This episode is like a mini sewing challenge! We each sewed a skort and we discuss it for the first time on the pod. We chat about the patterns and fabrics we chose for our skorts, our experiences sewing them up, and how we wear them!
The transcript for this episode is on this page at the end of the show notes.
Show Notes:
Previous Episodes Mentioned:
Helen’s Skort:
- Pattern: Rose Skort by Made for Mermaids
- Fabric: Hemp and Organic Cotton Denim from Blackbird Fabrics
- Styled with: Ashton Top by Helen’s Closet Patterns
Caroline’s Skort:
- Pattern: Sunrise Skort by Jessilou’s Closet
- Fabric: Mini Gingham Linen in Black/Ecru from Blackbird Fabrics
- Styled with: Nicole Knit Top by BF Patterns
Other Mentions:
Transcript:
Helen: We are recording today on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territories of the Coast Salish and Kwakwaka’wakw peoples, including Tsleil-Waututh, Squamish, Musqueam, and K’ómoks first nations.
Caroline: Hello and welcome to Love To Sew. I’m Caroline, the owner of Blackbird Fabrics and BF Patterns.
Helen: And I’m Helen, the designer behind Helen’s Closet Patterns and Cedar Quilt Co.
Caroline: We’re two sewing buds who love to sew and it’s literally all we wanna talk about.
Helen: This episode is like a mini-sewing challenge. We each sewed a skort and we’re about to discuss it for the first time. We chat about the patterns and fabrics we chose and our experiences sewing them up and how we wanna wear them
Caroline: If you love to sew, this is your show. Hello, Helen.
Helen: Hello, Caroline.
Caroline: How are you?
Helen: I am doing well. How are you?
Caroline: I’m pretty good.
Helen: I am really stoked about this new podcast format.
Caroline: Yes, me too. It is weird to do something new after so many years of recording the podcast with you, and I don’t know why we haven’t done this sooner, because it was really fun.
Helen: I know! This is such a great opportunity for us to try something new, maybe experiment with some design elements or fabrics or patterns we haven’t used before, and then we get to talk about it. And I haven’t seen your skort and you haven’t seen my skort, so we’re in for a treat.
Caroline: Yeah, we really are. We’re going to, live on the show, see footage of our makes and talk about it. But before we go on, we need to talk about something else.
Helen: Oh yes, I forgot. We need to tell you about Patreon.
Caroline: Yes! and Apple Podcasts. We wanna remind everyone that the best way to support Love to Sew is by joining us over on Patreon or Apple Podcast Subscriptions. And if you do that, you get access to bonus content every month. We have so much fun catching up with you all, and those episodes are more casual. We actually talk about what we’re sewing in those episodes. So if you like today’s episode, you might like our bonus episodes.
Helen: Yeah. And it means so much to us if you’re able to support us, even if it’s just temporarily. And if it’s not in the cards for you to do that right now, we totally get it. We love you for listening and cheering us on and you’re still part of our Love to Sew fam.
Caroline: Absolutely. Okay, segue over. Let’s get back to the task at hand.
Helen: Yeah, so this is a format that we are planning to do ongoing, every once in a while: a “We Sew ___” episode. Caroline and I are gonna sew something around a theme, like a garment type, a fabric, or a technique. In this episode, we each sewed up a skort. And, like I said, we haven’t shared any of the details with each other yet. So we’re gonna get to hear about each other’s makes for the first time in this episode, discuss our pattern and fabric choices, and our experiences sewing the skorts and how it felt to wear them.
Caroline: Whew. It’s gonna be intense, Helen. Spoiler alert!
Helen: Is it? Okay, I’m bracing myself. I’m ready.
Caroline: Okay, before we start our discussion and reveal our projects to each other, I wanna talk about what a skort actually is for those of our listeners who maybe don’t know.
Helen: Yeah, so a skort is a combination of, you guessed it, a skirt and shorts. And usually it looks like a miniskirt from the front and then a pair of shorts in the back, although some designs look like a skirt all the way around and have built-in shorts underneath. There’s quite a few different ways to interpret “skort” out there.
Caroline: I wanna know, Helen, how you felt about skorts going into this challenge.
Helen: Well, we brainstormed a lot of ideas for this episode, or for our We Sew episodes, in general, and you were the one that put forward skorts, and I’ve never thought about sewing a skort in my life. So I was like, “Yeah, you know what? I’ll try that. I’ll try anything once.” And I do enjoy wearing shorts. It’s a go-to garment for me in the summertime. Love shorts and a t-shirt. So, you know, there’s not that big a difference between shorts and a skort. It’s just a panel of fabric, usually. But I don’t wear short skirts. Like, I am a midi-length skirt girl all the way. I want it down around my calf. I’ll go maxi. But, like, I don’t do knee length or miniskirts very much. So that element is definitely outside of my style comfort zone.
Caroline: Okay. But why don’t you do miniskirts?
Helen: I think it’s, like, comfort level with just, like, feeling like exposed to the world. You know, that makes me sound prudish or something, but it’s just like…
Caroline: Well, you don’t wanna flash someone, right?
