FOUNDATIONS REVEALED COMPETITION ENTRY
Lady Sybil Vimes
(click images to to enlarge)
Outline the story …
Lady Sybil Vimes is a very robust Noblewoman that breeds swampdragons in Terry Pratchett's Discworld series. Even though she comes from old money she is resourceful, kind-hearted and engages in charity for unwanted pets. Since this would be my first garment, I wanted to sew a very robust and easy Edwardian walking-skirt that could survive a lot of abuse. The series "Edwardian farm" sprung almost immediately to my mind and as soon I saw Ruth's beautiful green skirt, it was decided. In "The Victorian Dressmaker" by Izabella Pitcher I found a 1980s gored skirt pattern for this project.
Outline the construction…
I transferred the pattern on wrapping paper and cut the pieces out. The fabric was from an antique linen skirt that was very thick. From that, I cut the pieces with seam allowance and stitched them together. Because this fabric is subject to significant fraying I ironed the seam allowances apart and bound them with additional stitching left and right. I pinned pleats at the back where I wanted them. The waistband also consist of antique linen, I joined it with the skirt (right side on right side), folded it and stitched it from the front. I didn't need to bind it because that side was the selvage line. The topstitching made the waistband also a lot slimmer. The hooks and eyes were fastened with a buttonhole stich but had to be removed again, because the back didn't look well, the pleats were overlapping. So I adjusted the hooks and eyes, so that the pleats were symmetrical. Now the waistband was way too wide, but I remembered that Cathy solved it in her video with folding the waistband. I did that and stitched those pleats firmly per hand. I saw this technique in my antique skirts as well. The hem was stitched right side on right side and has been folded over as well. Like the waistband I topstitched it as well after I bound the fabric with a zig-zag-stitch.
I’d be terrified to cut into antique linen, but yours turned out so well!
Thank you, it was quite scary 😀 But I keept all of the little scrabs and am determined to honor it to the last thread. 🙂
Re-using an old skirt for fabric is so in character! We know the Ramkin family never threw a thing away if there was still a possible use for it.
Right? And it is so sturdy. This one will last for a really long time inspite of my swamp-dragon-cat 😀
This came out great, I like the idea of re-using fabrics and ribbons.
Thank you so much, I bought quite a lot of very old garments. Our museum is overloaded with similar ones. So, there is no need to preserve them and can be given new life 🙂
I just read these books! This came out wonderfully. It looks like a skirt Sybil would wear in the house or around the city… or under a lot of fireproof leather equipment. 😀
Hello other Lady Sybil. Love your dress. Exactly what she would wear handling little sick swamp dragons in the den. :))
You did a wonderful job on it. It’s the perfect length for a hard working woman to get stuff done in and looks very robust. Well done. 😀
Lovely work.
It looks great! Just right for caring for sick dragons!
Impeccable walking skirt! I love the practical length, the color is to die for, and hurrah for giving old pieces new life.
Nicely done, very cute skirt!
Wow, this is so nice. Re-using an antique linen skirt worked wonderfully! I love this one! Thank you!
Oh, this green is spectacular! I love the up-cycle and bravery of cutting up an antique piece, but even this action is a perfect example of Sybil and her resourcefulness! Awesome pieces 🙂
Great work Sybil! /Sybil 😉