Holiday Glitter and Pattern Giveaway, Week 2

First remark, please check back to the earlier post for this week's pattern giveaway...Week 2 Pattern Giveaway and make a comment or email me by tonight.  Winners to be announced tomorrow.

Now on to the latest...
My already limited photography skills have met their match in trying to take pictures of a sequined skirt that I just finished in time to wear to a holiday dance last night.  So I will try my best to describe this quick but fulfilling project.  

Pamela's Patterns Magic Pencil skirt in sequins

I have made many, many versions of Pamela' Patterns Magic Pencil skirt Pamela's Patterns  I pulled this easy but flattering pattern out of my collection when I learned a few weeks ago that our favorite big band, one that we only get to dance to at the summer wineries, was going to play a "Holly Hop" locally.  
I wanted something festive to wear and had this sequined fabric waiting in my resource center for just such an occasion.  Mr. Lucky and I do not go to fancy dress balls for charity or corporate galas and I won't be seeing our pictures in the society pages next week.  Years ago friends had invited us to their community holiday dance and I saw a woman wearing a black sweater and sequined skirt.  I thought that's exactly the look that would fit my sense of style, dressy casual.  Finally I had a winter event to bring that memory to life.  

My camera doesn't like the sparkly mini sequins

The fabric is from a Fabric Mart sale from a very high end store going out of business sale.  It is a stretch mini-sequin lightweight knit with metallic, not plastic sequins.  I did my research before tackling the project  and had some luck with my choice.  Most of the time the recommendation is to remove the sequins from all the seam allowances.  But I also watched a youtube video from Mimi G that didn't do this and the skirt seemed to look just fine. 

 So sue me, I took the shortcut and didn't remove the sequins, sewed the darts and seams as usual, pressed with a silk organza press cloth and I'm happy with the result.
I did thread trace my darts and didn't even have to cut them down to get them to press flat.

Thread traced dart

Pressed dart

I did follow the Sandra Bettina tip to face the hem and since this is an elastic waist skirt I also faced the waistband so that the sequin fabric would not irritate my waist nor get caught on my pantyhose or tights.

Faced waistband

Faced hem sample

I went through two needles and ended up doing most of the sewing with my straight stitch plate and quarter inch foot for the most control.

Sewing metal sequins is hard on needles so two metallica needs bit the dust in service to this holiday outfit.

Mood Swings, our favorite band, warming up 

Last night we danced for hours, made some new friends and had a wonderful holiday celebration.  Here's hoping your sewing is bringing you good times, too.