New season staples: New Look 6418

faux leather
I am massively guilty of overlooking good patterns based on the cover. The New Look 6418 is a prime example of one of these little gems that's hiding behind a passable picture on the envelope in the back of my collection for a while - I think it was free in return for entering a competition, so it's likely that lots of you will have it in your stash too! As it turns out, view D is actually a fab make and now two of my new favourite skirts - dig your copies out!

New Look 6418 in faux suede
The overlooked cover
As well as the standard this-time-of-year-panic to make season-appropriate clothes, my priority has been to make fitted clothes that actually fit - I've been unwell over the summer and changed my diet, which has messed with my measurements. A fitted mini was top of the list - something to wear with thick tights and pair with jumpers/Fall Turtlenecks and looser tops like the Frilled Hem Top. I was quite surprised that my mini pattern research didn't pull up anything new that excited me - woven minis seem few and far in between, but let me know if you know otherwise!

Before: an unworn Inari Tee Dress
...salvaged for fabric
So that's what led me to turning to the New Look 6418 in my stash. View D looked ok to try and if it didn't require too much commitment time wise (it took a couple of hours) and fabric wise (only 0.8m). I managed to squeeze mine out of this old Inari Tee Dress that just wasn't working for me. I loved my first version, but this amazing orange faux suede was just a bit too heavy and the resulting look was a bit 'bubble-like'.

After: a finished and very wearable New Look 6418
The skirt is SO simple to make. It has a bit of topstitching on the fake pockets and an invisible zip in the back so it would be a good one for beginners to practice skills or experienced sewers who want a quick win make (or perhaps a pattern to experiment with). The finished garment is designed to sit 1" below the waist, which feels a bit weird at first, but it's actually a really flattering cut. I made a size 14, which is spot on when worn at the right point on the hip, though I can't help but thinking a 12 might work a bit better depending on the stiffness of fabric used.

Worn with a Kyoto Tee minus the frills. Excuse the creases from sitting!
After wearing it nearly all week, I decided to follow it up with a second. I bought 1m of this incredible snakeskin faux leather in Abakhan over a year ago and was so pleased to finally have the right project for it! The only changes I made to accommodate the fabric were skipping the pockets and installing an exposed zipper rather than a concealed one - my very first exposed zip and it doesn't look half bad! I used a 90/14 leather needle for sewing and overlocked the raw bottom edge and turned it up just once to avoid a bulky hem.

Version 2 in snakeskin faux leather
Back view - my first exposed zipper!
I LOVE both skirts and expect them to be staples throughout the winter (though I'm not sure I can get away with pleather snake skin at work). It's definitely a good pattern for trying with unusual/unconventional fabric and now it's a TNT, I'm hoping to brave using the stripy Liberty cord I bought at GBSB Live to make a lined version.

Worn with a Fall Turtleneck



I also managed to get a printed copy of the Named Clothing Nascha Mini Skirt at GBSB Live, which seems to have been discontinued. I'd never seen it before so was quite excited (I've read reviews saying that it really is the miniest of minis, so lets hope it hasn't been discontinued for a reason...). I'm going to try it out in denim whilst I labour over the Named Isla Trench Coat (also in denim) in the background.


Having been an exclusively midi-length maker/wearer for quite some time, this is exciting new territory for me! Please send your short skirt recommendations my way :)


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