Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Caramel Piped Beignet

Beignet....

So, I had to make a Beignet skirt from Colette patterns to go to New Orleans. And, of course, I also had to try a beignet from Cafe Du Monde. Had to.  (Delicious, by the way)

...and Beignet!

This is a fabulous skirt pattern.   I was sold on it after I saw Tilly's week of wearing Beignet skirts. I was a little intimidated at first, just by the number of pattern pieces.  It looks more complicated than it really is.   I made this skirt in a hurry. I started it three days before we left for Nola. I cut everything out one night and then had a marathon sewing session the next day. I constructed the whole skirt in one five hour sitting. It went together quickly and without any mishaps. I slip stitched the hem and sewed the buttons on the first morning of our trip.   I did it while sitting on the couch at our bed and breakfast, Maison de Lagniappe (built in 1831). The activity of hand sewing felt right at home there, like someone had been sitting there doing the same thing a hundred years ago.



I'm proud to say I used all stash fabric and notions.  The shell is a black cotton twill.   I put a caramel colored piping in the princess seams.  I used a similar caramel colored cotton sateen for the facings.  I wanted the facings to roll outside a little to mimic the piping.  The lining is red because that's all I had available.  I love that it is fully lined.   And I decided to use some fun cotton for the pockets.  I love fun little details.  I guess that's why I like making my own clothes so much.  The buttons are wooden.
 

I don't have a lot to say about the construction process.  Everything fit together perfectly.  I cut an 8 at the waist and graded to a 10 at the hip.  The measurements are just slightly larger than my own.  I wanted the skirt to not be quite so high waist-ed.  I find when I wear things right at my waist I'm always tugging them down a little.   The skirt was a bit too big when I was finished, but I adjusted by placing the buttons about an inch in from the pattern markings.   I love the step of sewing twill tape on the waist band seam.  I wore the skirt all day long traipsing around the French Quarter with no stretching.  The only real trouble I had was putting the buttons in the right place.  There were several I had to remove and readjust.  It's still not exactly right-- just a tiny bit uneven at the hem.

 A picture not in front of my brick chimney!

All in all, I'm very pleased with my new skirt. I highly recommend it. I'm already planning another. I wonder if a long version would be nice? Sure would be a lot of buttons.  Happy sewing everyone!

15 comments:

  1. I love the thematic harmony/word play of caramel piping. What a lovely, lovely thing you made, and it's practical, too! Triple threat. :)

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  2. Oh, that colour-combination is fab - great job!

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  3. This is gorgeous! I´ve made two Beignets (and I agree- what a great pattern!), but you´ve got my wanting to make another one. Love the piping! Absolutely brilliant!

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  4. I like yours so much better than mine! You did such a good job on this Liza, the piping really adds a lot to it! :)

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  5. love the surprise lining in the pocket, looks great on you!

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  6. The piping is absolutely fantastic. You look like you had so much fun in NO. My favorite part is the buttons:) It looks great on you!

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  7. I first thought the first two pictures of the skirt were from a pattern catalogue, that`s how professional it looks. Great job!

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  8. gorgeous skirt. I love the choice of fabric for the pockets.

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  9. It look gorgeous, great work! I love the colour combination. The red goes very well with the caramel piping and yellow pockets!
    The buttons are awesome, you did an excellent job! I'm still machine buttonhole shy.

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  10. This looks great on you! Love the colour combination. Not only lovely but practical too!

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  11. Well, thanks everyone! I was going for practical on this project. I know I'll get lots of use from a black skirt.

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  12. Wow, this looks great, and your photos are so profesional! I have to google up what kind of food is "beignet" :).

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  13. Thanks!

    It's a french donut-- fried dough covered in powdered sugar. No nutritional value whatsoever :)

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  14. What a yummy beignet I love the caramel piping and the lined pockets

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