Tuesday, January 28, 2014

McCall's 5523



Pattern Description: Straight skirt, mid-knee length, has side zipper and faced waistline; skirt A has shaped lower back flounce; skirt B has pleated lower back; skirt C has gathered lower back with self-fabric ruffle; skirt D has two lower back flounces. I made View A, with the single back flounce.

Pattern Sizing: 4-18
Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it? Yes it looks like the pattern photo but it's hard to see the panels of the skirt due to the print of the fabric. 

Were the instructions easy to follow? The pattern instructions were easy to follow but I did make one minor tweak. The pattern instructions have you to make a 1-1/4" hem on the flounce but I did not attempt this method. I'm not sure if anyone else has had success with making a standard hem on a curved pattern piece but I thought it was a recipe for disaster. I have found over the years and through many sewing projects that a narrow hem works much better on curves and produces more professional results.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? I love the panel design of the skirts and the various flounce/pleat back details. I was able to make a fitting adjustment quickly with the panel design of this skirt. I removed 3/8" from the 4 seamlines in the back of the skirt to reduce the waistline by a total of 1-1/2" and then blended back to the original seamline at the hip. This adjustment was a breeze because only a tiny bit was taken from the seamlines at the waist.

Fabric Used: Animal print moleskin purchased from Fabric.com. 
Pattern alterations or any design changes you made: I pegged it 1" at the hemline removing a total of 4" from the hemline circumference and I removed 1-1/2" from the waistline.
Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? Yes, it is officially my TNT skirt pattern! I recommend it to others even beginners because it is a great wardrobe builder and quite easy to sew.

Conclusion: This is a great quick, sew skirt pattern with various details.