Helen: Yeah. And it’s not even that. I don’t even like, like, sitting down in a miniskirt feels weird ’cause, like, your butt is just on stuff. Like, I like a little more coverage. So, realistically, a skort is the perfect garment for me.
Caroline: This is what I’m saying, is that if you are worried about feeling exposed in a short skirt, then it feels like a skort would be the answer, right?
Helen: Yeah, that’s true. And I do love the look of a miniskirt. But it’s not something I’ve really managed to work into my personal style wardrobe. I like a more bohemian, relaxed, kind of hippie girl vibe, so.
Caroline: I am similar, like, I am not a skort gal. I’m not a short skirt gal. I’m not even a shorts gal. So why did I suggest skorts is a great question.
Helen: Because you were being brave.
Caroline: I think I was wanting to choose something that I’ve never made before and that was very much out of my, like, style comfort zone. I thought it would be fun to just, like, try something totally out of left field and, yeah. Was it fun? I’ll let you know once we get to that.
Helen: Okay. I’m picking up some interesting undertones here.
Caroline: Yeah. No, I mean, it is this, this is all fun because we’re sewing and we love sewing and I do think it was really interesting to try a new project that I definitely wouldn’t have tried without the prompt of this episode. But, as with many things in sewing, it brings up a lot of feelings that don’t have anything to do with sewing. Right? Like, it’s also about our bodies and craft and, like, style. Yeah. So, I have a lot to say in that department, but I feel like we need to save it because we gotta get through the, like, nitty gritty of what we sewed and what it looks like. And I really wanna reveal my project to you and I really wanna see your skort. So should we get into that part?
Helen: Yeah, sure. Who should go first?
Caroline: I want you to go first.
Helen: Okay, sounds good. You can look at the pictures and video I sent now, and I will describe it to you while you’re having a look-see. Okay. So, for my skort, I chose to make the Made for Mermaids Rose Skort, which was actually designed by past guest Aaronica Cole. So that was a really nice little tie-in to the podcast. And this pattern has a ton of options, so it’s a great one. If you want this classic skort with just the front flap or like a full skort with built-in shorts underneath, it’s got different options. You can go more sporty, you can go more regular kind of woven fabrics direction. And I really like the simplicity of it. It’s just a classic, regular short with front and back darts. And then the front panel piece over top. This one goes from a 34 inch to 64 inch hip. And that’s 86 centimeters to 162 centimeters. And so it’s got a great size range. One interesting thing I wanted to note about this pattern company is that they don’t use numbered or lettered sizing, which is cool. They use colours. So I made size yellow. And it also has a ton of tester photos to look at so you can see different fits and fabrics, which is always kind of nice when you’re debating whether or not you wanna make a pattern.
Caroline: Oh my gosh, Helen. It’s so cute. Honestly? It’s so cute! It looks so good. I love how you styled it, kind of summery vibes. I could totally see you wearing this. It is a little bit outside of your style identity, I think, but it really looks great. It’s like, you’ve managed to look really, like, casual and cute and the fit is incredible. And I love the simplicity of the pattern. I love that it’s just a simple panel. There’s not too much going on. Obviously, you know I love this fabric. I almost used this fabric for my project, so.
Helen: Yeah. Okay. I didn’t mention the fabric yet. Okay. So I used a hemp denim from Blackbird Fabrics, which is one of my all-time favourite fabrics. It’s one of those things I like to keep in my fabric stash. So when I make something out of it, I just buy it again.
Caroline: Yes.
Helen: Because I’m always happy to make something out of it. It’s a great fabric. It’s like around a six ounce, I believe, six and a half ounces. So it’s a nice weight. It’s got some drape to it, classic denim blue, and it washes and wears beautifully. So because I was outta my style comfort zone, I thought I’d stay in my fabric comfort zone to help make the project a success. And I also, you know, I wasn’t sure about wearing a skort, so I thought about what fabric I would consider wearing a miniskirt in. And what I came up with was denim because classic denim miniskirt, right? So then I was like, “I think I’ll go with that because that way it makes sense in my mind,” you know? And it’s not, like, too…I have a tendency to choose, like, electric yellow or something and then I don’t end up wearing it ’cause it’s a little too out there. So this is a very neutral, classic miniskirt fabric. So I do think that helped to make it a success.
Caroline: It is very, very cute. I love it.
Helen: Thank you.
Caroline: And I love that past guest Aaronica designed it. It’s perfect.
Helen: I am really happy with how it turned out. It’s obviously not super summery…
Caroline: Yeah. Outside, you mean. Like, when we’re recording.
Helen: Yeah, totally. So I haven’t had a ton of chance to wear it. I could style it with tights and boots and stuff, but that’s also not really my style. So I am looking forward to wearing it in the summertime, and I think I will definitely get wear out of it because the shorts are really comfortable and it looks really cute and I can definitely see it paired with sandals and a tank top and…
Caroline: Yeah. The fit is super spot on, too. I think it looks great.
Helen: Yeah. Okay, I really wanna hear about your skort and what pattern you used and what you made.
