Finished: My Second Deer and Doe Chardon Skirt

I finished my second Deer and Doe Chardon Skirt last weekend – this time with the contrast band at the bottom. I really love this easy-to-make pattern. And if you use fabric that’s medium heavy, you can put things in your pockets and it doesn’t disrupt the line of the skirt. I’ve put my smartphone (with case) in my pocket and I couldn’t tell it was in there. If you use medium-heavy fabric, it will take the weight of keys, smartphones, etc. in your pockets. The waistline won’t be weighted down.

I like that the skirt is a little stiff because the fabric (organic cotton/hemp blend) has a bit of heft to it. Using a heavier fabric lets you see how full the skirt really is. BUT if you use heavier fabric, you should use a lighter weight fabric for the facing or the fabric at the waist will be really thick (see my post on my first Chardon Skirt). And if you use lightweight fabric, it will be a bit droopy. (You can buy this pattern here.)

Side note: When I showed it to my husband, he said in a surprised voice: “You made that?”

“Yes, I did,” I replied. He said it was one of the best things I’ve made. Hmmmm – guess he likes the fabric and the pleats or maybe he doesn’t remember the things I made last year…

I made the version with the contrast band because I only had 1 1/4 yards of this black-and-white print. I bought this solid black cotton twill at Stonemountain and Daughter Fabrics to make another black Chardon skirt with a contrast band using leftover fabric from the colorful print of my first Chardon, which is made from cotton twill with lycra. (My top is RTW from Ann Taylor Loft.)

However, this black-and-white print does not have any stretch in it. After I attached the contrast band, I was a little worried because it looked like the seam might not lay flat. But after pressing it, it looked fine (whew!). Should you avoid sewing fabric without stretch to fabric with stretch?

The pattern calls for a regular zipper in the center back. I used an invisible zipper because I have a bunch of them lying around. But in retrospect, I should have moved the zipper to the side because the zipper pull is just hanging out there in the center. :/ I’ll do that with the next Chardon, which I’ve already cut so it will have a seam in the center back but I’ll put the zipper on the side.

For this version, I came in about 3/8 of an inch on the center back seam but then I began to worry that that would take out too much ease. My first Chardon seemed to have a tad too much ease, maybe because of the lycra in the fabric? So instead of lining up my invisible zipper to the 5/8 seam line, I just lined the edge of the zipper with the edge of the fabric and that worked. The fit it perfect.

Here’s a close-up of the back. Isn’t this print interesting? It makes me think of bobbing up and down in the waves or something. And any pattern matching is completely by accident. I got this fabric on my brief trip to Seattle last spring (which I have not blogged about). I was in the area to go to Port Townsend to attend my younger sister’s graduation from art school (she got her MFA!).

Before my trip, I asked MaLora, who I follow on IG and Twitter, if she had any fabric shop recommendations. (MaLora lives near Seattle and blogs about stuff she makes at Bird and Bicycle.) She kindly directed me to a great store – District Fabric in the Fremont neighborhood as well as a yummy sandwich place for lunch called Homegrown. At District Fabric I found this 1 1/4 yard piece remnant priced at $10. (A couple of weeks ago I discovered that Stonemountain & Daughter Fabrics in Berkeley carries this fabric for $19/yard. If I knew I could get more of the fabric, maybe I would have made a longer version or one without the contrast band.)

And here’s another front view of the skirt.

And the other side.

Note on the photo shoot: I used the timer on my Sony cybershot digital camera, which was on a tripod. These photos were taking in Berkeley on the sidewalk near the parking lot of a laundromat. That dryer/fabric softener smell was in the air. The sun was setting so the lighting isn’t the best. I like that red door though!

Front-pleat detail:

And the inside view of the pleats, facing, and part of the pockets. For the facing I used some lightweight black cotton fabric and fused some lightweight black woven interfacing to it. I understitched my facing. The pattern instructions do not mention understitching. I recommend doing that to help keep the facing in place. I also tacked the facing to the pleat in the front and at the side seams to make sure it stays down.

And here’s my hidden detail – striped bias tape to finish the hem! I got this bias tape at Britex Fabrics. They have all kinds of bias tape in addition to the usual Wrights solid-color bias tape – stripes, knits, silk, you name it.

Note on my hat: Before I left the apartment, I let Mr. C Sews be my hat consultant. I tried on about four other black hats, a beret, and a red hat before we agreed on this black wool beret, which I got a few years ago at Loehmann’s (RIP). He rejected my black velvet vintage hat as too formal and the others as not the right shape. We both agreed on this hat so that’s what I wore.

Do you like pleats on skirts? I used to avoid them until this pattern. My next Chardon Skirt will be using a Dutch wax print and then I’ll make a black Chardon. I love wearing them to work.