February 9, 2015

Like mother, like daughter: Butterick B5929 skirt


Is there anything better than making a garment with fabric that quickly becomes your favourite ever… and then remembering that you bought some extra yardage, just in case?

While I generally try to keep my stash under control, sometimes I throw another yard or two into the (virtual) basket when I particularly love a fabric, and I don’t know about you, but I’ve never come to regret it. In fact, it’s recently happened to me three times in a row: that stripy lace skirt from the other day? Got another 3 yards! The birdie knit from my draped top? Another 4! And remember the McCall’s M2401 I made from 4-ply silk from EmmaOneSock for my Mum’s Christmas present? Well it turns out that past Jenny bought an extra 2.5 yards. High five, past Jenny!

I’ve been petting the silk for a while, and after creating my new love, the stripy tea-length skirt, I decided that I clearly needed another one, given that I do indeed drink a lot of tea (yes, I’m a walking stereotype).

Butterick B5929

I was originally going to draft a half-circle skirt but then I realized it just wouldn’t fit on my fabric without creating lots of panels  – if your waist is over about 37 inches I think you face this if you want a skirt longer than a mini. Instead, I picked up Butterick B5929, a simple six-sectioned skirt pattern with options for a pleated and pocketed version, or a more flowy, faced verison.

Butterick B5929

Wanting the maximum flow and optimal tea-lengthi-ness, I went for version D, which has the waist facing. It was an extremely easy and quick make, helped by the gorgeousness of the firm silk – no shifting about there. I made up the 22 which was theoretically 2 inches too small at the waist according to the finished measurements, but I skipped the easing in the pattern instructions and it fits totally fine.  It does hit me at the widest point of my legs, but you know what, I really don’t care. I love it, and screw flattering!

And the final result is totally twirl-tastic.

Butterick B5929

Plus, I match my Mum! I feel like we need to have a “bring your Mum to work” day at my office so that we can parade around in matching outfits. Because that wouldn’t be weird at all, right?

Butterick B5929
Spot the difference!

Have you ever made your Mum and yourself matching outfits, dear readers? I’m dearly hoping so. And for photo evidence.

42 thoughts on “Like mother, like daughter: Butterick B5929 skirt

  1. Gillian says:

    Tadaaaaa! https://craftingarainbow.wordpress.com/2012/05/22/two-tone-sorbetto-aka-two-peas-in-a-pod/

    Just one of the matching outfits we’ve ended up with over the years!

    Your fabric is so pretty – I’m working with a royal blue and black freeform plaidish fabric right now myself… and I’ve got something similar in ponte I used earlier this year. I love the combo of striking colours and organic loose print!

    1. Jenny says:

      Ha ha awesome you two look IDENTICAL!

      That freeform plaidish fabric sounds great – I love bold colours and patterns, too

  2. Mrs. Smith says:

    Haha! No matching outfits for us yet but now I just might 😉

    Love the skirt so much. It twirls!!! 🙂 and moms dress is pretty!

    1. Jenny says:

      DO IT DO IT DO IT!

      And thanks 😀

  3. Jo H. says:

    Haha yes! https://flic.kr/p/r5awKw. We all made our own, but it’s me, my mother AND my sister! Some fabrics are just too good not to share, right? Your silk is beautiful, and I love how your skirt twirls!

    Plus, I hadn’t seen that post on flattering. YES. Thank you!

    1. Jenny says:

      So cute!!!!! Now maybe I need to make some matching outfits for my entire family… I’m sure my 6’4″ Dad and 5’2″ Mum could match, right?

  4. That fabric! It truly is awesome 🙂 I really do love your skirt it looks great! 🙂

    1. Jenny says:

      Thanks, Jennifer! The fabric is totally luscious in person, I’m so glad I finally made it into something wearable.

  5. lovely! that fabric is so gorgeous – great choice to buy some more!

    1. Jenny says:

      Wasn’t it? I feel quite smug about it

  6. This skirt looks so great on you!! I hope these outfits appear in a Rushmore family holiday card in the future.

    I did once make both my parents + me matching pajama pants. I posted about it ages ago, but you can see a photo of 16-year-old me and the folks in our matching Radio Flyer pajamas (my brother was somehow spared)! http://rosiewednesday.blogspot.com/2013/06/how-i-started-sewing.html

    1. Jenny says:

      You, my dear, are the master at this! AND you match your nephew! I think you were almost certainly my unconscious inspiration.

  7. Laura (lap) says:

    I love this! I find I overlook gored skirts just because I would rather deal with less pattern pieces, and it’s really dumb of me. I like the opportunity to break up the pattern, and potential topstitching etc. This result is just fantastic.

    1. Jenny says:

      If you don’t have to worry about pattern matching, they’re a great solution! But if I have to match… I often get lazy and do 1 seam, 2 max 🙂

  8. V says:

    So twirly! So swirly! So very, very girly! I love it! It looks amazing and I wish I lived near you so I could pop in for a cup of tea and to borrow your fabulous skirt. 🙂

    1. Jenny says:

      “So twirly! So swirly! So very, very girly!” –> I love that! that’s my new catchphrase

  9. magistra says:

    The length of your skirt is perfect, as is the whole skirt! It looks great on you! And I did have a matching dress with my Mom, so you’re not alone. However, I was around three, haha! No don’t hate me. I couldn’t help it! And honestly, it’s not like it matters. You guys run around in different areas and so on. It’s not like you’re wearing them at the same time in the same place. But if you were, you would both look amazing because the two outfits you made are beautiful and you and your Mom are gorgeou!