Caroline: Okay, so I went with the Sunrise Skort, which is a pattern from Jessilou’s Closet. And I’ll just read her description for it. So: “The Sunrise Skort pattern is a modern take on a traditional skort. It features shorts hidden behind either a full wrap skirt with a tie on the side, or a half skirt that covers only the front of the shorts.” I ended up going with View B, which has the full skirt over the front and back. And this pattern goes from a 24 inch waist to a 54 inch waist and a 34 inch hip to a 65 inch hip. So size 0-34. And just those two views in there, I ended up doing a size 24. And I chose this pattern. I mean, there aren’t that many skort patterns out there, but this one immediately came to mind. And after looking at other options, I decided to go ahead with it ’cause it just, like, I couldn’t get it out of my brain. And I really like that there’s like a wrap skirt on the front and the back of this one. And I really love the side tie detail. It reminds me of one of my favourite patterns that I’ve made a million times, the Peppermint Wrap Skirt. So that part was kind of in my comfort zone a little bit. Fabric-wise, maybe I’ll tell you what fabric I used. I went with our mini gingham linen in black/ecru; it’s like a really lightweight, soft, a hundred percent linen fabric. I almost went with the same denim as you, but I’m glad that I didn’t because I feel I like it would’ve been funny, but also kind boring if we picked the same fabric. But yeah, I kind of thought of that fabric as something that I could style for both fall or summer because of the gingham. Like, it kind of gives, like, Clueless vibes, I think, when you, like, wear it with tights, which I liked.
Helen: It does!
Caroline: But yeah, I mean, we could talk more about, like, our feelings about the project after, maybe.
Helen: First, I do wanna say that it looks so freaking cute. I love it. I love it in this black and white fabric. It definitely gives Clueless vibes. And you styled it in this video with tights, which is so cute. Like, it looks really adorable on you. And I really like the styling that you did and yeah. I want another skort now, in a checkered fabric.
Caroline: Yeah, I styled it with, like, my, like, loafers and a Carrie Crop. And you styled yours with, like, sandals and a Jackson Tee, right? Yeah. So we both wore our t-shirt patterns with it, which is kind of funny. But I feel like you styled yours more for spring/summer vibes and I styled mine more for fall/winter vibes. Which is also a fun contrast. But yeah, it was a fun project. It was fun to go out of my comfort zone and fun to sew a pattern from a different company that I’ve never sewn from before. I’ve never tried a Jessilou pattern, so.
Helen: Yeah, same. I haven’t tried a Made for Mermaids pattern. And they have so many designs, so it was really fun to give the company a try. And I’m encouraged to learn that their pants block fits me so well because they do have many options. And I had a lot of success with it. So yeah, it was fun to get out of my comfort zone, too. I sew a lot of my own patterns, of course, ’cause I’m always thinking of ways to hack and make different versions and promote them and do marketing and stuff like that. So I don’t always get the opportunity or take the opportunity to sew other designers’ patterns anymore. So that was a really fun element of this challenge.
Caroline: Absolutely. Okay. Should we talk about what our sewing experience was like?
Helen: Yeah, for sure. Okay. So I did sew a muslin because I wanted to make sure that the shorts fit before I made them. So I didn’t do the skirt part, I just slapped together the shorts so I could try them on. And I’m glad I did because they were a good fit, but they were quite snug and I wanted them to be a little bit looser. Like, I didn’t want, like, a tight fit on the shorts. They fit, but they were just tight. So I decided to size up. And they were also really short, so I added like an inch and a half, maybe even two inches to the length. Like, ‘ cause they just felt like they were too, too short for me. So I added a little bit of length and I sized up and I lengthened the rise, which is a typical adjustment for me ’cause I’m almost 5’10”. So I almost always lengthen the rise. But it was fun to throw together the muslin and check the fit and then make the project. I’m not always good about doing that test version ahead of time, but this time I was like, “I’m gonna do it ’cause it’s just shorts. I can do it really quickly.”
Caroline: Okay. I feel like, I was gonna say, this episode is probably, like, a really great representation of how you and I approach projects slightly differently because you were like, “It would be wise to make a muslin” and you did. And I was like, “It would be wise to make a muslin” and I didn’t. Because I will avoid it at all costs.
Helen: But you knew, you did know that it was smart. And? It fit, so it wasn’t necessary to make the muslin. So that’s good.
Caroline: Yes, it fit. I wish I had lengthened the pattern a couple of inches. I often do that anyways. Like, most of the time when I sew patterns, I will add a few inches ’cause I’m like, “I can always take them away,” especially if it’s something that’s easy to just, like, lengthen from the bottom. But in this case, I was like, “Part of the fun of this exercise, for me, is that I really wanna try, like, a short style.” So I was like, “I’m all in. If she’s short, we’re going with it.”
Helen: Yeah, that’s fair.
Caroline: And, like, more on that later. But, like, she’s short. Like, it’s a short skort.
Helen: Yeah. I would say yours is the length that mine was before I lengthened it.
