MMM Skirt: Maasai Mara and McCall's 5591

Mmm, I’m enjoying all these Ms.  Reminds me of my all-time favorite candy — M&Ms.

Enough dreaming about chocolate.  Let’s look at my new Maasai Mara skirt!

Pattern:  McCall’s 5591 View A (the skirt on the left) — click on the photo for the link to the pattern listing

Fabric:  Dear Stella Maasai Mara Blue and Cilantro Voile from my shop

I love both of these fabrics!

(Due to the lighting differences, the color shades vary.)

Notions:  navy invisible zipper and navy Hug Snug seam binding

This is a great pattern because:

1.  it’s quick and easy

2.  all 3 views are flattering styles for everybody

3.  I love the way the pockets are done:

See the pocket bands?  They are easy to do and they give the skirt a RTW look, don’t you think?

For the pocket facing, I used the Cilantro Voile:

I also used the Cilantro Voile for the yoke lining and the hem band:

You can see that I finished the yoke differently than patterns usually instruct.  They say to turn under the raw edge and slipstitch it down.  Instead, I used Hug Snug to finish the edges and then I stitched the lining down using the stitch-in-the-ditch method.

Here’s the inside back:

I did not hand-stitch the yoke lining at the top of the zipper either.  Those edges are machine-stitched.

Can you see that my hem band is different from the pattern?  It’s not as wide.

I used the hem band pattern piece as given, but here’s what I did:

1.  stitched the side seams of the hem band

2.  folded the hem band in half, WRONG sides together, making 2 layers

3.  stitched the hem band to the bottom of the skirt, RIGHT sides together

4.  folded the hem band to the inside and stitched-in-the-ditch to enclose the raw edge (this results in 4 layers of voile for the hem band)

I think it’s better to be seen than explained!

Here’s the finished inside:

And here’s the finished outside:

You can see the chartreuse stitches right above the hem band.  That’s where I stitched-in-the-ditch.

I’m really happy with using the voile for the trim and for the facings.

The Dear Stella Maasai Mara fabric is medium-weight cotton.  Medium-weight cotton might have been a bit heavy for the hem band, so the voile was perfect.

When it’s 105 degrees outside, as it is here in Texas, a skirt can be best for staying comfortable and as cool as possible.

I recommend this pattern and encourage you to try it.

Stay cool, friends!

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