This is my new gold skirt, sewn using one metre of gold faux leather from Fabric Godmother and an adapted skirt pattern from V1247, a pattern I suspect has gone out of print as I can’t find linkable references. This is a shame, because the skirt is a well-loved stalwart of the sewing community.

The original skirt pattern has front in-seam pockets, but I adapted:

• Lost the in-seam pockets
• Lost the waistband
• Drafted a waist facing
• Lengthened by a couple of inches
• Added side seam inserts of grey wool

Losing the in-seam pockets isn’t difficult. You pin together skirt pieces and cut out front and back skirt pieces as one piece.

I made some of the above choices because of the pleather:

I wanted a construction that included as few steps as possible. Faux leather has needle memory ie if you rip out any stitches there shall be permanent holes left in your fabric. Hence I wanted a very simple make with as few steps as possible.

To make this project even more simple, I lost the waistband detail. Instead, to finish the waist seam, I drafted a waist facing (easy, once you pinch out the darts in the paper pattern pieces) made from the same faux leather:

I added the side seam columns of grey wool to break up the expanses of shiny gold.

I kept seam finishes to a minimum, using nothing more than my pinking scissors. Pinking helps to disguise the edge of any raw seams that might show through to the right side after pressing. With gold faux leather, every detail can glare.

Talking of pressing, my organza silk press cloth and clapper were absolutely essential. But the pleather could take a surprisingly high heat.

I didn’t use any pins during construction, just held seams together. I lengthened my stitch length slightly. Otherwise, this faux leather was treated like any other fabric. The hem was hand stitched. I didn’t need to insert a lining because the wrong side has a sheen to it – no sticking to tights.

The faux leather has a slight amount of stretch and best suits a make that slightly hugs the body.

And that, as they say, is a wrap. This project took longer than it should have because … LIFE!

Now, I have to decide what my last make(s) of 2016 will be, though I think I’m done with gold or sequins for now. (I didn’t sew the coat. It’s a vintage purchase, dug out of my wardrobe.) I love my new skirt and it was good to test the boundaries of what I’d sew with and wear. I’m almost – almost! – tempted to sew with real leather.

Gold has been cropping up all over the place. Tempted, yet?