Caroline: Yeah. Yeah. So do I wish I made muslin so I realized that I needed to lengthen it to be comfortable? Then yes, I do. But it was a fun exercise and I do think the fit was really good in the end. Like the, the shorts fit perfectly. I wouldn’t have had to, like, lengthen the rise or anything. It literally was just the length of the garment itself. So.
Helen: Oh, that’s very positive. Yeah. So you didn’t end up making any adjustments on the fly, like taking it in or changing seam allowances, or…?
Caroline: No. I didn’t have to make any adjustments, no.
Helen: Oh, that’s awesome. Yeah. After I sized up, I ended up taking it back in at the waist because the waist felt a bit loose. And I do have a somewhat funny story because I got caught up in the sewing of the skort and I was so confident, overconfident that I knew how it went together. I’m like, “Oh yeah, skort: shorts, skirt, panel, facing, zipper. Got it. No problem,” that I completely missed that there is an elastic back on this skort. And so I tried it on in my sized up one and I was like, “Oh, it’s so loose in the waist. I wish there was an elastic back in the skort. Like, that would’ve been such a great detail to include in the pattern. Why didn’t they think of that?” And literally didn’t realize until after that that is fully in the pattern, of course, because it’s smart and they put it in there. And I just breezed right past that. Didn’t notice it at all. So I don’t have an elastic in the back of my skort. I just, like, took it in so it was tight in the waist. But I did have to laugh at myself and check myself a little bit. And I honestly think pattern designers probably make the worst sewists because we’re not following those directions. We’re just like, “Oh, I got this.”
Caroline: I definitely had times like that, too, where I had to check myself. ‘Cause I would be, like, breezing past instructions. Like, “I know how to do this.” Or like, “I wouldn’t do it that way, so I’m gonna do it my way.” And then I’d be like, “No, Caroline, follow the instructions.” And, sure enough, usually, like, when things are done a certain way, it’s for a reason. It’s probably because 10 steps later you needed to have done it that way, you know? So, yeah, definitely, like, an exercise in trusting the process, trusting the designer. Like, leaning into not being the one making the decisions.
Helen: Be a bit humble and…
Caroline: Yeah, absolutely.
Helen: Yeah. Yeah, that was pretty funny. I also think that reading the instructions in full before you begin is always a good idea and I’m really bad about doing that. Yeah. And I breezed right through it. It was also a different style of instruction booklet, like, this, the Made for Mermaids instructions have photographs throughout instead of illustrations and my, like, visual brain, like, doesn’t gel super well with photo instructions. So I know some people prefer them and that’s great, but I was just, like, kind of jumping around because I’m like, where am I with…I need, like, line art to, like, really focus in on things. But I think that’s also just because that’s my style as an instruction maker. So it was definitely interesting. Assuming I knew how to make the project and then being like, “Oh, right, right, right.”
Caroline: One I didn’t thing mention is that the pattern includes, like, in-seam pockets, and I mean, you can probably guess that I didn’t do them. Because who wants pockets, like, in a tight skort? Short skort? I don’t know…
Helen: I mean, some people just want pockets in everything.
Caroline: I know. I feel like, for me, I was like, “They’re gonna be flopping around.” Also, my fabric is so light that if I put anything in them, they’re just gonna kind of get weighed down and I just can’t be bothered. I did go rogue in that department. I was like, “Absolutely not. Absolutely will not be doing that.”
Helen: I think that is wise. I think, in this style, the pockets aren’t necessarily gonna, yeah, add much to the look of it. Obviously great for functionality, but mine didn’t have pockets, and I don’t know how you would put them on successfully, too. ‘Cause then it adds, like, even more layers. Like, oftentimes the front or back skirt panel is sewn into the side seam, and then that’s where the pocket also goes. So it would be, like, a lot of fabric all at once.
Caroline: Also, your pattern has an invisible zipper on the side seam, right? Mine has an invisible zipper in the center front, so I feel like it left space for pockets on the side seams. But with an invisible zipper and pockets? I don’t know how you would even do that. You could only have one pocket.
Helen: Yeah. You could just do one. I probably would’ve done the same thing and left the pockets off if I were you. Plus, it’s a first go at it, too. Sometimes I’ll leave details off if I’m like, “This is just my first attempt.”
Caroline: Yeah. Totally.
Helen: I really like how yours ties. I think that’s really cute. And you can, like, fully open it like a towel. Like, whereas mine is, the skirt is sewn into the waist. So you can lift it up like a flap, but you can’t fully open it.
Caroline: So how does it close? Is it like a button?
Helen: It’s sewn right onto the waist, and then there’s a waist facing, so it’s all tucked in. So there’s no button.
Caroline: But, like, the flap. How does the flap close?
Helen: It’s sewn right into the waist…
Caroline: Ohhh. Oh, sorry, sorry, I get it.
Helen: No, no, that’s okay.
Caroline: It’s fully sewn all the way across. Interesting. Okay. I thought skorts always opened ‘cause how else would you reveal that It’s a skort? Isn’t that part of wearing skorts?
Helen: I don’t know. Do you have to?
Caroline: That you walk into a room and you go, “Guys! Look! Woo!”
Helen: “You think this is a skirt? Guess again!”
