**This blog post first published & sponsored by Raspberry Creek Fabrics Blog**
Hello again! I hope you all are having a lovely winter and a wonderful holiday season! Today I am sharing a project that will keep you cozy, warm but also dressed-up and fashionable. I used Raspberry Creek’s spongy-soft Tartan Wool to make an on-trend wrap skirt. The skirt is a classic look and can go from work to winter events effortlessly.
I had so many ideas for the Tartan Plaid Wool. It actually took me longer to decide what pattern to use than it did to sew up this skirt. I considered a boxy blazer, some rolled-hem shorts and a fitted dress. The Agave Skirt by Deer & Doe won out this time though. I love the offset hem and the A-line silhouette. I live in a warmer climate, but still enjoy wearing seasonal clothing and colors. This shorter skirt is a perfect compromise. In colder areas though, it would be darling with tights and a dressy coat.
The Agave Skirt pattern does call for a light to mid-weight woven, so with this heavier wool, I really made sure to reduce the bulk in all seam allowances and corners. I also made sure to hammer down bulky seams with my rubber mallet. This can help a lot when running thick seams under your presser foot. There is no way my buttonholes would have turned out had I not hammered down all the seams around them.
The pattern also calls for hand stitching the hem facing to make it invisible from the front. Since I almost always refuse to hand-stitch, I found that my machine’s blind hem setting worked amazingly. If you have not tried this stitch on your regular machine, you should definitely give it a try. I have saved many dress-pant hems with this nifty little setting. It is quite amazing and it works beautifully with this heavy wool. You can’t see the stitching from the right side at all but the facing is completely attached on the inside.
The last touch I added to my Agave Skirt was to cut the waistband on the bias. I can never pass up an opportunity to add a little bias plaid to a project. Since the waistband is an area that needs to hold its original shape, I made sure to add a woven interfacing as well as a strong woven lining fabric so it won’t stretch out of shape the more it is worn.
I love this wool so much! The back side is brushed, which makes it feel like a squishy, warm fleece inside your garment. This was my first time sewing with this particular wool and I cannot believe it took me this long. It was very easy to sew with, it didn’t fray at all when shifting around my pattern pieces and it has enough structure that I rarely needed pins or clips. I absolutely plan to finish off my list of wool project ideas after this. This fabric was an absolute delight to sew with and I highly recommend giving it a try this winter.
