prep skirt: from a sheet

I bought a blue and white striped sheet set from a thrift store for $6. I've never made clothes from a sheet before, but it's ridiculously economical. So much yardage! Makes so many things! Freedom to completely mess up and cut anew, guilt-free! 


I already used some of it to create a lining for my scallop tote bag. I decided to make a skirt next because I hadn't sewn a skirt in, what, three whole weeks? My nearest Wal-Mart surprised me with its revived sewing/fabric section so I snagged a few New Look patterns there for under $3 each. 

This one is New Look 6030, view B for the most part. View B doesn't call for the belt/sash but I made one anyway; no belt loop deserves to remain empty.

I'm calling this the prep skirt because it looks like something one would wear while sipping lemonade on their rich uncle's sailboat. I ain't mad. I like the skirt length and pocket detail. The belt loops and sash are what attracted me to the skirt initially, but I'm not crazy about where the belt loops are placed -- they're far apart on the sides, so the belt inevitably creeps up between them. I thought about attaching the belt to the waistband permanently so it won't roll, but then the skirt would be difficult to take off and on since the zipper's in the back and the sash closure's in the front. Maybe I'll just use a real belt in the future.

The pattern calls for a regular zipper but I used an invisible one, recycled from a never-worn skirt in my closet. It's tan instead of white but the belt covers the tab so it doesn't matter. I also didn't use a hook and eye because there wasn't much of a gap above the zipper.

The "View B" skirt has ribbon on the pockets and around the waistband. I just used self-fabric on the pockets and nothing extra on the waistband. I used interfacing on one side of the waistband but left it off its facing.

I also changed how the belt loops were attached -- I sewed them into the seam between the waistband and its facing, though the pattern says to fold under the raw edge and topstitch it to the waistband. No thanks. I guess my method makes the belt loops shorter, so I had to make my belt skinnier. 

So, I still have no idea what size to make for myself in commercial patterns. With my real waist and hip measurements, I should be a size 16, the largest in the envelope. Seemed a bit extreme, so I made the size 14 and I still had to take it in quite a bit. Am I doing something wrong?

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