Caroline: And then it’s like, (clicking noises) open it up.
Helen: You don’t have to open it. You can just turn around.
Caroline: Yeah, that’s true. Your reveal is you’re turning around.
Helen: Yeah. Well, and you can lift up the flap if you want.
Caroline: Absolutely. It’s just maybe not as dramatic.
Helen: Peekaboo. It’s true, it’s not. And I do think the little, like, tie detail adds something. I love a waist tie. My pattern also had a cute, there’s a view where you can do a bias binding along the front of the skort and the, and the flap is, like, curved, so it gives it a bit more of a sporty look. Which I thought was cute because I definitely feel like, when I’m wearing it, I’m like, “I should be holding a racket and wearing sneakers and heading to my nearest court.”
Caroline: I know, I, we were talking about this before we hit record, but I was like, “I feel like skorts is like, I feel like either like a school girl, like a young lady, or like I am about to do sports, you know, like I’m gonna be golfing or playing tennis.”
Helen: Oh yeah, golf’s a good one. Yeah. I mean, I considered making a sporty skort because I play pickleball and I was like, “It would be cute to have something more athletic for playing pickleball.” But I couldn’t find the right fabric and then I just decided to go with this denim one instead. But I do know what you mean. I feel a little bit juvenile in it, which sounds like a really negative thing. But it could be a positive thing. It makes me feel youthful, you know?
Caroline: Oh my gosh. We need to keep it moving. Okay. Helen, if you could go back in time and give yourself a piece of advice before you started sewing your skort, what would it be?
Helen: I think we all know it’s: “Read the instructions before you start, you dummy.”
Caroline: Yeah. Mine would be: “Make a muslin, you dummy. Or just, like, lengthen. Lengthen the pattern.”
Helen: No, make a muslin!
Caroline: That’s pretty much it.
Helen: That’s good. You know, this is positive. We both learned something. What would you say was the best and worst part of making your skort?
Caroline: Okay. I feel like it’s the same thing because the best part was: I love sewing with linen and I love how, like, airy it is, how beautifully it presses. Like, I really love this fabric and I love wearing it and I just think it’s a really nice match for the pattern. But it was also hella shifty, like, this linen and, like, the ties, especially when I was turning out the ties because they’re pretty narrow. As I was, like, turning them out, I feel like I was almost, like, stretching the fabric. So then when I went to go press the ties, my gingham looks like a wavy gingham. Like, it’s no longer straight. And I, like, could not get it to look straight and I had to be like, “You know what? This is imperfect and that’s fine. Like, I can live with it.”
Helen: Yeah, it’s fine. It’s gonna be tied.
Caroline: It’s gonna be tied. No one’s gonna be paying attention to whether my ginghams are, like, perfectly straight in this little tie. But yeah, there were some parts where I was like, “Ooh, this fabric is maybe not the most perfect match for this pattern.” Like, the panels are double layered, like the front and back skirt panel that you sort of, like, wrap around and tie, it’s a double layer of fabric. So getting those two layers perfectly flat and not having one sort of bubbling anywhere, like, it was a little bit challenging. And I think it ended up fine, but I worry that when I wash it, it’s gonna be kind of a nightmare to, like, press nicely and get it to, like, get it back to looking good. And, honestly, these might never get washed, because linen shrinks. I pre-wash my fabric but, like, I cannot afford for this skort to be any shorter. She’s getting hand washed.
Helen: Imagine. Oh my gosh. Well, maybe that’s for the best.
Caroline: What about you?
Helen: I really enjoyed looking at all of the skorts patterns that I could possibly find on the internet.
Caroline: Oh really? Do you have, like, a database you can share with us?
Helen: Well, there’s not that many out there. So I really did a deep dive into the sewing community to try to find all the skort patterns I could find so that I could compare and decide which one I wanted to make. And it was interesting because there aren’t that many. So it was cool to see how people interpreted the style and see different companies I’d never heard of before. And just, like, explore a little bit in a very specific pattern area. Like I said, it’s not something I do a ton. Like, obviously when we’re coming up with designs for Helen’s Closet, I’ll go and look and see what’s out there, but I also try to keep my blinders on a little bit ’cause I just wanna do what I wanna do and I don’t wanna be distracted by what else is out there, what other people have done. So it was fun for me to explore other pattern designs. And to try another pattern company. That was really fun. And I love working with this fabric. So of course that was really fun. And I think I will wear this skort. I am excited for the summer months ’cause I think I’m gonna get some wear out of it for sure.
Caroline: Yeah, I’m excited to see you wear it this summer. I’m gonna expect to see it show up during Me-Made May, Helen.
Helen: I think the worst part of sewing the skort was my first muslin. ‘Cause when I put it on, I was like, “Oh no.”
Caroline: Oh no.
Helen: ‘Cause it was so tight and, you know, muslin doesn’t, like, give it all. So it was also just this, like, papery, tight shorts and I was like, “Oh, what am I doing?” But we got there in the end.
Caroline: We both, like, questioned our life choices during this project.
Helen: Yeah, exactly. Exactly.
