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McCall's 6438 - Black and White Plaid Skirt (of woe!)

Generally, I don't do UFO's (unfinished objects) when it comes to sewing projects. I either finish it before starting something else or toss it at the point I decide it isn't going to work. However, this skirt was a UFO for about two months earlier this fall. I was hoping it could be an entry in the fair in September and made the mistake of rushing through it in an attempt to meet that self-imposed deadline.

McCall's 6438 Black and White Bias-cut Skirt

In my haste, I made a significant mistake while cutting out the skirt. I didn't pay enough attention to matching the plaid. I thought it was matched, but I was only looking at the heavy black lines going in one direction. This pattern is a fabric hog, so after making that mistake my options were really limited. I was able to match the front well, but that's it.

McCall's 6438 Black and White Bias-cut Skirt

The back is somewhat matched with the heavy black lines, but not exactly and that's the only part of the plaid that does match. You can't actually see most of the seam in the picture, so it isn't as bad as it looks here, but it's still bad.

McCall's 6438 Black and White Bias-cut Skirt

But, still not as bad as the side seam. Brace yourself...

McCall's 6438 Black and White Bias-cut Skirt

Ugh. Look at the expression on my face! It is painful for me to show this to you! So bad. Even if I had finished it in time, I would not have entered this in the fair.

And yet, there is something I really like about this skirt. The yoke pieces are piped with patent leather piping - a subtle textural detail that I like. The longer length feels elegant, dressy, and ladylike. Plus I don't know if I've met a black/white motif or bias-cut plaid that I didn't like.

So I'm torn about it. Part of me groans every time I see it and another part feels like I should just embrace the mistakes and focus on what I like about it. It'll stay in my closet for the rest of the season and we'll see how I feel about it at seasonal wardrobe changeover time next year. They can't all be winners...
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Comments

  1. LindaJanuary 7, 2013 at 8:19 AM

    I think it is a beautiful skirt.....Seriously, I would not concern yourself with the match points..... the general public will not even notice them......I know, as seasmstresses, we tend to think everything needs to show perfection so that people will be amazed at our sewing abilities, but, in reality, the general public is not concerned with that nearly as much as we think they are! You are further along in the matching with the front and back than any skirts I have seen in RTW in a long time. I actually saw a plaid coat the other day that had a VERY large graphic plaid- black background with white plaid.... the side seams? NOT. EVEN. CLOSE. This was on a young woman who I am sure paid 100.00 or more for the jacket because they have the funds to do so.... The general public is much less perceptive than we are! Enjoy the skirt! Linda Turske linda@tursketech.com

    ReplyDelete
  2. LisaJanuary 7, 2013 at 8:30 AM

    I agree with Linda. I firmly believe that no one notices these things except us seamstresses. I think your skirt is beautiful, and I think you should wear it and enjoy it!

    ReplyDelete
  3. KarinJanuary 7, 2013 at 10:48 AM

    It's really not soo bad, when the skirt hangs freely into "cones" you can't tell at all!

    ReplyDelete
  4. JoyceJanuary 7, 2013 at 12:16 PM

    Your skirt looks great. It is not possible to match the side seams of an uneven plaid cut on the diagonal. The details of yoke and piping are very nice. Well done.

    ReplyDelete
  5. AnonymousJanuary 7, 2013 at 1:17 PM

    Don't be so hard on yourself. Worn with a jacket no one would ever notice...without a jacket, so what, it's not the fate of the nation! It's sewing and we enjoy it no matter.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Mary NannaJanuary 7, 2013 at 1:49 PM

    I'm with the others - go and check out RTW and you will see they don't match a thing! I saw a pair of pants where the legs were cut differently so that even across the front there were jarring lines! So don't worry about it - no-one will know or even care!

    You skirt looks great and it really suits you - enjoy and wear with pride.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Leslie January 7, 2013 at 4:27 PM

    I've never even tried to match plaids before so I'm impressed that even just the front matches up. And I agree with the others that RTW never matches and no one notices a bit. Wear it and love it!

    ReplyDelete
  8. UnknownJanuary 7, 2013 at 10:45 PM

    I agree with everyone! It's a beautiful skirt...looks impeccable...who could do better?

    ReplyDelete
  9. AudreyJanuary 13, 2013 at 10:52 AM

    Matching plaids can be a challenge. The skirt looks so nice on you and will be swirling so gracefully when you move that no one will notice the seams.

    ReplyDelete

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