announcing a DIY A-line skirt Sew-along!

last week at the Makerie i taught 26 people how to draft their own sewing patterns. often when i teach patternmaking classes, i wish i could be there for my students through the stages of the process that come next: muslin-making, fitting, pattern-correcting, and final garment sewing. i know that for most, this will be the first time experiencing these steps, and i always worry that those lovingly drafted patterns will just sit in a drawer or pile somewhere, and never see the light of day…

SO! i’ve decided that perhaps a sew-along is in order? or two? we’ll start with one for the A-line skirt, the simplest pattern to draft and garment to sew. then, if all goes well and everyone’s having fun, we’ll continue onward to the shift dress. whaddya say? i’ve never done this before, so it’ll be a bit of an experiment. but i think it could work, and give you all the support and motivation you may need.

now, of course you needn’t have been at the Makerie to join in! you may have taken a class with me somewhere else, or you can get the instructions for drafting and sewing the skirt in my book, or watch me demonstrate them (over and over and OVER if needed!) in video form via my online Creativebug workshops. how’s that for options? the pattern drafting lesson is Patternmaking Simplified: A-Line Skirt, and the sewing lesson is simply called A-Line Skirt. both are available as either *a la carte* or as part of an unlimited subscription.

as i said, this is a first for me, so i welcome any input/ideas/suggestions. but here’s my loose plan: the DIY A-Line Skirt Sew-along will kick off on Monday, May 6, to give you all a bit of time to gather supplies, find your book, and get prepared. each Monday i’ll do a new blog post with the goals for the coming week, photos (hopefully submitted by all of YOU!) of progress, questions and issues that you’ve encountered, etc. your photos can be posted in my Design-It-Yourself Clothes flickr group, (use tag AlineSAL) from which i’ll pull them for my blog posts.

Week 1: Drafting the pattern (my Makerie students can review this step, or try drafting a new one for a friend or family member)

Week 2: Sewing and fitting the muslin, and correcting the pattern if necessary

Week 3: Cutting the final skirt, sewing the darts and French seam

Week 4: Inserting the invisible zipper, and finishing the remaining side seam (Mock French)

Week 5: Bias tape waist facing and hem

how does all that sound? any questions? i’m excited, and i hope you are too. please leave a comment here if you’re IN!