Caroline: It’s like, it went from like, “Why are we sewing skorts” to like, “Why do I have a podcast where I now have to talk about sewing a skort?”
Helen: This is all part of the sewing process.
Caroline: Okay. So you, I think I know that you stand by your fabric choice. You were happy with the fabric you went with.
Helen: Yeah. 10 outta 10, would use it again. It’s in my Blackbird Fabrics cart right now. I’m buying some more.
Caroline: Yeah. That fabric will, we will have it forever, if, as, as long as we can. As long as it’s being made, it will be in our store. It’s so wonderful.
Helen: Yes. Total staple. I love it. How about you? Are you happy with your linen?
Caroline: I really like it and I hope I can wear it in the summer. I was thinking it would be really cute, like, at the beach or something. I think that if I were to do it again, I would probably go with that denim because I just love it so much and I think it’ll, it would look really good in this pattern. And with a couple of little fit adjustments, like mainly just lengthening.
Helen: I think if you added a couple inches to that, you would probably love it. Like, yeah, I feel like it could be perfect.
Caroline: Okay, so in terms of the pattern, we kind of already talked about this, but you, were you into the pattern that you chose in the end?
Helen: Yeah, I totally was. I now would know, going into it, working with this pattern company, that the instructions are the photographs. And I would read them more carefully before I begin so that I can, like, get the lay of the land a little bit more. But the drafting was on point. Like, it fit really well. Hardly any adjustments. And they have so many patterns and, like, so many versions of their patterns. So it’s a good company to look at if you’re looking for something specific because, chances are, they have a version of it. And they even have a youth version of this pattern, which I thought was cute. So you can make the women’s version or you can make the youth version.
Caroline: Oh my gosh, so you could make your nieces matching skorts.
Helen: They’d probably love that, actually. It definitely feels like a more youth-oriented style, the skort. I probably had one when I was a kid.
Caroline: Because you, if you’re doing cartwheels…I’m just imagining that’s what the youth do all day is, like, cartwheels.
Helen: That’s what my niece does all day. She does a thousand cartwheels every day.
Caroline: If, yeah, you’re doing cartwheels all day long, then you can’t be wearing a miniskirt, right?
Helen: I mean, you totally can, but…
Caroline: Oh my gosh. Okay. I really liked my pattern, too.I thought that the drafting was good. I liked that the design was really cute and simple. The instructions were pretty clear. I think my only thing that I would maybe change, other than lengthening it, is adding a little bit of shaping to the overskirt part, especially in the back. It doesn’t have any darts, so with my larger bum, I feel like it just kind of sticks out a little bit. It doesn’t drape as nicely, especially ‘cause it’s a more fitted style. So I think I would add darts or some kind of shaping to that back skirt so that it fits my booty a little bit better.
Helen: Yeah. Fair. That’d be cute.
Caroline: Alright. Should we talk about styling?
Helen: Yeah. I mean, I styled mine with a t-shirt, which I think looks really cute, and Jackson Tees go with everything. So it was an easy choice. But I also could see it with a tank top, a swimsuit. I like your idea of wearing it on the beach, like I could see it with a swim top and, like, a little beach coverup would be cute. And then I like the idea of winter styling as well, but I don’t have a pair of, like, nice boots right now. I have Blundstones. That’s it. Period. So I don’t know if that’s the vibe. But, like, I could see it with a tall leather boot and some nice sheer stockings and a turtleneck. I think it could look really cute.
Caroline: Yeah, yeah. A tall boot with a short skirt is so cute. And man, I wish, I can’t find tall boots that fit me, but if I could, I’d be all over that. Absolutely.
Helen: I know, the calf fit is always such a struggle. If anyone has any recommendations…
Caroline: Yeah, you know, I’ve done so much research.
Helen: Oh no. Why, world? Why?
Caroline: Also, I was gonna say, don’t send me recommendations ’cause I, I can’t buy anything this year. I’m on a no buy year. But no, do, I would love to know and…
Helen: I mean, I think an ankle boot, like, you could, I could imagine, like, a lace-up, cute, kind of, like, high ankle boot with some cute socks. And then the tights and the skirt would look really cute, too. And I would even consider adding belt loops to my skirt so that I could style it with a belt because I like to style everything with a belt.
Caroline: Whoa. Curveball. A belt over a skort, Helen?
Helen: I know, kind of, probably not correct, but my skirt is built into the waistband, so I could just slap some belt loops on there and make it work. I just like the look of a belt.
Caroline: I think you could style it with Blundstones if you went, like, a little bit more grunge with it. You know, like, I don’t know, like a graphic tee and some black tights or something.
Helen: Yeah. Yeah. Or, like, some cool checkerboard socks or something. Yeah, I could see it. That’s true. Maybe I need to give that a try.
Caroline: Can I tell you a story?
Helen: Yes, I wanna hear it.
Caroline: Okay, so I finished this skort…also, like, truly on brand. Do you wanna know when I finished this skort?
Helen: I don’t know, like, 20 minutes before we started recording?
