Sewing: Kwik Sew 3877

I’m so glad I’ve managed to get back into sewing and writing sewing blog posts recently! In just the last week I’ve shared two posts on sewing: my Harriet bra (which I am still SO in love with) and my ugly vintage dress refashion. Hopefully I’ll soon have another bralette post for you too!
Back in December, I wrote about a sewing hack (Butterick 5997) that got featured in a sewing bookazine, and today, I’ve got another sewing hack featured in another bookazine! This one is Sew Style: Essentials, and you can buy it here if you like 🙂

Pattern hacking Kwik Sew 3877

Like my last sewing hack, I was provided with a sewing pattern and the fabric by the lovely people at the magazine then asked to do what I wanted with it and answer a few questions for the bookazine. This pattern is Kwik Sew 3877 and has two different lengths of an A line skirt. Kwik Sew patterns are generally renowned for being fairly simple, making good basic patterns, and this is one of their Learn-to-Sew ones – I’d definitely recommend this one for beginners.

Pattern hacking Kwik Sew 3877 Pattern hacking Kwik Sew 3877

So for my pattern hack, I knew as soon as I saw the fabric what I wanted to do. The pattern is very simple and made up of 3 pieces – a single from piece cut on the fold, and two back pieces joined with a zip. But I turned that around a little bit!
The retro flower style fabric screamed 60s/70s vintage to me as did the A line shape, so I knew I wanted to use some big wooden buttons with it – I was thinking Twiggy, mod style fashion. I got these buttons at a local fabric shop.

Pattern hacking Kwik Sew 3877

Pattern hacking Kwik Sew 3877

I could have simply turned the pattern round so the back pieces became the front, but I was concerned that the shaping would be a bit off then, so instead I separated the front piece into two and added an extra inch and a half on either side for the button placket. I cut the back piece on the fold instead of as two separate pieces, ignoring the markings for the zip. I also included a strip of interfacing down either side of the button placket as the buttons were fairly big and heavy, so I wanted some sturdiness.
The buttons and back/front opening swap weren’t the only hack I did though – I also narrowed the skirt so that it was more of a fitted pencil shape than an A line. It still retains that retro feel but is a little more modern this way for me and fits my wardrobe better.

Pattern hacking Kwik Sew 3877 Pattern hacking Kwik Sew 3877

All in all, a hack I’m really happy with – and it only took around an hour to make! If I were to do it again in future, I’d probably not space the buttons out quite so much as they gape a little when wearing – as I mentioned in the interview, that’s one of those things you don’t notice when doing your practice piece; you only realise it with everyday wear when you’re moving around, standing up and sitting down. I’d also consider adding pockets as they’d be super simple to insert into the side seams, and who doesn’t love pockets?!

What do you think of my Kwik Sew 3877 pattern hack? How would you hack this pattern?


Outfit Details

F&F Leather Jacket | | Memade skirt | Dorothy Perkins via House of Fraser Ankle Boots*

Pattern hacking Kwik Sew 3877

2 Comments

  1. Lynsey
    February 9, 2017 / 2:16 pm

    Great hack, your skirt looks quite retro with the funky print. I love the way you’ve styled it

    • Sian Thomas
      Author
      February 9, 2017 / 3:36 pm

      Thank you! I just had to go down the retro route with this gorgeous fabric 🙂

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