Meet the Reed Skirt
We briefly introduced you to our newest patterns in Tuesday’s post, now we’re going to take you through each one, one by one, starting with the Reed Skirt.
The Reed Skirt was designed as a bit of a modern nod to the 70’s and, as usual, it was something I wanted in my wardrobe this season. I’m not a very traditionally feminine dresser so skirts can be hard for me to feel comfortable in. Personally I love the look of an A-line skirt that buttons down the front but they all seem to be either gathered at the waist or way too flared for me.
Enter the Reed Skirt! This skirt combines a smooth waistline, a moderate A-line shape, and loads of options and details. Lets take a look at the individual pattern views below.
All the Reed Skirts have a contoured waistband, since the skirt sits just below the natural waistline. Princess seams help both to keep the A-line silhouette slim while also giving you more points for adjustment to obtain a perfect fit. All of the seam lines are topstitched which we think really makes the style lines pop.
View A is a shorter length, hitting just above the knee. The slanted pockets feature a neat construction technique similar to our Farrow Dress which I think the construction minded among you will enjoy. A front button band adds to the customization possibilities in the type of buttons you use. You can see in our samples how the button choice really changes the look of the skirt.
View B is the same as View A with the exception of length. This skirt hits mid-calf and the lower panel does not button. We find this super cute with tights or boots! You can alternately add a contrast panel here, I personally want to try one in a woven fabric with the right side of the fabric as the upper and the wrong side (which would be the reverse colors) as the lower panel.
View C differs from A & B in that it does not button down the front, but rather has a topstitched center front seam. Patch pockets finish off this look and as always, they're roomy and ready for actual use.
View D is the longer version of View C. The lower panel is closed down the front on this version, unlike View B. I've got a few fabrics set aside for this version, I think it might be my personal favorite!
As far as fabrication, really the sky's the limit on this pattern. We tried to show a wide variety of fabrics in our samples so that you could more easily visualize drape in many different fibers and weights. In the pattern we recommend the following:
Medium-weight woven fabrics such as twill, denim, corduroy, and linen. Extra fabric may be needed to match plaids, stripes, or one-way print designs.
- Robert Kaufman 14 Wale Corduroy in Rust (100% Cotton)
- Robert Kaufman Essex Yarn Dyed Woven Stripe in Black (55% Linen / 45% Cotton)
- Radiance Silk Cotton (55% Silk / 45% Cotton)
- Slubbed Viscose Linen (65% Linen / 35% Linen)
I would say with a bit of fabric knowledge you could easily expand upon this into heavier light weight fabrics and lighter heavy weight fabrics. Denim would definitely work for this skirt, as well as some rayons. We’ve got some great versions planned here for ourselves and the sew-along (we’ll be announcing the sew-along schedule next week) so watch out for those.
Make sure to use the hashtags #grainlinereed and #grainlinestudio so we can see your versions. Let us know below if you have any questions and which options you’re planning to make!
