In 2019, I had the opportunity to work with sequined fabric for the first time. I was so excited, but also a little terrified to check this cool fabric off of my sewing bucket list! I mean, what does one even DO with all of those itty bitty sequins!? I was thrilled with the opportunity, though, and ended up creating a super fun New Year’s Eve dress… and decided that working with sequins wasn’t that scary after all!
So of course, when I had the chance to work with them again, I went for it. This time, I chose a fabric with sequins and tiny glass beads, which added an extra layer of challenge. I had to be a little bit more careful about where I decided to cut, and to pay a little more attention to how I’d be finishing things. With this in mind, I decided to go ahead and create an otherwise simple silhouette – an elastic waisted, gathered midi skirt, inspired by an outfit worn by one of my co-workers to our department Christmas party in December 2019!
I’m so impressed with how beautiful this skirt is, especially considering that it was a fairly easy project overall. If you are willing to put up with a little bit of tedious work on the front end, such as putting a little effort and thought into your cut lines and removing your sequins and beads from the seam allowance (much more necessary for beads than sequins, in my opinion!) then I would absolutely recommend trying out a similar project.
Though I know many of us have made a self-drafted gathered skirt before, I’ve shared all the details of how I measured out and cut this one in particular over on the Minerva Blog, if you’re interested. I for one am always happy to work off of specific directions, so if you’re like me, maybe this will help!
I loved making this skirt work as an elegant winter look, paired with my Nikko Top! As the warmer weather comes in, I’m hoping to take it out on the town for a date night sometime soon – I think it would look great paired with my strappy black Ogden cami or one of my ready-to-wear cropped black tanks! Luckily, this classic color combo will be perfect evening wear year round.
Skirt: handmade by me
Fabric: Minerva – Sequin Lace Fabric Black & Gold
Pattern: Self-Drafted Simple Gathered Skirt
Key Ingredients:
Brother XR9500PRW Sewing Machine
Brother 1034D Overlocker
Schmetz Jersey Ballpoint Needles
Dahle 36×48 Self-healing Cutting Mat
Heat & Bond Soft Stretch (Lite)
Thanks for reading my thoughts on this pattern! The fabric used for this post was provided to me by Minerva in exchange for photos of my finished garments posted on their website. All words and opinions expressed throughout this post are my own, as always. Links provided throughout this post may be affiliate links – if you choose to purchase any products through these links, I may receive a small commission, at no cost to you. This simply helps me justify the costs of my sewing habit and the time it takes to share it with you!! Happy Sewing!
- XX Elizabeth