Caroline: We were joking about me sewing the final stitch, like, minutes before coming on. That didn’t happen…
Helen: On the show. “You go first. I’ll be done in two minutes.”
Caroline: But, obviously, I left it to the last minute. I sewed it over the last week, basically, and I finished it up on Monday night and it’s Wednesday. So, like, honestly, proud of myself. I gave myself a 24 hour buffer.
Helen: That’s good. That’s really good, actually.
Caroline: But I am in a fragile state, currently. As you know, my cycle, I’m in, I’m in the, I’m in the phase of my cycle where I’m very sensitive and, and I finished my skort, put it on, hated it. Like, literally, I was like, “I do not like how this looks. It is so short. I’m not comfortable. I just don’t wear short things. I’m just not comfortable and I’m trying to work through it. But anyways…
Helen: Yeah, I mean, part of the reason we wanted to do this was to, like, push though that a bit, so yeah, I can imagine that was a challenge.
Caroline: And honestly, I don’t have that many sewing projects where that happens. I think I’ve been really lucky because I often finish a project and I’m, like, so incredibly stoked about it. And so, when I finished this project and I wasn’t loving it on me, that made me really sad. And then I was like, “Okay, we’re recording this episode in two days. I need to, like, figure out how I’m gonna style this. Figure out, like, can I make this work for what I’m, something I’m comfortable with and my own personal style and everything. So I, like, tried it on. I, like, put on some black tights and, like, loafers and, like, a cute little t-shirt, like a kind of looser t-shirt. And I, like, tucked it in and I came out and I was like, “I finished my skort. What do you think, Shea?” And his first reaction was like, “Is that what you would wear it with?” So, like, just picture, I’m fragile, I’m in a fragile place. Okay. And I was like, “Yes. I just put on this outfit, like, to show you this skort. This is how I would wear it.”
Helen: Right. Also, “It’s, like, Monday night and I’m wearing tights. Like, what do you think is happening here?”
Caroline: Yeah, exactly. Like, “Do you think I just threw this on?” I was like, truly, he couldn’t have said anything worse in that moment and I, so I was like, “Yeah, this is how I’d wear it.” And he was like, “Oh, like, it just doesn’t feel like you. Like, you’ve never worn anything like that before. And, like, I just am having trouble seeing past the way that you’ve styled it.”
Helen: Oh my god!
Caroline: He was like…Okay, I love Shea. I love you. Like, he is a wonderful, wonderful partner. And like he truly compliments me all the time. Like, it’s a, I don’t want anyone to come for Shea. He didn’t know what he was getting himself into in that conversation. Like, he, the only thing he could have said that would have made me feel good was like, “You look incredible. Like, no notes,” you know? But, I didn’t feel incredible. So, obviously, when he was like, “This doesn’t feel like your style,” I was like, “Oh God.” And so I immediately just, like, spiraled, you know? And I was like, “I hate my legs. I hate the way this looks. I don’t know how to style it.” And, like, Shea’s, like, comforting me. And he is like, “Don’t worry, Babe. Like, why don’t you just, like, go back to the drawing board and, like, you can make another one.” And I was like, “I can’t make another one! Like, I’m recording in two days. Like, I don’t have time.” And he was like, “I’m sorry.” This poor man.
Helen: Oh my gosh.
Caroline: I did fully spiral after this project, which is unusual for me. I’m gonna work through it. And I think, with some time, I’m, I’m, like, liking it more and I showed, like, pictures of it to some folks at work and everyone was like, “Oh my God, it’s so cute.” And you like it. And, like, that helps.
Helen: I think it’s adorable.
Caroline: Yeah, that helps, for sure. And like, I will be showing everyone this skort. Like, this is a podcast. We are real. I’m, I’m showing it to y’all. So just know that I might still be fragile.
Helen: Get ready, world, because you’re gonna be shocked by how adorable it is.
Caroline: But yeah, it, it brought up some feelings, which I think and I hope that some people can relate to because I think, with sewing, you don’t always love the project right when it’s finished. Sometimes you need a little bit of space from it, or time, or, like, you need to try different, styling it differently. You need to talk to people about it. And sometimes you just like, don’t like it and you’re like, “I’m not gonna wear this.” And that’s also okay. Like, I do think I still got something out of this project. And not everything can be a win. And it’s not necessarily a reflection on the pattern or the fabric. It’s just, like, a combination of all of those things. It, like, maybe didn’t work out exactly how I imagined it, and then, yeah, when you’re bringing, like, fitting and styling and body into the equation, like, everyone has their stuff, right? And I’m no exception, so it did bring up a lot, and that was an interesting thing that I wasn’t necessarily expecting.
Helen: Yeah, that’s totally fair. And I think a lot of our listeners can definitely relate to that, feelings about your body, and also just the feeling of finishing a project and hating it. And then sometimes you come back to it the next day and you’re like, “Oh, it’s really not that bad.” And then sometimes you come back to it and you’re like, “Yeah, this one didn’t work.” And then you move on. But you do have to grieve the time and the money and the energy that you spent. ‘Cause it sucks when it doesn’t work. It really sucks.
