So this is my last 2011 sewing project! I usually prefer to model finished projects, but this week got super crazy and the time I had set aside for photography ended up tending to a mess Mr. Freckles made (augh!!!), so the dressform had to do! (More about this dressform below–I’m really excited about this!) So now that I’ve made this rather long-winded explanation, on to the skirt!
RIght before we took off to visit family for Christmas, I crazily decided to whip up a skirt for myself. I used some gorgeous wool fabric I won on a blog giveaway last year and a half circle skirt pattern as my base. It’s one of those projects that goes together in an afternoon (well, not counting the time you need to let the bias stretch–vitally important!)–with just one seam it’s super easy! Even despite using a invisible zipper–usually the bane of my existence. I’ve been wearing it at least once a week since I finished it! Plus it’s got a super-cute, surprise lining: bubblegum pink satin!
Pattern: Loosely based on Chie’s half circle skirt pattern (just lengthened), but you could also easily draft your own. Note: the lining is cut from the exact pattern, just 1″ shorter at the hem.
Fabric: Lightweight 100% wool for the outer shell, and pink satin for the lining.
Alterations: Since I was using Chie’s pattern, I opted to leave off the scalloped waistband and just drafted a straight one. I also lengthened the skirt to hit at mid-calf (more of a late 40s/50s length) rather than knee.
Techniques: Double interfaced the waistband for more stability, used a machine rolled hem for both the wool and lining.
Make Again? Yes!!! I need more of these in my closet…
I need your help! This lovely dressform (I’m still pinching myself she’s mine!) was a very generous gift from my inlaws for Christmas. I’ve been wanting to upgrade from my Dritz adjustable form for awhile to a professional style form. While the adjustable served me well for many years, I wanted something I could easily drape on and pin into. Enter the PGM dressform. Plus she has collapsable shoulders, which makes getting garments on and off a breeze! I noticed many seamstresses name their dressforms, and figured now that I have a fancy one, it would be cute to give her a name. Any suggestions? I’d love to hear what name ideas you have! (I’ll be taking suggestions for a bit and then I’ll announce my favorite sometime next week… )
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You could go really over the top, which I love, and call her a famous name; like Elizabeth Taylor! That would be so cute!
Love you Casey! X
I second Autumn Harrison’s suggestion!
Love the skirt!
I’m not sure why but I like the name Maude. Or Daisy. Super cute
Beautiful skirt! And that colour… yum. Half circle and quarter circle skirts have been my favourite thing to make and wear these days, so satisfying and elegant. Looking forward to seeing your next variation!
So gorgeous, I long for the day when my sewing skill looks this ‘finished’.
P.S. I like the name Martha.
How about Millie ?
It is beautiful.
More Mr Freckles. I just got two rabbits andI am OBSESSED!
hehe! He is in the doghouse right now with me… He finally figured out how to get up on the sofa by himself (previously we had to help him get up), and promptly forgot he was litterbox trained (and no it wasn’t a case of not being able to get off the sofa–he does know how to do that!). Oops! lol.
♥ Casey
I too would like to see more of Mr. Freckles! I love bunnies, they’re my favorite pets
I have a bunny myself and she does the same thing, so anytime she jumps on the sofa I shoo her off lest she does her business on there!
Thats a beautiful skirt! I love the bright color. I also love the look of your new dressform, it has fancy feet. I’m sorry for not being good with names, my own dressform is still nameless.
This week I made a sundress inspired on yours, maybe I’ll show you a picture later.
Have a nice weekend!
I can’t wait to see your sundress!!!
♥ Casey
How about little Casey :p Actually Lady Elegant would suit her quite well.
Your new skirt is great. I really need to think about making a half circle skirt – as my full circle skirt is fun, but a little less fabric is more practical.
German Pattern Experiment: Day 2.
Yeah–that’s the conclusion I came to with my circle skirts. I love them, but for everyday wear they are not appropriate at all (at least not with me–but then again I’m a huge klutz!).
lol.
♥ Casey
Suggestion:
Emerald
or Emma/Emmie for short.
Reasons:
1. The first time we saw it was with the emerald skirt on it.
2. Emmie could be a nickname for Elegant Musing (EM – Emmie… get it?)
3. It’s a pretty name.
Further comments:
I really like your blog. It is very beautiful and makes me wish I had time to learn how to sew!
<3
She looks like a Delilah to me….a bit of a temptress for sure ;P
I had my dressform for several years before I realized that most people seem to name them and decided to name my own. I scoured baby-naming sites and made lists and asked for votes from people via polls etc and it was months before I had a name I (mostly) liked. Good luck!
I got a new sewing machine for Christmas and I named her Jane after Jane Bennett in Pride and Prejudice. So you could always name her after a beloved literary heroine.
That is so cute, Stephanie!!!
