Skirts for Summer – Sewaholic Hollyburn

Hi there – more about separates this week. I entered the Monthly Stitch Separates Challenge and as well as the Morris blazer I also made a Sewaholic Hollyburn skirt.

The Hollyburn skirt pattern has been around for quite a while. The pattern was released at the end of 2012 but it seems to be one of those patterns that people come back to and it pops up regularly in my blog feed. I think this shape fits really well with the 70s vibe that is around at the moment.For a long time I wasn’t interested in this pattern. I didn’t think that the flared silhouette would suit me, didn’t like a midi length and don’t care about pockets! This summer all that is changed – I love the extra flare of this skirt compared to the A-line skirts I made last year and I want a longer skirt and I may even be learning to appreciate pockets.

I also realised during Me Made May that some of the skirts I made last year don’t fit very well now so I needed a few more basic skirts in my wardrobe for summer.I picked up two different fabrics at Abakhan for this skirt – a super lightweight denim with a paisley print and an inky blue linen mix fabric (no idea what the mix actually is but I am going to guess at cotton) For the Separates Challenge I decided to go with the light blue print first because it felt summery and perfect for wearing with the Morris blazer.

I went for View B which is knee-length with the middle amount of flare! The shorter skirt has the most flare and the longest is less flared, but you could pick any and either lengthen or shorten as desired. The view I chose is a bit less than a half circle skirt. The main measurement to worry about is the waist line. I cut a straight size 12.The skirt sews up really quickly – there just a few seams and a waistband – no darts or pleats. The instructions are really clear and detailed as this skirt is aimed at beginners. For the blue print skirt I used a centred zip as the pattern suggests. I am not great with centred zips (and I haven’t got my head around lapped zippers at all..) so the zip isn’t my finest sewing. I didn’t want to lose much of the length so I made a narrow machine hem.

I was really pleased with how my first attempt turned out – it feels like ages since I have sewn anything without making a muslin and struggling with fit adjustments so it was lovely to just sew this up and be able to wear it. The only thing that I felt didn’t quite work was the straight waistband which doesn’t fit snugly against my body.

Hila at Saturday Night Stitch has made four Hollyburns now and on her third she linked to a tutorial from A Fashionable Stitch which shows how to create a contoured waistband.I followed the tutorial but because I wanted a reduction of slightly more than an inch between the top and bottom of the waistband I curved the band at two points rather than just one to get a smoother curve. The result is so much better – it makes such a difference to the way the skirt sits at my waist. I also used an invisible zipper and I am much happier with how it looks!

I am wearing the linen skirt with a Sewaholic Belcarra top I made last year. The blue print skirt is worn with a Named Kanerva crop top.

It’s great to have some new everyday skirts for summer – now I can get back to sewing all the dresses which is my plan for the rest of my summer sewing!

What are you sewing for summer?