead with the dart placement on the pencil skirt. The darts, in my opinion, were falling too low. So, I decided to take in the side seams a bit to lessen the fabric in the midsections. I’m much much happier with where the darts fall now. Time to sew!

After sewing the side seams and darts into place, I went ahead and cut away some of the excess fabric and did a finishing stitch on the side seams. The fabric that I am using is linen and it frays terribly! Usually, I would wait until the garment was complete to finish the seams but I felt this was necessary step so the fabric wouldn’t fray too much.

At this point, I tried the skirt on. The fit is spectacular! You’ll never have a better fitting garment than one that is tailor made to your measurements. The only thing that I would like to change is the darts. They need to come down just a few more stitches for a smoother look.

I was able to get started on the waistbands today as well (hence the productivity ☺). After attaching the standard waistband pieces together, I pinned them to the skirt only to find that the seams on the band did not match up with the seams on the skirt. I reattached the band pieces together taking them in enough to match the skirt seams. After stay-stitching it in place, I attached the decorative waistband pieces. I’m really excited about this part because, up until now, this has been a simple skirt making process. Now, I get to add an extra dose of creativity!

On another note, I did some serious sketching last night. After the season premiere of Project Runway topped off with a dose of the Rachael Zoe Project, I was feeling inspired. I’m obsessed (like most of you are) with the red carpet. Gowns are my favorite things in the world to design. My dream would be to see my dresses on Penelope Cruz, Scarlett Johansson and especially Anne Hathaway – the old Hollywood glamor girls of today. Once I start to work on these dresses, I will post the sketches.

I made my monthly pilgrimage today to the Garment District in search of fabric for the skirt I am currently working on. Believe it or not, I found the exact fabric that I was looking for at Paron Fabric’s. Paron is one of my faves because they have a good selection and the people there are helpful. I purchased 1.5 yds (extra for mistakes) of ivory-colored linen with a little stretch.

I opted against interfacing for both waistbands since the fabric is thicker than what I originally had in mind. They should maintain stiffness on their own. After folding and ironing the fabric, I pinned the pattern and cut the pieces out. The skirt panels are pinned at the seams on the dress form and are ready for dart placement tomorrow.

On another note, I found this amazing rust-colored fabric at the store. A few months ago when I conceptualized the Venice line, I designed a rust-colored gown with a built in corset. Needless to say, I am in LOVE with this fabric. It has a wet-shine look to it in certain light and an interesting texture. I spent some time draping the dress form with the fabric for new inspiration and ideas. I’m working on a design based on this concept:

I finished attaching the waistbands and am pleased with the overall look. There are a few adjustments needed so I decided to make the following changes for the original pattern draft:

- add 1” length to the hem

- fix the seam allowance for the lower back panels

- add a 5/8 seam allowance on the edges that connect the front decorative waistband to the back decorative waistband

- add a little width to decorative waistband (to create a higher waistband)

After making all of these changes, the pattern is finished and ready for the final fabric. I tried the skirt on and it fits like a glove. Very excited to wear it! My next stop will be the fabric store which is one of my favorite parts of the design process. I’m looking for an ivory-colored fabric with a little bit of stretch and a medium thickness (in between tweed and a stretchy cotton). Most likely I will change my mind about the fabric color or texture once I am at the store. We shall see!