♥ Casey
I just got an adjustable dress form as a birthday present (so exciting!) and I also named her Jane! Firstly that is my middle name, and secondly Jane Bennett is my alter-ego
I love your skirt Casey, I recently made Chie’s skirt as well, and I have your tutorials to thank for helping me catch-stitch woven interfacing into my scalloped waistband
I am so so so in love with half circle skirts at the moment, possibly because they are the easiest things in the world to whip up and also to wear.
For some reason I think Gene suits her, possibly because you remind me of Gene Tierney!
Madeline, after Madeline Vionnet, Queen of Draping and the bias cut
Love the skirt!!
I’ll second that! I was going to nominate Pretty Girl Madeline (PGM). :^)
Oops, that’s Madeleine . . .
She’s lovely Casey! (The skirt looks fab too
)
I think she should be called Penelope De-Vine (a P-letter name as in PGM, and De-Vine as in Dressform + as is the De-Vine things you’ll make using her!)
Peggy May is what springs to mind for me. I think it’s the initials PGM and that the name sounds a little bit vintage which kind of suits the form in my mind as it’s not all dials and measures. It also sounds quite lady like but that she could also be a bit of a rebel or get up to some mischief when she wants!
Your skirt is beautiful and I love the contrast with the lining. I could imagine a wardrobe of them in a rainbow of hues!
I think she could be a Collette. It sounds like a beautiful elegant name that you would’ve heard in Paris during a fashion show back in the day.
Penelope Please.
that’s first name Penelope, last name Please, i don’t know why.
i love that inner waistband!
She looks sort of fancy so I’d go for something like Mademoiselle Marie-Élise Dubois.
Loretta
How about Miss Freckles?
Lol, maybe not!
I named my dress form Dolly – partially because her giant stuffed bra makes her look pretty top-heavy and comical (haven’t gotten around to stuffing the bum yet… hm that doesn’t sound right) like Dolly Parton, and partially for Dolly the Sheep Clone – because she’s a clone of me! Get it? Ahh!
Love the skirt, by the way! That is the most perfect shade of blue.
haha!!!! I love that you named your dressform Dolly for that reason! rofl.
♥ Casey
You could name her Bianca! Because she is so white and pristine.
My two dressforms are named Minnie (she’s a bit smaller than me) and Maxie (she’s a bit larger).
Your sewing always looks so professional! I hope someday my skills will be somewhere near yours
Poor Mr. Freckles. What did the poor chap do this time? My lady-Baxter was up to schenanigans last night too. My iron cord is barely intact after her nibbles. I should own stock in electrical tape.
I love your skirt. I saw it on pinterest yesterday and fav-ed it so I was hoping it would make an apperance on your blog sooner rather than later.
I actually just purchased myself a pgm dress form not two days ago! How luck you are to get that as a gift! I had palpitations the whole time I was paying for my own online.
As to your dressform’s name… It should have a title of some sort. Off the top of my head I was thinking Ms. Musings. I think the names Lucy and Daisy could be cute names for a dressform.
My previous rabbit was really into electrical cords and managed to get more than one electric shock in his (long) lifetime! Though it didn’t seem to bother him too much.
lol. Freckles, was a very bad little boy yesterday. He finally figured out how to get up on the sofa himself (previously we had to help him up, although he can get off the sofa no problem), and then after spending the better part of 1/2 an hour jumping up and down, promptly forgot he was litterbox trained. Oops! :p Thankfully, that’s what slipcovers and washing machines are for. 
hehe.
I think you’ll really like the PGM dressform–I’m pleased as punch with mine so far!!!
♥ Casey
What a beautiful skirt! What about Edith? Or something similar. Edith Head, was a designer for MGM in the 40s and 50s.:D I think she designed Audrey Hepburn’s evening dress in, Sabrina.
That skirt is GORGEOUS!
I have a dressform (a Drtiz) and I call her Ethel because I often feel like I’m in an episode of I Love Lucy when I’m sewing (that which can go wrong, does, with often hilarious results). I’d go for something old fashioned sounding and quaint. I like pop culture references a lot… so maybe after an actress from your favorite era or a character in a book, but put a sewing spin on it. For example, Autumn Harrison way up there at the top suggested “Elizabeth Taylor”… I’d change it to “Elizabeth TAILOR” (get it?) or “Liz Tailor” for short…
That’s a beautiful skirt! I love adding details to a garment that are like little secrets for me only rather than aesthetic details for everyone to see. For your dressform, it definititely should be a cute 40′s sounding name. These have all been suggested but I do like MIllie, Emma, Daisy, and Lucy. Any name you choose, it’ll be perfect!
Also saw your the BurdaStyle blog post about you. Congrats!
Hmm. How about Patsy?
This is lovely! Perfect colors
Congrats on the dress form! She’s a beauty!