Caroline: Yeah, I know. And we’ve talked about this on the show before. Like, I often think about that conversation we had where we were talking about artists and how you’re painting as, like, a practice and it’s not, you’re not always gonna have, like, finished projects that are perfect and that you would, like, display, right? Like, it’s kind of similar with sewing. I have to remind myself that, like, not everything is going to be something that I’m going to wear with pride, and that is totally okay. That’s, like, part of practicing this craft. Yeah.
Helen: Yeah, it is a practice. Well, do you think that you will give it another go at a longer length, or do you think you need more time?
Caroline: I think I do need more time, but I, I might, honestly, I might because I do think it has potential. I, I think this pattern’s really cute and I wish I had gone through the muslin process and made that change. ‘Cause I think that could have really changed how I felt about the finished project. It’s just so short. But, you know, the funny thing when I was trying it on, I was like, “This is so incredibly short. Like, I could never wear this outside.” And then I was like, “Wait, that’s why it’s a skort. Like, I won’t flash anyone because I am wearing a skort, and that’s the beauty of a skort.” So it’s like, if anything can be that short, it is this project, you know?
Helen: Well, and I think shorts is one of those things that, like, you can have a preferred inseam length for your shorts and know that, you know, kind of like your preferred length for a skirt. And then every time you make a pair of shorts, you just, like, check the inseam. I like it four inches, so I’m just gonna go ahead and make it four inches. ‘Cause I know that’s what I like and it looks good on me. So it’s one of those numbers that you kinda have in your back pocket. Haha. See what I did there?
Caroline: See, I didn’t know that ‘cause I’m not a shorts girly. So now I need to figure out what my inseam length is and I’m gonna write it down and remember for next time.
Helen: Like, this is what I need.
Caroline: Yeah.
Helen: Yeah. And everyone’s comfort level is different, right? Well, thank you for being so vulnerable with us about your skort, and I appreciate it.
Caroline: Thank you for listening. Thank you for listening, listeners, as well. To be clear, like, you can all wear whatever length skirt you want. And I would never, like, look at somebody else and be like, “That’s too short.” Or like, “Your legs don’t look good.” Like, this is my own stuff that I’m working through and I realize it might not be fun to hear for everyone ’cause I think it could probably make you feel some type of way if I feel some type of way about my own body. So yeah, I…yeah. It’s not at all a reflection on anyone else. It’s purely my own stuff.
Helen: Yeah. Well, I think, as sewists, everybody’s interested in that part of the equation, right? It’s really interesting to have a hobby that is both about the making of a craft and the enjoying it on our physical body, right? It is a very interesting hobby in that regard. So I think it’s cool to hear about.
Caroline: This was really fun, Helen. Do you have any other thoughts that you wanna share before we wrap up this, I was gonna say, inaugural episode. What’s the right word for this? Premier episode of We Sew.
Helen: We Sew series. We have another one coming later this season, too. So that’s exciting. I’m excited to get started on that project. But no, I don’t have anything else to add. I do think a skort is a fun thing to try, so if you’re listening and you’re like, “Maybe I’ll try a skort,” yeah, go for it.
Caroline: And we’d love to hear about it.
Helen: Yeah, and we’ll be sharing our skorts on our Instagram @LoveToSew.Podcast. So you can head there or to our website to check out what we made.
Caroline: Yes.
Helen: Be blown away by our adorableness.
Caroline: All right, well, we’ll catch you next time. Bye. That’s it for today’s episode of Love to Sew. You can find me, Caroline, at Blackbird Fabrics and BF patterns and Helen at Helen’s Closet Patterns and Cedar Quilt Co. We’re recording in beautiful British Columbia, Canada.
Helen: You can help support Love to Sew and get access to bonus content by subscribing on Patreon or Apple Podcasts. You even get access to the back catalog of bonus episodes. That’s over 75 hours of Love to Sew. So go to patreon.com/lovetosew or check out our podcast page on Apple Podcasts for more info.
Caroline: You can head to lovetosewpodcast.com to find our show notes. They’re filled with links and pictures from this episode. And if you’d like to get in touch with us, leave us a message at 1 (844) SEW WHAT. That’s 1 (844) 739-9428. Or send us an email at hello@lovetosewpodcast.com.
Helen: Thanks to our amazing podcast team. Lisa Ruiz is our creative assistant and Jordan Moore of The Pod Cabin is our editor. And thank you for listening. We’ll talk to you next week.
Caroline: Bye.
Helen: Bye.
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Love this new format and episode. No notes 🙂
Thanks so much, Karen! We have one more “We Sew” episode planned for later this season.
This was such an inspirational episode! The Sunrise Skort has been in my “potential future makes” queue for a while. Then I came across this post: https://handmadebycarolyn.com.au/2025/03/why-do-i-sew-with-striped-fabrics.html
which gave me all kinds of outfit envy, but I would never be comfortable in that skirt. But with a skort? Definitely possible. All of the info you shared is going to be really helpful in my attempt to create my version of this outfit. Thanks!
Hi Michelle! Thanks so much for listening. Love that outfit you linked. I hope you rock your skort!