McCall's M7386 Knit Trumpet Skirt

• Can an Apple wear a trumpet skirt? Made of knit fabric?
• But I don't have a serger, and won't zig-zag stitches look weird on stripes?
• What about using power mesh?
• Why is this fabric curling?

So many questions. I was hesitant to even cut into the fabric. This blog post will answer all of them, and let you decide if this pattern will work for you. This is McCall's pattern 7386, size XXL, and the fabric is a beautiful sturdy cotton/lycra knit that I found in my local thrift shop for $4. Yes, I am very grateful to live in an area with a lot of crafty seamstresses!

Step one was taping the pattern pieces to my dressform - handy thing about the duct tape is that regular clear tape peels right off it! As you can see, the pieces have a long thin gap, and it's due to my tummy bulge. The back piece fits well. When pinning the front piece, instead of placing it flush against the fold as directed, I put the top corner against the fold, and nudged the bottom corner a few inches further back. This put a long thin wedge into the front piece.

All the curling! This fabric was rolled and rolled tight around every edge. And the selvage edges curled the opposite of the cut edges! Google and a $1.19 can of spray starch saved my sanity. For good measure, I ironed and starched the entire piece of fabric before pinning/cutting.

Lining
The pattern is for an unlined skirt, yet I wanted a power mesh lining to help smooth (not eliminate!) the tummy bulge. Mimi G has a fantastic tutorial on how to do this.  The tutorial recommends making the liner shorter than the skirt. I ended the lining at the "flare" of this skirt. The sturdy striped fabric is not at all see-through, so I wasn't worried about that. I used Joann's "performance stretch mesh" and was VERY disappointed in it. It doesn't provide compression or smoothing, and should only be used for opacity. 

• Compression Mesh Recommendation: Spandex House. Recommended by multiple online friends - thank you, ladies! They even provide phone support, so you can purchase mesh with the right degree of compression/smoothing for your project.
• No-Serger Stitching Tip: Dig out that sewing machine manual, and try out the straight stretch stitch. I'm working with an old, inexpensive White Jeans Machine, and was pleasantly surprised by just how stretchy my seams were. And, the straight stretch stitch is much more polished looking than a zig-zag. Do NOT however, expect to pick out any stitching without poking holes in your garment. Beauty and stretch come at the price of easy removal!
• Basics Reminder! Do use a stretch needle, and when starting off, hold the two thread "tails" to keep your fabric from getting sucked into the needle plate. Do a quick test on a scrap of your knit fabric.

A huge plus for this pattern is that it is only three pieces, so even with the slower pace of stretch seaming, it came together very quickly. It is also fairly high-waisted, so I didn't need to adjust the pattern.

The lining process is simple, yet I made some notes for next time: 

1. Do understitch. It's not in the tutorial, but on my skirt, even after pressing, I'm not confident the lining won't show at the top edge. Mind you, I'm VERY unlikely to wear a crop top that would show that edge, but it's a matter of good craftsmanship.
2. Consider using a walking foot and/or piece of paper to stabilize the fabric as it feeds through the machine. While I did gently stretch the lining as directed, the two layers didn't feed uniformly, so the lining pulls a bit in a few places along the top edge. Not visible after final pressing, but still a detail that can be improved.

Overall, I'm counting this as a success and will happily make this pattern again. Now, if you are looking for a mermaid-style skirt, this isn't it. The gentle flaring does add a nice hint of "hourglass" to my midsection bulges, and I feel it's more flattering than a regular pencil skirt. So, YES, Apples can wear trumpet skirts. It's definitely being worn at a professional conference next week. And yes please, I would love to see your make of this pattern. Apples come in a variety of shapes!

---