Thoughts on Pavlova

Move over, Tiramisu! Pavlova is here, and I’m, well… I’m not in love, but sure, I’d go on a second date!

This pattern includes a wrap top and circle skirt. First up: The skirt! I’ve never worn a circle skirt before, so I figured that making a simple knit version was an easy way to try it out. 

The beauty of a knit circle skirt is that you can cut it out in one piece, with not seams at all. So simple, and so fast! The bugger of it is that your skirt can only be as long as the fabric allows, which in this case is a little shorter than I normally would choose. 

The fabric I used was $3/m on the clearance table. It’s a woven brocade sort of thing… which somehow ends up feeling a little “fancy” for everyday wear! Do you ever have that problem? I wear dresses and skirts all the time, but this is SO lacy and full that I can’t quite work out how to style it. 

I did learn a few things along the way though: 

1. If you make a knit skirt, cut the waist SIGNIFICANTLY smaller than your measurement on the paper pattern. You really don’t need any ease here, and the fabric will also stretch. I cut mine about 2 sizes smaller, and it’s still a little loose. I used a contrast double knit for the foldover waistband, and even though I fit it to be snug, the weight of the skirt pulls it down on my hips. I ended up threading some elastic through the waistband just to hold it in place. 

2. When hemming knit circle skirts, the gathering feature on your serger is your best friend! It makes it really easy to fold up the hem, without needing to constantly ease the fabric around a curve. 

The verdict? I think I might offer this skirt to my sister, but I’ll certainly give the pattern another try. It’s handy to have another mix-and-match skirt block in my repetoire - I can see using it to add a circle skirt to a summer sundress, or make a more casual everyday knit skirt. In the mean time, I’m wearing it today, and it is very comfy!