4 years ago
I’ve really loved sewing with cord fabric this Winter and didn’t know that you could get stretch woven cord, so this has been a real find for me. I made the Pulmu skirt from Named Patterns in Linen a few years ago and have wanted to make a Winter version for a while. It’s a pattern that requires stretch woven so perfect for this cord. It’s fundamentally a high-waisted pencil skirt so quite form-fitting and whilst you could get away with using a regular woven fabric (I have in the past) you really do want a fabric with a bit of stretch. It’s far more comfortable to wear and as this fabric is a 7 wale cord it’s lovely and cosy too.
What I like about this pattern is that it’s an unusual take on a classic pencil skirt design, it has no side seams, instead there are side panels that taper down towards side vents that land below the knee. The high waist is emphasised by the wide belt with large D-ring fastenings. The pattern is also lined, but I didn’t line mine. That meant having a bit of fiddling about to do at the junction of the side vents and the inside looks a little messy here, but the outside is fine so who’s to know?
The lack of lining also meant I had to improvise at the waist. It has a grown-on waist, so no waistband just a facing that would normally attach to the lining. I really didn’t want to risk the facing popping out, while the solution might be to understitch the facing it would still hang loose. I chose to secure the facing to the side seam panels by topstitching along the entire seam. I could have gone the ‘stitch in the ditch’ route, but I thought that topstitching might emphasise the seam details that might be lost against the cord wales.
It's true to say that there was a fair bit of fabric fluff in my overlocker after sewing with the cord, but otherwise, it’s really very easy to sew with. Even though it’s a stretch woven I didn’t feel it was necessary to use a stretch stitch, but I did increase the stitch length a little which worked well. I don’t think you need to worry as much as you would with a jersey fabric for example.
The other thing to consider when sewing with a heavily textured fabric like cord is to be very careful with pressing. I kept pressing to a minimum, I did some testing on scraps first so I could gage how hot the iron could get before squashing the wales flat and I also used an offcut to press against so that I was ironing on the wrong side with cord wale against cord wale.
The other thing to consider about this sewing pattern is that it doesn’t require too much fabric, this only took 1.5 metres.
I’m really happy with the final outcome, I know it’s going to be a great everyday skirt for me because the comfort of the stretch with the warmth and texture of the cord makes it a garment that’s easy to wear.
What I like about this pattern is that it’s an unusual take on a classic pencil skirt design, it has no side seams, instead there are side panels that taper down towards side vents that land below the knee. The high waist is emphasised by the wide belt with large D-ring fastenings. The pattern is also lined, but I didn’t line mine. That meant having a bit of fiddling about to do at the junction of the side vents and the inside looks a little messy here, but the outside is fine so who’s to know?
The lack of lining also meant I had to improvise at the waist. It has a grown-on waist, so no waistband just a facing that would normally attach to the lining. I really didn’t want to risk the facing popping out, while the solution might be to understitch the facing it would still hang loose. I chose to secure the facing to the side seam panels by topstitching along the entire seam. I could have gone the ‘stitch in the ditch’ route, but I thought that topstitching might emphasise the seam details that might be lost against the cord wales.
It's true to say that there was a fair bit of fabric fluff in my overlocker after sewing with the cord, but otherwise, it’s really very easy to sew with. Even though it’s a stretch woven I didn’t feel it was necessary to use a stretch stitch, but I did increase the stitch length a little which worked well. I don’t think you need to worry as much as you would with a jersey fabric for example.
The other thing to consider when sewing with a heavily textured fabric like cord is to be very careful with pressing. I kept pressing to a minimum, I did some testing on scraps first so I could gage how hot the iron could get before squashing the wales flat and I also used an offcut to press against so that I was ironing on the wrong side with cord wale against cord wale.
The other thing to consider about this sewing pattern is that it doesn’t require too much fabric, this only took 1.5 metres.
I’m really happy with the final outcome, I know it’s going to be a great everyday skirt for me because the comfort of the stretch with the warmth and texture of the cord makes it a garment that’s easy to wear.
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