Sew Chaotically! - Plaid A-line skirt, M3341

I made this plaid skirt and vest for Rosie a couple of months ago and now it was time to make mine!!!  Using the same M3341 A-line skirt pattern and same type of fabric, a plush 100% cotton that looks like wool and feels so very soft, from Jo-Ann's - by the second time around I had learned a few things.  However, this fabric piece too, was a little stretched out of shape.  Since I am very familiar with sewing the pattern generally, my personal challenge was to do better with my print matching.  I guess it is mostly common sense, but here is a tutorial I found that was really helpful:  Sewaholic - How to match prints along seams

And we're off:

Happy with print placement here!  Though you can see how the plaid wants to "drift".  But...you can't see my darts!!!

Super happy with both side seams!!!  I cut carefully using info from the tutorial and then hand basted the seams before machine stitching.

This is my only source of sadness.  Since I install zippers by stitching the entire seam (using a large stitch in the area for the zipper and regular stitch for the rest of the seam) I basted and then sewed it together just as I did for the side seams.  It was perfect!!!  However, when I actually sewed in the zipper (even though I had basted it in place) the fabric stretched out a bit (See the bottom right area of the zipper?) and lost some of my perfection!!!!  Ha!!  This would probably have been the proper occasion to use a bit of seam stabilizer along the seam in the area of the zipper before installing it as this fabric is so soft.  Oh, well.  Live and learn.  I could have taken it out and tried again, but I figured nobody was going to be looking that closely at my bootie and once this fabric is stretched, I don't think there's any going back!!!

Anyhow, I love this skirt.  It is cozy and pretty and I feel I met my personal challenge of trying to either learn a new skill or perfect an existing one with each garment I make.  It was fun! Although with all the viewing of tutorials and hand stitching...B was getting suspicious that I was simply procrastinating in order to delay cutting into this behemoth!!!  

Double faced wool...the most expensive material I have dealt with so far!!!

Lions, tigers, and bears!  Oh, my!!!

Sew Chaotically!!! - love, c