Geometric Print Midi Skirt | McCalls 7631 Review

A big focus of mine this year has been building up my work wardrobe with handmade pieces that won't look out of place in an office. One gap in my closet was skirts: I had lots of long summery skirts, lots of short skirts, but nothing I could easily layer with tights and sweaters in the colder months. 

I've also sewn mostly florals and solids the past few years, but have long been tempted by dazzling geometric prints - Burdastyle magazine uses these geometric prints a lot and they are so eye-catching! When I saw this black/green/white MC Escher-esque cube print on Fabric Mart Fabrics, I added it to my cart with a vision of a flowy, midi length skirt that would pop against neutral layering pieces.

McCalls 7631 - an easy-to-sew a-line or pencil skirt with back zip and waist facing - perfectly paired with my vision. I cut a length between Views C/D for a midi skirt. I cut a size S (8-10) based on what matched my body measurements, and it was my first time using a pattern with alphanumeric sizing. I think the skirt fits true to size, a bit low on the waist. 

I think for a future iteration, I'd add more fullness or flare to the skirt as the side seams were delightfully swishy but the front panels quite flat 😕not exactly the flowing midi skirt I had in mind, but it's still a great "statement" piece.

Overall, I recommend McCalls 7631 as an easy, basic skirt pattern suitable for beginners and experienced sewists alike. I really like the curved waistband facing - it's a comfier fit than a straight waistband, and the hidden facing gives a polished look to the skirt. Be sure to staystitch the top of the skirt panels and mark darts carefully. 

This was a quick sew that took a few days, and that included making tailor's tacks for the darts, applying seam binding to the waistband facing, and hand sewing the hem (also finished with a strip of rayon seam binding). I used French seams at the side seams and carefully understitched the waist facing for a professional finish.

Finally, after nearly 6 years of using my sewing machine (Singer Stylist 7258) I discovered that it has the ability to move the needle slightly to the left or right, which is exactly what I needed to sew right next to the zipper teeth! I feel like I've unlocked the ability for sewing invisible zippers. Whew! I also applied a strip of fusible interfacing (pinked along the edge facing away from the center back seam) on the center back seam allowance to stabilize the area for the stiff zipper.

Materials:

• 1.25 yards of Soft Black / Teal / Sage Green / Gray 100 % Rayon Cube Print Satin Twill Challis from Fabric Mart Fabrics @ $6.80/yard
• McCalls 7631 @ $4 from a Facebook pattern destash group
• 7" invisible zipper @ $0.60 from Wawak
• vintage rayon seam binding

Total cost:

Approximately $15!