The Lindy Skirt, The Sorrel Top: matchy matchy!

I have a few items I made over the past few months that I've neglected to share here thus far.

But they were interesting and useful projects, so I am getting around to writing them up and also getting some pictures of them now that I can go outside without a parka hiding everything.

First off is this set of coordinating makes for which I used a black polkadot knit I found at the Goodwill -- the Lindy Petal Skirt from Itch to Stitch (a free pattern) and the Sorrel Top from Seamster Patterns (and most unfortunately it looks like Seamster is no longer in business).

I started with the Lindy Petal skirt, and tried to adapt it to have some cut on pockets, discovering as I was putting together the overlapping layers that you have to put the pockets into the outer layer ON BOTH SIDES if you want to get your hands in to them....  But, since I had tons of the polkadot knit, I recut the underlayer and now have two useable pockets. I do like having them, but there is a bit of bumpiness in this kind of slinky knit which doesn't 100% work with the silhouette. Since I always wear something covering the top of my skirt it doesn't bother me terribly, and I have worn this skirt a lot since it was finished. The tiny beige dots on the black read as a solid from a distance, and both that flexibility in matching with things and the comfort of this pattern mean I wear this a ton.

The pattern is well laid out, with clear instructions, and is fairly easy to make. I'd prefer another waistband elastic method, as my waistband ended up pretty puckered and uneven on first try -- I redid it using the technique from the Jalie Eleonore waistband and it seemed to stabilize it a bit more. That could be entirely due to my slippery fabric though, and no walking foot.

The only change I made, other than trying to add pockets, was to cut the bottom petal edge at a less acute angle to give myself a little more knee coverage. This is a great easy knit pattern and has such a nice finished effect. I recommend it for beginners as it's a little bit different and unique, and yet still easy to make. I also used this pattern to mash up with the Moneta bodice during a sewalong with the Monthly Stitch last summer, in a more stable knit, and it worked a dream.

Next up is the Sorrel Top. I love the look of the faux collar; it is actually set in, quite cleverly. It did take some head scratching and a bit of patience to get the collar curve to fit and meet at the points correctly but practice makes perfect. Also, I clearly had no idea how to get a hem right on this kind of knit when I made this - yikes! Good thing it was a working muslin and I haven't actually worn it anywhere ;)

I used a bit of black stretchy knit from my scraps stash for the body of the shirt, and the polkadot knit for the collar. Unfortunately, because the small dots read as a solid from a distance, the effect is rather lost on this version. But it was a trial attempt, and I will be altering a few things about it in future anyhow.

You can see that there is quite a bit of fabric pooling across the back, so I'll be taking some of that out on the next go. Also, I will be using a knit that is a little less shiny and slippery to make things easier on myself! Even with all that, I quite like this one. The style is cute and the fit is nice, even with the adjustments I'll have to make. This outfit is fun and seems just perfect for my new thrifted vintage sandals too.

These are both interesting designs, and I recommend trying out the Lindy yourself -- it's free, what have you got to lose? I am really sad that Seamster is no longer up and running, as I really liked this top and am a huge fan of her Rose Hip Tights. If you have one of the original patterns, I recommend trying it out.