Just Patterns Devon Skirt

When I was switching over my winter and summer clothes in my wardrobe recently, I realised that I have lots of lovely summery tops and blouses, but not many skirts, trousers or shorts to pair them with. At around the same time, Just Patterns released the Devon skirt pattern. I loved the look of it and decided it was just what my wardrobe needed.

The Devon skirt is a relaxed midi skirt that sits at the natural waist. It has eight inverted box pleats at both the front and back, creating lovely volume, and an elasticated waist. It also has slanted pockets and a deep hem.

The pattern covers waist measurements from 23⅝ to 49⅝ inches, and hips from 33⅞ to 59⅞ inches.

The Devon skirt is a fairly simple pattern, and it has excellent instructions. I think it would be perfect for beginners. The steps are all quite straightforward, and the instructions will explain anything that might be unfamiliar. 

If you've got more sewing experience like me, it's a nice satisfying project that comes together quickly, whilst still being interesting.

I liked the fact that the instructions include directions for finishing the skirt with overlocked, bound or fully enclosed seams. I also think the deep hem is a nice touch and makes the finished skirt hang really nicely. 

I made the size recommended for my waist measurement, and it turned out nicely. It has to be said that the elasticated waist makes fitting a breeze – the main thing is to make sure you cut your elastic to the right length. 

I always try to test the actual elastic I'm using before cutting it – I've found that some elastics are much stretchier than others, and that could affect the fit of your finished skirt.

The fabric that I used is a lovely vibrant yellow cotton twill. It was the last fabric I bought from Jenny Stitches before the shop closed recently. It is a bit heavier than the fabrics recommended for the pattern (the instructions call for lightweight wovens, and this is definitely medium weight), but having used and really liked other colours of the same fabric before, I was fairly confident it would work. I wouldn't want to use fabric any heavier than this though.

The colour of the fabric is great! It feels really summery, and will go nicely with lots of my tops (in the photos, I'm wearing it with my Sew Liberated Joanie shirt). Who knew that lemon yellow would be a good "neutral"?!

I'm really pleased with my Devon skirt – it was a joy to sew, it's lovely to wear and it's a very good start to filling that gap in my wardrobe.