8 March 2016

Tilly's Dominique Skirts


I’m channelling 'Librarian Chic' with my navy needlecord Dominique skirt, made with some fabric from my stash. Always a good look IMHO, and I love how preppy it looks with a little brown leather belt. Navy is notoriously difficult to photograph - it's a bit like looking into a black hole - so try to envisage a velvety cord texture, centre seams and patch pockets. They're there, honest! ;)



It took about an hour and a half to cut out and sew together this skirt. I made it at the end of last year after recovering from surgery - a simple and satisfying project to ease me back into sewing and get me feeling creatively motivated again. Sometimes I'm in the mood for getting absorbed in a long and complicated project... other times I just wanna make something in one evening!

A few tips if you're thinking of sewing with corduroy:

  • Avoid anything too thick for the Dominique skirt so the waistline doesn’t end up too bulky. A needlecord should be fine.
  • When you're laying the pattern on the fabric, take care to line up the ribs of the cord with the straight grainline arrow - that way it'll look neat and hang straight once it's finished. 
  • When you're pressing corduroy, put a layer of fabric (either the same fabric or something else) between the iron and material to protect the ribs from squidging up or taking on a cooked sheen.
  • Keep a lint roller handy. Corduroy seems to attract fluff like crazy!


I also made a flared Dominique skirt with a knee-length hem. The pattern for this version also includes a contemporary midi length, but personally I don't think that style looks so good on 5'1" me!

The flared skirt is cut on the bias (with the fabric at a 45 degree angle), which gives it a lovely flowing shape. It takes a little longer to make than the straight version, as it needs stay stitching to stop the fabric stretching out and a little more precision to ease in the flared hem (don’t worry if you don't know what I'm talking about, I show you exactly what to do in the pattern instructions). But I still got it cut and finished in just a short evening sewing session.

The fabric is a poly crepe de chine that I bought from Goldhawk Road – I’ve spotted a similar-looking fabric in navy, red or turquoise from Minerva Crafts. Again, this skirt has pockets, but again because of my fabric choice, you can’t really see them in the photos. Hence the hands-in-pockets shots to demonstrate their existence ;)

I love how different the two skirts look - both simple, classic and wearable. I’m looking forward to wearing this one in the spring with sandals and bare legs. Until then, it’s thermal tights all the way.

If you make your own Dominique skirt, we'd love to see it. Tag us on Instagram or Twitter @TillyButtons #SewingDominique. Looking forward to seeing what fabric you go for!