Style Arc Bonnie Skirt

I have been sewing up a storm and I am constantly thinking of something else to make. I have so many things to blog about and I still keep sewing more! Having moved to a different part of the country with completely different weather, I keep finding gaps in my wardrobe. It is so much warmer and drier here, we’ve had temperatures in the high 20s/low 30s already this year, and so I keep finding a need for lightweight comfortable clothes. It possibly doesn’t help that I’m just a little larger than I was 4-5 years ago. Enter this skirt, which has a back elasticated waist! 🙂

This Mocha Vintage Finish linen I bought from The Fine Cloth Company, a relatively new online fabric store based in Wellington. This colourway was used by @nzfilmgirl on IG and I remembered a brown linen skirt I had once before and decided to make another. 

The pattern is the Style Arc Bonnie skirt. It’s a while since I’ve made up a Style Arc pattern, but actually this reminded me how good they are. This woven skirt has a button up front, a few gathers on each of the fronts. There are pockets in the side seams and a third of waistband is elasticated at the back. 

I found this a really easy make. I rarely follow instructions, so the brief instructions don’t really worry me. Although I think maybe they may have been a little more thorough than some other Style Arc patterns I’ve made. The one thing I didn’t do was to stitch down the button band. I’ve had too many problems, even using a walking foot with these twisting. I also used the selvedge as the edge for the facings.

Although I made this following my waist measurement, it seemed to come up a bit large, so I ended up reducing the elastic in the back waist by a couple of inches! It has meant that the side seams are slightly too far back.

Just check out these buttons! I found these in a local wool/habby shop. They are wooden and are just perfect!

The deets
Fabric: Mocha vintage finish linen from The Fine Cloth Company
Notions:  Buttons from Wool n Things, Onekawa, Napier, interfacing, elastic for the back waist.
Pattern:  Style Arc Bonnie Skirt, size 16 based on my waist measurement
Changes made:  I shortened the elastic by around 2”, it just felt so loose otherwise. I also shortened the shirt by a couple of inches.
Another one/recommendations:  This is a quick and easy skirt to make up, although the inside of my waistband is not particularly tidy. If I made this again, I think I would look at changing how the back waistband and elastic are attached. At the moment it’s attached so you end up with a raw edge. Said raw edge is overlocked, but I still think it looks a bit untidy and not as clean a finish as I’d like.

I do like this skirt though, it’s comfy (hello elasticated waist), and it’s got great pockets! It’s going to fill a gap in my wardrobe.

The blouse is also new, it’s a TNT pattern which I’ve made up a couple of times before. This is New Look 6598, which possibly is out of print. It’s a simple sleeveless, collarless, button up blouse with back ties.

The pattern comes with other options such as sleeves and a fold back collar, but in the need for some more sleeveless tops, this was perfect, since I knew the size and how it fitted.

This fabric I bought some time ago, I think from a craft shop which used to be in Marsden Village in Wellington, but it’s been in my stash that long that I can’t really remember. It’s definitely quilting cotton, but it’s so soft. There’s still about a metre left, I obviously bought it with a dress or something in mind.

The buttons are also from stash. They are a little small and I bought something else, but when I got home I decided they didn’t really work, so I went with those from stash!

The deets
Fabric: A quilting cotton from deep stash
Notions:  Buttons from stash, interfacing for the neckline.
Pattern:  New Look 6598 blouse, view E, size 16. 
Changes made:  None 🙂
Another one/recommendations:  Third time making this blouse, I love it. It’s easy to make and easy to wear. I love the back ties which give more definition to the back. I’ve only ever made this view E, so can’t comment on the other versions.