What ACTUALLY happens when you try to make a 1-hour skirt

One hour skirt actually takes more like three 

I made skirt C. Although easy, it does take more than 1 hour as the package claims

When you go into a craft store, and you see those patterns that say, "1-hour skirt," or, "It's so easy!" you think, hmm, I have an hour, I can totally make a skirt in that amount of time! But by the time you get everything cut out, ironed, the instructions read, and you start to sew, an hour has already gone by.

I suppose it could take an hour for some people, but I'm a perfectionist. And the adorable skirt I made actually took more like three hours. Still impressive, but there are some things I like to do that take a little more time than just throwing a skirt together in an hour.

1. I iron the paper patterns. You read that right. I feel kind of like the butler who irons the newspapers on Downton Abbey. But This allows them to lay perfectly flat on the cutting table. 
2. I set up a big ironing table. I do this by laying a towel on a fold out picnic table. This lets you iron lots more surface area than a traditional ironing board. 
3. I read the entire instructions and make sense of them before I start. 
4. I'm a huge proponent of being extremely careful when you cut out patterns. That means, you double check them to make sure they're facing the right way, you memorize where the notches are so you don't miss cutting one, and you check the grain arrows to make sure they're all facing the same direction. 
5. I sew very slowly. Fast sewing is okay if you're a seasoned seamstress, but my theory is slow and steady wins the race, because if you sew slowly, your seams are straighter, and the seam ripper doesn't get as much use. 
6. I iron everything. Even if the instructions don't tell me to iron a seam, I iron a seam. 
7. I fit it to myself. I'll take a couple of minutes while constructing something to make sure it fits. If it doesn't, I'll take in the sides or something. This adds a bit of time. 

But if you take the time to do the above steps, the results are worth the extra work! 

And midi skirts are really in right now!

Keep it Classy. Keep it Country,
Gretta Patrick <3