The Arabella Skirt by Rebecca Page

I love a full skirt.

Remember when you were little and your skirt would twirl? Yeah. I could spend hours twirling until I made myself nauseated.

I may have done that again when I tried on this skirt.

Today we’re talking about the Arabella Skirt from Rebecca Page.

This was my first project as a brand ambassador for Rebecca Page- and a heads up that all the links to the company in this post will be affiliate links. To find out more about that check out my disclaimer. Seriously. It took a long time to craft and I’m weirdly proud of it.

All official business aside, let’s talk about this skirt.

I chose to do the above the knee version with pockets and a tall waistband. I got lucky on this one and the length was what I wanted so no lengthening- yay! I cut a size 3X according to my waist measurement and on the advice of the pattern didn’t grade the skirt- my hips measure at a 5X so I was concerned, but the skirt is super full so it turned out fine.

It’s good to note that you need two of the main skirt pattern piece- I ended up printing an extra because I hate laying out a pattern, cutting it, and repositioning. The interfacing isn’t noted on the cutting chart which was annoying, but not a big deal. Also good to note: Rebecca Page patterns are in imperial measurements.

Imperial measurements just really annoy me. I’m used to adjusting to them, but like, come on. Folksy is fun, but metric is accurate.

I used a cotton poplin Liberty Print that I’m a bit obsessed with.

As for the sewing itself, this is a very easy project. Rebecca Page instructions do a lot of hand-holding which is nice. You won’t be confused. Rebecca Page patterns tend to be a bit obsessed with nice finishing- the skirt is french seamed. I understand this is a good thing. I get it. It’s one of those things where you know it’s worth the extra effort but it just feels a bit like, “I could have been done this entire project in the time it has taken me to sew this one straight, easy seam".

But… those french seams look good. Can’t argue with results!

The elastic was also a bit trying to put in. After a lot of finagling, I discovered that a) a fabric clip was not going to cut it and I needed to hunt down a safety pin, and b) that you should 100%, definitely, in no uncertain terms do the bottom elastic first.

All up, I love this skirt. It’s one of those skirts you could make in any fabric and it’ll just turn out. I know I’ll be coming back to this one again and again. It’s great for a beginner because, well, it’s an easy pattern, and the instructions are SO thorough it’s almost impossible to screw up. Also, developing good finishing habits and paying attention to making your garment as gorgeous on the outside as it is on the inside is important.

I mean, it’s a great skirt overall, but the best part is very clear.

It has pockets!

You can get the Arabella pattern here. It comes in Adult, Child, and Doll sizes.

Update:

August 12th, 2020

I haven't gotten to wear this as much as I'd like because, well, where is anyone going right now?

I have worn it a few times, and I have updates.

First off, I still love this skirt. It's twirly, it's fun, and I love the fabric I chose. The length is perfect. Also, pockets.

However; there are some things I'd do differently. I did the double elastic waistband, but I think the single would have been better for my body. I have a shorter bend in my waist, and my belly kind of pops at a weird angle with it. The elastic twists a lot and the tall waistband folds over a lot. I'm constantly fussing with it.

Also, I would have made the pocket bags a tad bit bigger. They fit my phone, but I find it a bit awkward when I put my hands in my pockets.

I love this skirt, and I think this pattern is perfect for prints. I keep seeing fabric that I need to make this in!