mabel_mur

With Colette patterns I seem to go from one extreme to the other. While my new floral Moneta dress is definitely a contender for the title of favorite dress ever, this Mabel skirt… yeah. I’m not feeling it. And it shows, given that I finished it back in November and I’m only posting pictures of it now. I didn’t event want to show it here, but I guess a blog is also made for less successful projects, right?

mabel_tete

Actually, when the pattern was released, I kind of hated it. I thought that this skirt was very unflattering, and borderline tacky. Here in the States, very short skirts and bodycon (body conscious) dresses seem to be quite common. But I really don’t get them. The Nettie dress for instance. Nope. I feel more like wearing fit-and-flare dresses, that put the focus somewhere else than on my hips and bum.

mabel_devant

Then projects made from the longer variation of the skirt started popping up all over the sewing blogosphere: Miss Make, Miss Crayola CreepyIdle Fancy, Cashmerette… And in this pencil skirt-inspired variation, Mabel started reminding me more of Joan Holloway from Mad Men than Snooki from Jersey Shore. I had been wanting to make a pencil skirt for a long time, so I thought that a knit version could be a good solution to avoid struggling with the fit too much…

mabel_dos

So I made Mabel. Let’s start with the good news: it’s a really quick and easy project. It doesn’t take much fabric. It’s comfy. And yeah, as a whole I do like the silhouette. Okay that’s it. Now for the things I don’t like…

mabel_marche

First of all, the horizontal wrinkles on the front: let’s be honest, that’s my fault. I chose to do a size S all over because it corresponded to my waist measurement and I wanted to keep the hem tapered and not end up with a straight skirt. I thought that with the elasticity of the fabric, the skirt would still fit at the hips. As it turns out, I can wear it, but of course it’s too tight and so it wrinkles and rides up a bit. If I had to do it again (which probably won’t happen), I would trace the waist in XS, hips in M or L, and the lower part of the skirt in S.

mabel_ceinture

Then there is the waistband that is no good. It is lined in self-fabric, and so it is way too thick and the seam allowances create bumps all over at the waistline and seam line. Even if I wear a shirt on top to hide it, it still shows and it’s very ugly. You’ll also notice that any kind of tights or underwear lines completely shows through the fabric…

mabel_pli

And the back is not left out. Instead of an inverted pleat like you would usually see on pencil skirts, the pattern has a rectangle of fabric folded on the side and stitched down with a diagonal line. But on this type of fabric it sticks out in a very weird way.

mabel_silhouette

My point is not to bash the pattern here, as my issues with this skirt also come from the fabric… I bought this interlock / Ponte di Roma on fabric (this one), it’s the same type of fabric as my blue Moneta and my pink Coco. When it arrived, I was afraid it would be too thin (I wanted to make the skirt in scuba knit but I couldn’t find any I liked). It turns out it is both too thick at the waistband (I should have lined it in a thin jersey instead) and to thin everywhere else since underwear lines are showing. But my main concern is that after a few washes, it is already completely covered with bobbles (is that the right word, dear native-english-speaking readers?). And I didn’t even put it in the dryer! Plus it is a real dust magnet, so just five minutes after a wash it already looks gross…

mabel_tissu

So, I think that was clear, this skirt is mostly a fail. I still wear it from time to time but given how it aged already I think I’ll only wear it on the weekends, when I don’t have to get out of my apartment. The silver lining is that it did give me an occasion to try out a new silhouette, and I do like it. So I ordered the Sew Over It pencil skirt kit (I’m in love with their fabric, it’s the ultimate plaid!), let’s see how it goes with a woven fabric…

mabel_saut

Mabel Skirt
Colette Patterns
Size S
Ponte de Roma from Harts Fabric

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