Say hello (again) to Gypsum
We are delighted to share the updated Gypsum Skirt
This tried and true skirt has been expanded to our new size range, fitting up to a size 34. The instructions have been updated to clarify a few points, and the PDF pattern pieces now have layers and colored lines to make tracing easier, but no changes have been made to the fit of the existing size range. So if you already have the pattern and fall within the earlier size range, that version will continue to serve you well.
There is so much to love about the Gypsum Skirt
When I wear mine and look down at the flat-felled seams I feel a profound sense of pride and honor in how special it is to sew something. Gypsum has a timeless style that feels both modern and old fashioned. This is a skirt for coffee dates and movies and grocery shopping, but also for baking and foraging and gardening. It’s a skirt made for twirling, and it has the very best pockets. I mean THE BEST. The kind of pockets where I don’t need a purse, where I can pick up every interesting rock or leaf or blossom on my walk. Or can fit a knitting project in my pocket for a very convenient way to wall and knit. Or even a small pet.
Gypsum is a great pattern for beginners
View B forgoes the flat-felled panels, instead using inseam pockets, for a quick to make, easy to fit skirt, perfect for beginning your handmade wardrobe. View A is suited for adventurous beginners to advanced sewists, or anyone looking to grow their skills and learn new seaming techniques. Whichever view you choose you will end up with a skirt that slips easily into any closet, and can be styled with any number of pieces.
I added 4 inches to the hem of my Gypsum Skirt. I think it would also look lovely with a little embroidery on the pockets. I used a mid-weight linen, but the Gypsum works well in chambray, rayon and rayon blends, or silk noil. Try a wool crepe for a wintery version!
We hope you love the Gypsum as much as we do. Follow our sew-along of View A here, and find all the details of the pattern here.
I’m so happy to see View A in linen. The pattern calls for really drapey fabric but I wondered how it would look in a slightly stiffer material. I think it looks great, exactly what I’m interested in!
Would this be manageable with hand sewing only? Particularly the waistband?
Hi Cindy! Yes, I think it would work! The waistband is definitely the spot that could require a bit of creative thinking, since when sewing by machine both hands are employed in stretching the waistband taut while the machine does the sewing. I think you’d need to use a third hand of sorts – there are actual tools called “third hands” and sometimes “sewing birds” that can be clamped to a fixed surface like a table and then have a clamp/clip that can hold your fabric to free up a hand for stitching. https://www.sewingbird.net/blogs/news/look-a-sewing-bird You could certainly get scrappy and put together a tool with the same purpose!
As for the stitch, I’d choose a running stitch that isn’t too short, but also not as long as basting. A backstitch might be too much. I’d make a small sample to help support a decision… and I’d probably make it before cutting out the garment! Samples are wonderful tools for informing decisions, and have prevented me from starting ill-fated projects more than once 🙂
An alternative option to hand topstitching the elastic would be to simply not topstitch the waistband, but that’s not my favourite idea. The elastic and the overall wear of the garment benefit greatly from the topstitching, so it’s worth figuring it out, in my opinion.
Happy sewing!