Hello readers!!
Fall is looming in the northern hemisphere, and the prospect of lower temperatures has me thinking about sewing warm, woolly clothes. Unfortunately, it’s still hot where I live in California, so I won’t be sporting any cold weather garments any time soon, but a girl can dream, right? Plus, it’s much better to actually have appropriate clothing in my closet when I need it rather than scrambling at the last minute to sew up something new!
Enter the Decades of Style 1930’s Stardust Skirt. In all honesty, I never saw myself wearing any garments reminiscent of the 1930’s. I’m not a big fan of clothing that clings to my body and the 30’s are all about bias cut, figure hugging silhouettes. However, when I saw a photo of the Stardust skirt made in a modern fabric with piping on the godets, I just had to make one. I pictured sewing this skirt with wool and pairing it with tall boots and a sweater. It really seemed like something that I needed to have in my wardrobe as my closet lacks longer skirts. Also, I just LOVE sewing Decades of Style patterns. Yes, I’m a fangirl, but for a girl that loves retro styles and happens to be a curvy gal, these patterns are a dream. I’m just a little bit out of their size range, but grading up one or two sizes isn’t bad, especially when I think about finding an original vintage pattern from this time frame and resizing that!
[source]
Size Range: Waist 24″-40″
What size did you make? Graded up a half size from the largest size for the waist, and one and a half for the hips.
What are your…..
- Measurements: 48-41-52
- Body shape: Pear-ish/Spoon
- Height: 5’8″
What adjustments did you make and how long did they take? Other than re-sizing the pattern to fit my shape, I didn’t do any alterations.
What was the construction process like? Did the instructions make sense to you? The construction process went well and the instructions make sense and are easy to comprehend. Without the piping, this skirt is beginner friendly. Each pattern piece is cut on a single piece of fabric (not doubled on the fold), so you can use up more of your fabric and have less waste. It also means that you need a large cutting surface when laying your fabric and pattern pieces out.
The skirt is quite uncomplicated when you’re sewing it, with the godets and skirt front piece coming together to form one front piece before being sewn to the back at the sides. The seams are pressed open and I enclosed my seam allowances with rayon seam binding. There’s a lapped zipper on the side and really good instructions on how to achieve it. The skirt doesn’t have a traditional waistband, and inside has binding that’s folded to make it’s own facing and a hook-and-eye closure.
How did you like the pattern’s fit? Do you think that the design works well for your body shape? I like the fit and how it subtly falls off my hips. It’s a bit more of a slim fit around the mid-section than I’m generally comfortable with, so I’ll most likely be wearing this with a longer sweater, which I usually wear with skirts that fit like this. It’s not exactly a silhouette that I would need a quantity of in my wardrobe, but it’s nice to wear something different and I really like the idea of wearing this with boots and in cold weather. This wool is also a really comfortable fabric and not itchy which is a plus.
Will you make this pattern again? If so, what fit or design changes will you make? I probably will. I really love the skirt and how chic and retro it is. It would be nice to make it a little bit longer and work with a print. A plaid wool would be cool for this and playing with a print on the godets would be amazing. I didn’t lengthen this skirt as I didn’t want it too long, but maybe an inch or two for the next one.
Do you have any advice on this pattern for other curvy sewers? Are there any resources or materials that helped you sew this piece up? I used a midweight worsted wool for my skirt, which works well for keeping the stability of the gores with the piping. If you’re making this skirt with a lighter weight fabric and are also adding piping, you might want to add some lightweight interfacing to the godets. I used this method to resize this skirt to fit me.
Pattern Rating (1-5):
- Size range: 4
- Instructions: 5
- Construction process: 5
- Final fit: 5
- Overall rating: 4.75
Overall, I really like this skirt and the pattern. I don’t have a lithe 1930’s figure, but I still feel comfortable wearing this. This skirt is not cut on the bias, but it does still have a nice drape, with the godets accentuated by the piping. This design really makes me want to work with more patterns that feature interesting details.
Bravo!!!! Stumbled upon this skirt last week and loving it more now that I see it on someone with measurements that look like mine ~ wink wink~
Oh, and I did not know bias is indicative of 30s garments. Perhaps that’s one appeal it has for me. Thanks for kicking that knowledge.
I’m late to the party, but I wanted to tell you how much I like this. The color is gorgeous, and it looks great on you. I can’t remember if I bought this skirt at DoS or the shaped seam skirt, also from the ’30s.
You look fabulous in this outfit. I like the tailored and sophisticated look it has. Don’t put a big sweater over it, though. I think it would take away a lot of what’s great about it.
Oh lovely make! I too adore DOS and have made this skirt twice. I hate zippers so I did the skirt in a stable ponte and with a wide-ish waistband allowing me to slip it on.
It looks great. I love the colors you chose and the piping makes it look really nice. I like that idea Elaine has of making this skirt with denim. FUN!
I bought this patten a few years ago after seeing made up as a jean skirt. Now it moves up again to the top of the pile. Yummy skirt and yummy color!
You look stunning in the skirt, it’s a style which looks really good on you.
That’s a sassy detail for sure!
Great combination of style, fabric and color! This looks marvelous on you. Definitely a keeper!
Looks great on you, Tanya-love the colour and piping. Personally, I think that style suits you. I can see it could be worn as ‘smart’ wear as well as more casually. Quite versatile, isn’t it?
Love this skirt on you! One suggestion, go longer, yes longer. It is hitting at the widest part of your calf, which tends to widen all of you. However, the flair says “not shorter, but longer”, not much, just to get below that wider point on your calves. Except for this, I love it on you and you did a great job on the piping.
There’s that assumption again, that we all want to look slimmer, and clothes must at all times strive to achieve this. I never noticed the length in this way at all. Let’s give each other a break and not perpetuate these stupid assumptions about what ‘flattering’ means, please?
Thanks for making and reviewing this! I always shy away from 1930s patterns but have been more and more intrigued lately! And Faye Dunaway’s outfits in Bonnie and Clyde have always been inspiring to me!
The skirt looks great on you, Tanya. I made one myself out of lightweight navy wool and really enjoy wearing it.