Pleated Skirt: McCalls Pattern M7906

I'm a big fan of this pleated skirt trend that has been going on for the past couple of years.  There is an effortless elegance that comes with it, particularly at mid-length and paired with a nice pair of heels.

I decided to make my first skirt out of a designer fabric that I got from Mood Fabrics; a Rag and Bone black cotton twill.  It's a lovely fabric and a bit of an indulgence - but I did get it during Moods designer sale.


The pattern I used to create this skirt was McCalls pattern M7906.  I am not sure why I decided to choose this as my first pleated skirt.  I think I was lured in by how classic it looked on the model on the image and the fact it had pockets.  But it wasn't as plain sailing as I thought it would be.

For starters this pattern has a gazillion buttons.  Ok this is some what of an exaggeration.  But buttons are some what of a nemesis.  I can always guarantee that no matter how many times I test the buttonhole on the fabric, the first one I do on the skirt is going to be a disaster; the buttonhole won't finish, or it doesn't like a thick part of the fabric and therefore causes an error on the machine etc...  I will always be holding my breath when doing button holes and with the amount I had to do for this skirt, I was glad when it was over.


Another part of this pattern that made me stop and think was how to do the pleats.  Usually the pattern specifies a direction, but this one didn't.  I assumed it didn't matter, but I did pin all the pleats first before finally committing to the sewing machine AND the final press on the iron.

The other issue I had was that the fabric was slightly sheer.  So I ended up having to interline all the pieces.  I was a bit worried that this would add too much volume, but I was relieved when I tried it on that it fell quite straight on the body.

All in all, it was a simple pattern. The fit was nice, although I do prefer it with a belt to give it a more cinched in at the waist look.  Is it a future go to pattern, I'm not sure.  I need to get some wear out of this one before i make that decision.


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