Style Sew Me Janelle Skirt – #bhmpd

You won’t believe I made another Valentines look! I am just really enjoying love month and #bhmpatterndesigners this year! It’s so fun to combine the two! This time I whipped up a quick lil something to go with my Styles in Seams Carrie Purse. It’s a pattern I’ve had my eye on for a really long time and believe it or not, it was not my first choice for this outfit! I had all intentions of making a sweet little half heart blouse pattern by a Nigerian designer. I printed the pattern and everything only to realize it doesn’t include instructions so I need some extra time to figure that one out. I was racking my brain trying to figure out a replacement and remembered the Style Sew Me Janelle Skirt pattern. I figured it would look really cute for Valentines with the high slit.

My fabric is a mix of white, black and gray. A pretty small print that just looks dotty from afar. Perfect to match my red velvet purse! It’s a stretch twill fabric so even though I accidentally sewed with a larger seam allowance than I should have (oops!), I still ended up taking in the hip curve an extra 3/8″. The pattern is offered in sizes xs-2xl. I made size L graded to XL hips for reference.

This is going to sound crazy… I shortened the skirt 5″! Yup… I am 5ft 4″ and I chopped off a whopping 5″! It is meant to hit midi length but with my short frame, I prefer a length a little below the knee. Very happy with my decision even though I was very skeptical about losing those 5″. It just sounded kind of insane you know! I measured twice and cut once to be sure. 🙂

I love a deep hem so when I realized the skirt has a 1.75″ hem I was over the moon. I was a little confused because both in the instructions and the sew along, the hem is 2″ but my hem notches were at 1.75″. And in order for them hem to line up properly, 1.75″ was definitely the sweet spot to fold up. Not sure if this is an error, or just my size? Either way, 1.75″ was perfect and that deep hem gives it a more stylish and professional feel.

The reason it took me so long to purchase this pattern is that I was afraid of the high slit. I didn’t realize until researching it this time around, that you could adjust the slit for your desired coverage. Eryn recommends sewing the slit down 10″ but I added an extra 2″ so I sewed mine down 12″ instead just to get that extra coverage. I didn’t want a super sexy thigh high slit for this particular skirt. From the waist to the top of the slit is topstitched down so it ain’t going nowhere! There’s nothing to blow open to expose you! Phew!

Here’s what I did differently to make it my own. I added gold shank buttons for that sailor vibe and I couldn’t be happier with that choice! Oh my goodness.. it just adds something special to the skirt! Obviously they are just decorative buttons but I really love this look. The buttons amped it up a bit you know! I knew I wanted to pair the skirt with a basic black top so the buttons really add some spice to an otherwise plain outfit. Drop the red velvet Carrie Purse on that.. and bam! This outfit is definitely giving sexy and mysterious Valentines vibes!

Needless to say, this is hubby’s fave look for #bhmpatterndesigners challenge so far! I really enjoyed putting this together. The skirt is a really quick sew, definitely beginner friendly! I got it done in a few hours and I knew instantly how I would style it. I omitted the interfacing on the waistband because I wanted to keep the stretch factor and I don’t have knit interfacing at home (remember I’m on lockdown). So overall this skirt is super comfy and stretchy! I did an invisible zipper in the back instead of a regular zipper and I took my zipper right up to the top of the waistband instead of using a hook and eye closure. I felt very confident in this outfit and can’t wait to wear it out in the wild if the wild is even a thing anymore!

*Don’t forget I have a GIVEAWAY running for the Styles In Seams Carrie Purse pattern! Make sure to enter both on my YouTube channel and my Instagram profile!

Toodle-loo

Keira