After sewing this version of the Astoria top with a swishy skirt, I knew I had to make more. MORE! Alas, I only made this one more (despite my dreams of a closet full of them).
The overall style works well--cropped 50s inspired top with a voluminous skirt--and I like how it works with my shape (hiding the bottom of the pear nicely!).
There are so many fabric options for each piece! For this version of the Astoria, I went with a navy rayon French terry. The fabric weight is nice for this top and is warmer than a regular knit for the fall.
I used my double-needle coverstitch machine to finish the neckline. Yes that's a beetle. I have a thing for biology-related brooches.
For the skirt, I splurged and bought some silk/cotton Liberty voile. It's lovely and Fall-like, but very sheer, so I added a lining of cream colored silk/cotton voile.
The pattern is the Brumby skirt (Megan Nielsen), cut down in length a bit. The waistband is curved, but it sits like it's a straight band, which is fine for this overall look, but isn't very comfortable for me.
I'm still kicking myself that I didn't add pockets. Seriously. Why have I not learned my lesson to just put pockets in everything? And I would go back to add them after the fact, except that I sewed the entire thing (lining and all!) with French seams.
