I’ve started a tradition with my grandchildren which I may come to regret, I make them a dress (or rompers) at Easter instead of giving them an Easter egg, it’s what I did with my own children when they were little. The girls love me making them dresses so I’m delighted to make them. This time I only left myself a week to make them…and then decided to paint the conservatory too! It has just crossed my mind however that whilst we currently just have three grandchildren from James and Bex, we have four children between us…that could end up as an awful lot of sewing!!!

Anyway, outfit number two was a twirly skirt for Harriet who is seven. Her mum fell for this pattern before Christmas but the fabric she wanted me to use wouldn’t have worked (and was very expensive!)as it was a border print. This is a circular skirt from Shakalaka patterns (same pattern company as Hugo’s rompers). It’s got a net underskirt to help it puff out and some straps which tie very prettily at the back.

I found a pretty Rose and Hubble print in pinks and purples and a matching pink pattern for the straps and the underskirt. The netting is pink too – she’s at the pink age! I bought it all at the Remnant House in Harrogate. What amazed me with this skirt is that a skirt for a small seven year old takes 4 metres of fabric!!!

It’s a full circle skirt, so it’s cut out of one piece of fabric, then there’s a skirt facing to make a neat hem, that basically means the bottom two inches of the skirt are cut out a second time, whilst that is done in four pieces it still takes a lot of fabric to keep the curve…and then there’s the underskirt and the straps…there wasn’t much left from the four metres!

The pattern was well written with photos at every stage. The only instructions I got confused on was the attachment of the waistband as usually the waistband contains all the raw edges of the top of the skirt, whereas with this one I think they’re meant to be between the skirt and the underskirt. I presume this is to keep bulk out of the elasticated waistband.

The skirt went together beautifully…it just took a while. The hem of the skirt is about 3.6m, I think I stitched round it five times, with attaching the facing, understitching, hemming…I also inserted some horsehair braid to help the hem to hold it’s self nicely over the netting.

We went round on Wednesday evening and she tried it on immediately over her PJ’s, it’s a little big round the waist so when they get back from holiday I’ll take the elastic in a bit. The straps are detachable too so if she just wants to wear the skirt she can. She loved twirling round the living room in it.

Happy Easter everyone 🙂