Lotta Skirt by Compagnie M. - Part 2

Although I was officially pattern testing the size 4 girl's Lotta skirt, Marte from Compagnie M. sent out the Teens/Women's skirt pattern as well. How could I resist?....

I didn't manage to get this done in time to submit any comments or concerns for the pattern test, so I was initially a bit apprehensive about blogging about it, but when I received the final copy of the pattern, every single one of my concerns had been addressed and rectified. Good job pattern testers and Marte!

While it looks just like an upsized version of the Lotta skirt I sewed for A, it's not quite; Firstly, the skirt is not nearly as full - after all, a grown up sized backside does not look so cute with a super ruffled skirt! The waistband is wide and flat and there are good tips on getting the right waistband size, such that the grown up skirt doesn't have the buttonhole elastic of the kid's skirt. Finally, the adult Lotta Skirt comes with additional instructions for an optional lining (two big thumbs up for that!)

Other than that, this is the perfect skirt if you're into a bit of matching with your kid! For the record I am not, and given that A and I now have the same skirt pattern and a few of her dresses have been made from my leftover fabrics, I'm having to be very careful each morning!

I chose the size 44 based on my waist measurement and it's a bit too big. I like it sitting fairly low, but it's a bit too low, such that the shaped waistband is inclined to stand out a bit at the top. For this skirt I had stocked up on buttonhole elastic and dutifully inserted some. But of course, 1 inch wide elastic in the middle of a 3 inch wide waistband looks pretty dreadful, so the elastic is left loose. In the final pattern there are good suggestions about choosing your waistband size from a skirt you already wear and love and the idea of buttonhole elastic for grown ups has been done away with altogether. Good call Compagnie M.!

I used some cotton drill that I had in the stash that has a slight silver sheen to it and which is impossible to iron to be completely crease-free. So, given that it hangs low and loose, it feels so easy to wear and I slouch around with my hands in those awesome pockets all day, I'm declaring this to be the perfect weekend skirt!

It's a fairly quick, easy sew. I made this on Saturday evening, and with my new invisible zipper foot, I'm happy to say the zipper is perfect (but I forgot to take a backside picture to prove it). I wore it on Sunday to a seaside lunch with my Wednesday night French class, and so by the end of the day I was rumpled and untucked as in the above picture.

I may perhaps have had a few glasses of wine over lunch, and possibly fallen asleep in the passenger seat of the car on the way home, so this photoshoot was even more unpolished than usual (ha!) and there really aren't any head shots that don't have that winning combination of sun exposure, wine and sleep! You're not seeing my face today, but believe me, I really am happy with my Lotta skirt!

To see more gorgeous Lotta skirts, modelled by people who brush their hair before a photoshoot, check out the Compagnie M. pattern tour

Lotta Skirt by Compagnie M. - Part 1

I was delighted to have been chosen to pattern test for Marte of Compagnie M. for her newly released Lotta Skirt.

 

 

The Lotta skirt is an incredibly cute, very full skirt with a flat waistband and these lovely pockets. It's all about the pocket flaps with this one, and having a little peek of some special fabric, or some really sweet buttons to pin them down.

 

I'm hardly a seasoned professional when it comes to pattern testing, but I figure the rules are this: Use fabric that's to hand, follow the instructions to the letter (even if it's not how you'd choose to do things) and find every typographical or grammatical error that can be found. Then take a few pictures to demonstrate the fit and get the feedback submitted on time.

 

Of course, when it turns out that the pattern is lovely, that just leaves you wanting to sew another in some 1st choice fabric. I've no doubt I'll make this one over, and over, and over...

 

 

These fabrics might not have been my 1st choice but they were A's, and she was sticking with them. I think she would have liked everything to be aqua (Elsa influence I suspect), but I only had scraps left from P's Travel Quilt. The main skirt fabric is some blue chambray that was gifted to me via my mother in law. It was sewn together at the corners with ribbon and I suspect it may have been a decorative table cloth of some sort.

 

 

The sewing instructions were detailed and illustrated with clear photographs. There is extra detail for how to evenly and neatly gather the front and back skirts, some nice tips for hemming, and good instructions for the invisible zipper at the back. Marte refers to her website for more detailed zipper instructions.

 

As a tester the only notations I made in the sewing instructions were those to do with language and typos. It almost seemed a shame to point them out as there was a certain charm to the translated instructions with their occasional odd Belg-lish (that's my mash-up of Belgian and English) expression.

 

 

I didn't have the best of times with my invisible zipper. I don't have (or didn't last week anyway) an invisible zipper foot, so I did borrow a few Oliver + S tricks; namely ironing the zipper open and marking the top of the zipper and the top of the skirt to keep both sides level. I'm not very happy with the top part but it was getting to the point of ridiculous to do it over again.

 

The pattern also comes with very nicely written instructions for inserting buttonholes and buttonhole elastic into each side of the back waistband. Perfect for when you try the skirt on your little one, she does that weird belly out thing kids do when instructed to stand up straight, you think it fits, then she breathes out and runs off only to have the skirt fall down. Just do up the elastic one extra buttonhole. Sorted!

 

 



There's a pattern tour going on this week, check the Compagnie M. blog for the tour links and a discount code.

You know, the Lotta skirt comes in adult sizes too, and I may just have found time to make one for me as well.....