The Donovan skirt by Helen’s Closet is a beginner skirt pattern with an elastic waist and big pockets. It comes in two lengths: above the knee and midi.
The size of the pattern ranges from 0 – 30 or 24 inch waist to 48 inch waist and 33 inch hips to 58 inch hips.
What are your measurements, height, and body type?
My measurements are 48 inch waist and 56 inch hips. I don’t do body types.
What size did you make?
I made a straight size 28 since my hips are 56 inches and I knew that the elastic at the waist could be adjusted for a smaller size, if needed. The instructions also tell you to pick a size based on your hips. Where the skirt waist hits, I am actually 46 inches so I figured it wouldn’t be an issue to choose size 28 rather than size 30 based on my waist measurement.
What adjustments did you make and how long did they take?
I made no adjustments in the pattern. The pattern instructs you to wrap the elastic around your waist and cut according to that.
What fabric did you use?
For my first version, I used a chartreuse viscose fabric and, for my second version, I used tencel twill in magenta.
What was the construction process like? Did the instructions make sense to you?
Construction was great. The pattern is a beginner pattern and the instructions are super clear and easy to follow. I think the only thing that didn’t make sense to me is that the instructions tell you to finish the waist seam (leaving an opening for the elastic) and then insert the elastic and then finish that small opening as well. It seems to me that it makes more sense to insert the elastic, close the opening, and then finish the entire waist seam. Save time and do it all at once. Other than that, I think the instructions are great. All in all, the construction process probably took 2 hours for me.
How do you like the pattern’s fit? Do you think the design works well for your particular body shape?
I love the pattern. I wore these skirts all summer and loved pairing them with boxy tops with french tucks. I also love the side slits in the midi length so much which is why I didn’t really make the shorter version. Those side slits are everything!
Will you make the pattern again? If so, what fit or design changes will you make?
Plans are to make the shorter version when Spring rolls around again. I think a short chambray skirt would be super cute for the summer with a tank top. I also would love to “hack” the pattern for a paper bag waist by just using an smaller width elastic and possibly adding in belt loops.
Do you have any advice on this pattern for other curvy sewers? Are there any resources (blog posts, fitting books, tutorials) that helped you sew this piece up?
I used two rather fussy fabrics for my versions. Both ended up stretching out slightly at the waist and at the pockets as I sewed. It worked out fine in the end, except for the pockets being a bit droopy, but staystitching or fusing a small strip of interfacing at the waist seams would have helped this issue. That said, I have been seeing droopy pockets in RTW so I am choosing to say these are design elements rather than issues! LOL
Size Range (1-5): 5
Instructions (1-5): 5
Construction Process (1-5): 4.5 (0.5 taken for making you split finishing that seam into two steps…lol)
Final Fit (1-5): 5
Overall Rating (1-5): 4.875
I love both my skirts with this pattern. It’s a great pattern and a perfect gateway to those more difficult types of fabric that you may be avoiding as a beginner like viscose/rayon, crepe de chine, or silk. Definitely look up tips on how to sew with these types of fabrics, but this pattern is great because there isn’t much to worry about in terms of fit so you can focus on developing your skills with sewing with these fabrics which I definitely did while making both these skirts. LOL