I never did name mine. But I <3 her
A dressform for Christmas! Your in-laws know you well.
I’d name her something glamorous and pretty. Ava, or Isabelle.
Beautiful skirt! A handful of half circle skirts are on my “to do list” for this year, for certain!
Estelle!
You are an absolutely fabulous seamstress, Casey! Love the unexpected pink lining too. *smile* I made a printed velveteen dress this week, to wear for my 22nd birthday pictures (Sunday), and am itching to get to wear it! Of course, it’s hanging right now before hemming since the skirt is bias cut.
I agree with Abby above… a glamorous name like Ava after Ava Gardner would be fantastic! Names are so much fun.
xo Achaia
Casey, how do you add that black ribbon that runs the inside of the waist band? It looks so professional. The skirt is just perfect!
The first name that comes to mind for your dress form is “Lindsey,” but I really like Hesthermay’s suggestion “Emmie.”
I probably should have explained that further (I knew I left something out! lol.), but that’s the selvedge edge of the fabric. It’s a great way to reduce the bulk on a straight waistband (rather than turning the edge to the inside).
♥ Casey
oh brilliant! that’s a nice looking selvedge
I think she looks like an Anne (with an e). Or maybe an Audrey.
My dress form is Jane. =) Because of Jane Austen, Jane Bennet, and just because it seemed to fit.
Miss Audrey!
I like Penny. Its cute and automatically makes me thnk of the 50s.
Penny was my first thought also!
That skirt is so lovely. What does the tape inside say? It looks like French! My dress forms are named Daphne and Lily, after the character in Some Like It Hot and Lily St. Regis from the musical Annie.
It is!
It says: “Haute Couture Par Jean Patous”.
♥ Casey
I think you should name her Bessy the Dressy form
http://madnessanmusings.blogspot.com/2012/01/new-wes-anderson-movie-moonrise-kingdom.html
My first thought was “Oooo, pretty green skirt!!” and then I saw the dress form and got excited for you
Your thoughtful reply to an email inquiry I sent you over a year ago (wow) about dress forms was really helpful when I was researching, and you are so deserving of a truly nice dress form!
I have Chie’s pattern (and fabric in the same green as yours) and really want to whip up a few simple skirts for my new office job. So glad you reminded me of this pretty pattern! Happy New Year, Casey!
P.S. I named my dress form “Miss Madeleine”. Don’t know why, but that was my high school French name so it seemed to fit. I did see someone above suggest “Millie” which is super cute! (Sorry for my extensive commenting in this post, sheesh!)
Oh, please share some of those tips about dressforms with the rest of us, Casey!
A blog post, perhaps? You see, I’m considering buying one for myself, but have no idea where to start. What are the pros and cons with the different kinds: adjustable ones, and the ones where you need to pad the body’s curves yourself? Hip or flat hip? Different brands? What size to buy compared to one’s own measurements…. Many questions, indeed!
I just love your blog! I wish I could sew as well as you! I don’t have the patience
. I love your emerald skirt and what a great Christmas present! I had a roommate who had a mannequin/dressform named Charlene, whom we always talked about in English accents. It was a sort of inside joke, but hey! it’s an name for you.
Hey, you’re an inspiration, gonna make me a similar skirt. The touch on the lining is nice. Thx
Casey, when I grow up, I want to be a master seamstress just like you! I am a college freshman and only really got going with sewing last year, but I have been an adorer of vintage from the time I was a young girl. I stumbled across your gorgeous blog some months ago whilst searching for vintage things and have been hooked since! You are one amazing, lovely lady!
Maureen, Bonnie, Judy…I totally agree with Emily! Edith as in Edith Head would be awesome! Oh, maybe Greer (I’ve been on a Greer Garson kick lately)?
I just love the drape of circle/half circle skirts. That turned out perfect. The shot of the unzipped waistband? I just can’t get over the lining and now absolutely perfect it looks.
For a name, I like Camille. Or Vera.
lola
Hi Casey!
I have become a recent follower of your blog, and I absolutely LOVE it!
I have a dress form also, and have named it, but it is not as lovely as your new one!
Here is my suggestions for names:
1. Georgette
2. Mabel
3. Peggy
4. Charlotte
5. Norma
6. Lorraine
7. Darlene
8. Jeannette
9. Edith
10. Betty
11. Rhonda
12. Vivian
Not in any particular order, just some of my fave’s!
Have fun with her she’s a beauty!
I love the pink lining! It’s such a fun pop of color- like wearing a really cute bra
She looks like an Alice to me!
Oh, how gorgeous! Wherever did you find that bright, pretty wool? All the wools I see around are usually drab, men’s suit-colored ones– but this color is LIVELY!
Your dress form needs a classy name, since all your creations are so charming– more of a Vera or a Camille than a Betsy, perhaps!
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