One of my goals for 2021 has been to say yes to a few less collaboration projects – while I love them SO much, I often feel like I’m letting people down if I don’t complete my projects quickly enough, and then I feel stressed out about something that is normally my favorite mechanism for relaxation! That being said, I’m simply trying to be more mindful about the projects I do take on overall… Will it fill a gap in my wardrobe? Can I use it to make something I already wanted / planned to make? Is it different from what I already have on hand? Is the company one I’m excited to support? And lastly… Is it so extra special that I just can’t pass it up?
This project, though, was a combination of 2 things that I was VERY excited to add to my list of collaborations this year! I had the opportunity to pick out this fabric courtesy of The Fabric Sales, an online (and in-person!) fabric store based out of Belgium, when they opened their store back at the end of 2020. I certainly didn’t “need” any more fabric, but I was really impressed by the fun range of fabrics they carried – lots of quirky, unique prints, high quality fibers, and really lovely colors were found all across the website! I had a really hard time choosing a fabric, but ultimately decided on this one – I loved the dusty salmon color, and also loved that I couldn’t really quite make sense of what the theme was for the imagery here. My most recent guess is that there just isn’t one, and I love that.
I held onto the fabric longer than I intended, waiting for the right pattern inspiration to come to me. I was looking for something that would accommodate the really great drape and flow of the fabric, but also had few style lines so that I wouldn’t have to break up much of this fun print. I had a couple ideas in mind, but nothing that seemed like the perfect fit… Until I was invited to join the pattern testing group for the newest True Bias pattern, the Mave Skirt!
This skirt is super versatile, and has LOTS of options. You can choose to make it out of one long cut of fabric in a mini, midi, or maxi length, or add one or two ruffle tiers to any of those three length options. That’s 9 versions in one pattern!! I love a good swooshy maxi skirt in the summertime, so I knew right away I’d be going with one of the maxi length options. As I started to look through my fabric shelves, I knew I’d finally found the right pattern for this fabric! It is a great match.
I chose to make the maxi version with one ruffle tier. I typically wear a size 6 in True Bias patterns, but I went ahead and sized up to a size 10 for this skirt in hopes of being able to wear it throughout my long, hot, pregnant summer ahead! However, once I put it on and checked out my elastic size while on my body, I ended up cutting my elastic down to the length recommended for the size 6.
I added 2 inches at the lengthen / shorten line – True Bias drafts their patterns for a 5’5” human, and I am 5’8”! However, I think my length falls a little more to my torso than my legs, hence the 2” rather than 3” adjustment. I was surprised to see how long this skirt came out – it is exactly how I like it, but longer than I expected even with my adjustment! During the pattern test review, we recognized that the instructions were off for this particular version and rather than cutting the main skirt front and back pieces at the mini cut line, this is cut at the midi cut line – adding quite a few extra inches! I’m thrilled, but if this looks a little longer than you’re into, don’t worry – that bit has been corrected!
This was my third experience pattern testing for True Bias, and as always, it was a pleasure. I am so excited about the final product, and I know that I’ll be sewing up more Mave Skirts in the future. I have a handful of ready to wear maxi skirts that I’ve held onto over the years that just aren’t quite right for one reason or another, but I’ve been reluctant to get rid of them because they’re ~almost~ what I want. Thanks to the Mave, now I can recreate them to be perfectly me! The Mave Skirt is now available at True Bias, and I’ve linked it below. I hope you’ll love it as much as I do – go check out the hashtag #MaveSkirt over on Instagram to see some other awesome versions!
Skirt: handmade by me
Fabric: The Fabric Sales – Saadet Dusty Pink Printed Viscose
Pattern: True Bias – Mave Skirt
Key Ingredients:
Brother XR9500PRW Sewing Machine
Brother 1034D Overlocker
Schmetz Universal 70/30 Needles
Dahle 36×48 Self-healing Cutting Mat
Thanks for reading my thoughts on this pattern test – this was a really fun one that I know will fill a gap in my wardrobe! The fabric used for this post was generously provided to me by The Fabric Sales, a Belgium-based online fabric store who opened in late 2020, in exchange for me sharing my experience with the fabric on social media. The pattern used here was provided to me by True Bias patterns as a pattern tester, and has been tweaked slightly between the test version I made and the official release of the pattern. The words and opinions expressed throughout this post are my own, as always. Links provided throughout this post may be affiliate links – if you choose to purchase any products through these links, I may receive a small commission, at no cost to you. This simply helps me justify the costs of my sewing habit and the time it takes to share it with you!! Happy Sewing!!
- XX Elizabeth
