I have long admired the Rundholz bubble shaped skirts and have been lusting after something similar, preferably without being obliged to pony up the vast amounts of cash needed to purchase this brand. No doubt their style is worth the money, and good luck to them, but I’m a sewist, right? I don’t pay vast amounts of cash for anything other than fabric.
So Marcy Tilton at Vogue to the rescue. I am very grateful to Ms Tilton for working out a pattern for me and have no problem paying her for her trouble. I just wish she had done it sooner! How is a girl supposed to stay ahead of fashion when she has to wait months or years for a pattern to be published?
Anyway, Vogue 9060 is just what I am after, plus it is an easy sew and can be adapted to both woven and knits. The pattern specifies knits, but I made mine in bengaline, which is a stretchy woven with similar fibre content to a ponte: viscose, nylon and lycra. Bengaline is very stretchy due to its weave, and therefore can be substituted for a knit without any alterations to the pattern. A normal woven, with or without lycra, will need the yoga waistband to be replaced by a normal waistband, and a zipper to be inserted in the side seam. Not difficult, and I think the bubble shape lends itself to the stiffer hand of a woven to achieve a bit of drama. I suspect if it is made in a knit you would want a quite substantial one, and then I would probably interface the lower pattern pieces as well. Otherwise I suspect the fabric will probably collapse into itself, which wouldn’t show off the bubble shape to best advantage. But I am happy to stand corrected if someone manages to make a fabulous version in jersey, even if I can’t see it myself.
Being a Lagenlook devotee, I of course wear my skirt with a long tunic, rather than tucked fitted top. Someone on the PRDU forum wondered if they weren’t too short for this skirt silhouette, but I am only 5’4″ or 161cm and I think it looks just fine. I am planning another version in eggplant bengaline, and one in a black wool woven, with the buttoned waistband and side zipper suggested above for a woven version. It is freezing in Sydney and all I can think of is wool, and lots of it. The black tunic in the photo is a boiled wool knit and heavenly warm and cosy.
I think this skirt could also be merged with a flared tank top to make a dress, but that seems to me to be more of a summer version. I am not keen on pinafores, or jumpers as they are called in North America, because I don’t see the point of sleeveless when it is cold, even with a top underneath. YMMV, of course.
Below is another pic, with the skirt worn back to front. The pattern states that it can be worn either way and I have to agree. This time it is teamed with another cowl tunic, but in a navy wool ponte with a differently shaped, pointy hem. I think it looks even better that way, because the almost straight across seam on the black boiled wool tended to accentuate the widest part of the outfit, which is never such a good idea. I should really scoop the hem out a bit more on the black tunic to make it concave, echoing the nice curves of the skirt. Just another example how small differences can have a big visual impact.