Patti Pocket Skirt + theDelhiStore

I am so excited to be a part of the Patti Pocket Skirt Blog Tour, and finally get to show you mine! I have been eyeing this skirt pattern since the day Amy released it because it is so pretty, but it does have some different design elements that I was a little bit skeptical about. I had seen so many beautiful Patti Pocket Skirts that others had sewn, so I decided it was something I just had to make.

I LOVE the extra big pockets (is that even surprising?), and the midi length is definitely my favorite of the two views. The big pleats are what I wasn’t sure about, and I didn’t really know which fabric would work best for the design. Around the same time that I was asked to join the blog tour, Vandana from theDelhiStore saved the day and helped me find the perfect fabric.

TheDelhiStore (based in India) is a shop on Etsy that sells mainly hand loom made and hand block printed fabrics. If you have a few minutes to browse through the shop, you will find that they have so many beautiful, unique, and colorful fabrics available (with excellent reviews!). Vandana is getting ready to launch her new website called Fabrics & Notions that will include all of the fabrics from theDelhiStore, plus new things that aren’t listed on Etsy right now.

I know that many sewists try very hard to find fabrics that are made and sold ethically, and Vandana sources directly from artisans to make sure that they are getting a fair price for their work. I also know how hard it can be to try and find the right fabric online for patterns, but Vandana was very helpful and quick to respond to my emails when I was trying to choose fabric for this skirt. If you have questions about any of the fabrics in theDelhiStore, do not hesitate to ask her.

After looking through the fabrics and still not feeling very sure of what type of fabric would work well for this skirt, Vandana gave me several options. I chose this beautiful marigold print that is even more beautiful in person, but the photos on Etsy are very accurate as to what the fabric and colors look like. This is a block print indian cotton that reminds me a little bit of a linen, but with a looser weave. The colors are so vibrant and I almost just wanted to hang it on my wall as a mural!

Fair warning that if you live in the US, the fabric may take up to a month to get to you (with standard shipping), but you will have a beautiful and unique fabric that you will love, and you will be proud that you helped support an artisan around the world.

Sewing Tall Alterations: I made view B, and added 1″ at the top L/S  line, and 2″ at the bottom L/S line. I had it an inch longer, but I was a bit nervous that I wasn’t going to have enough fabric. It turns out I probably had enough for the extra inch (Is it okay if I just frame the rest?), but I am really happy with the length right where it is!

I had to be very careful when I was unpicking a couple things, but the loose weave is going to be so nice on hot days. I chose not to add a lining, but I am wearing a slip in these photos. The pattern only calls for interfacing the waistband, but it suggested that if you have a lighter weight of fabric to interface the pocket facings as well, so I did that too. Amy’s instructions and illustrations were clear and easy to understand. She has you do a few things in a little bit of a different order so that you don’t have to keep getting up and down so much to iron and gather supplies, which I thought was clever.

I have learned over and over that fabric is what makes or breaks whether I love a pattern or not, and these two were the perfect match. The Patti Pocket Skirt calls for stiffer fabrics like denim, twill, brocade, linen, barkcloth, and wool suiting, but I didn’t want something so stiff that would have really big funny bends and wrinkles if I had been sitting on it for a while. I think that a light cotton or linen that drapes well is perfect for this skirt if that is the look you are going for too.

This gorgeous fabric is available for pre-orders and will ship on April 30th, should you decide you need some in your life for a skirt — or wall mural. 😉 A few other fabrics that would be perfect for this pattern are this beautiful blue floral linen, this abstract leaf print is seriously gorgeous, and the colors and subtle leaf background of this bright floral print are amazing.

Make sure to sign up for the Fabrics & Notions newsletter to learn when Vandana’s website launches! I love the way my Patti Pocket Skirt turned out, and I am excited to wear it all spring and summer long.

What type of fabric would you use for the Patti Pocket Skirt? Do you have any patterns with big pockets that you love?