    1. Jenny says:

      Ha ha ha well it’s true that we do live in different places, but I have a funny feeling they might both pop out next time we see each other!

  10. Past Jenny is brilliant. 😀 This fabric is really gorgeous. It looks as wonderful sewn into a skirt as it does sewn into your mom’s Christmas dress.

    1. Jenny says:

      Isn’t she? I wonder if she did anything else ace.

  11. Lori says:

    This dress looks beautiful on you, Jenny, it looks amazing on you. I think you and your mom look so much alike.

    1. Jenny says:

      Thank you, Lori! And it’s funny, we’ve never really thought so, but i see the resemblance more in these photos.

  12. Admittedly, I have not, but gosh that fabric looks beautiful on both of you! I love the backdrop of your photos too – perfect for that print.

    1. Jenny says:

      Thanks, Stephanie! My blogger friends and I in Boston were having problems finding places that were warm and sunny to take photos, but then we discovered that this huge artist warehouse in my area has long corridors with sunlight painty stairwells.. so expect to see a lot more of these until it’s warmer!

  13. Yessssssss! This is awesome! Hmmm, maybe I should make twinsies outfits for myself and Man Friend! Think he’d go for it? 😉

    1. Jenny says:

      ABSO-EFFIN-LUTELY

  14. You both look so gorgeous! My mother and I have never been outfit twins, even when I was a kid, but we might be soon. She keeps buying pretty fabrics, then giving half of the yardage to me! At the rate she’s going, we may end up with completely matching wardrobes. 😀

    Funnily enough, my mom’s Christmas present from me was the pleated variation of this Butterick skirt, made up in a dramatically striped cotton. Yours has me thinking I need the unpleated version for myself. This length is just FABOO (that’s right, faboo) on you and the fabric is so chic. You have the most modern, kick-ass wardrobe, J. Love this on you!

    1. Jenny says:

      Oh, I didn’t know your Mum sews too! Does she ever blog? I would love to see her outfits!

      Good to know the pleated version is good too – I have some striped linen I’m thinking about using it for…

    2. She does, though she doesn’t blog! All of my clothes growing up were sewn by my mom. We’re actually a family of seamstresses, as it happens. My grandmother first taught me, when I was a child, my aunt sews beautiful dresses, and my cousin and sister are both currently learning. Legend has it that my great-grandmother was so skilled that my mom would pick dresses from Vogue and Mimi would make dead-ringer copies without so much as a sloper! If only that particular skill set were genetic!

      A striped linen version of the pleated version would be so cute! I did find that the hip-to-waist distance was a little short, but otherwise it was great.

  15. KimP says:

    I probably wouldn’t have given this pattern a second look, but now that I have seen your skirt, I want one too! It is lovely.

  16. RatRace says:

    I made a cj keyhole top pattern in a size too big. My mom claimed the top. I made the top again in the same fabric, but smaller size for me. Twinsies!

    Your skirt is beautiful. I look forward to reading your posts. Thank you.

  17. Caroline says:

    When I was a kid my mum used to make my clothes with the left over fabric. I think I gave been scarred by the matching blue gingham outfits (well it was the 70s). To this day i will avoid anything gingham!

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  19. Sara A. says:

    I’m a habitual overbuyer for yarn. Dearest daughter is in danger of getting matching sweaters with me. I suppose I could just make matching hats and scarves for me, but 600 yds of yarn screams “Toddler sweater!” to me right now.

  20. Emily says:

    I love the styling of this outfit – the simply black top and the statement necklace with your wonderful skirt. Both of the garments you made with that great fabric are really wonderful – I’m adding both of those patterns to my wish list. Thanks for the inspiration!

  21. Linda F. says:

    What is the pattern for your Mom’s dress? I love it. (I’m more her age than yours.)

  22. Andrea says:

    I adore your moms look. The dress and gorgeous and you and her look so much alike.

  23. I’m so glad to hear there are ease problems with this — i made up view C for this over the weekend, made the size based on my waist measurement and ended up removing the entire center back panel, it was falling off my hips! next time i will remember to measure the pattern pieces first, and ignore the sizing. (over 4″ of ease in a skirt waistband seems like a terrible idea!)
    otherwise, the skirt is lovely, and i’ll know better next time.

  24. Candice says:

    Hi! So I’ve decided to try and make my own skirts this summer as I love light cotton skirts and they are impossible to find in plus sizes. I would say I’m an advanced beginner at sewing although I’ve never used a pattern before. I’m measuring my waist and it seems like it is 49″, and I would normally wear a store-bought size 18-20 but looking at this pattern it doesn’t look like it will work for my measurement even though the size says up to 22?? Advice? Am I reading it incorrectly? Thanks so much!!
    Candice

Let me know what you think!