Feathers skirt

So how are you all? I've been busy sewing for most of the week and it's lovely having lots of time to revel in it. This skirt is something that's literally been hanging around half finished for the past few months.

It's a fabric I bought in John Lewis sale earlier this year or perhaps last summer. It's a stretch cotton sateen and lovely to work with. For summer skirts I've decided to add a breathable lining to them, it seems pointless to sew lovely natural fibres and then stick a cheap polyester lining in it. So I've tried using a 100% cupro lining which is breathable. It actually feels very like silk to touch but is obviously not so expensive. This cost me £12 a metre and for this skirt I bought 1 metre, although next time I could get away with 80cm. I just have this absolute hatred of not having enough fabric when I'm making something. I'd rather buy too much than not have enough.

I used the usual pencil skirt pattern I've used before. I cut it out so long ago I can't remember if I did any pattern matching on the back seam. Hard to tell really! Now it's confession time! Despite buying too much lining fabric, I managed to cut out and sew the lining too short! What was I thinking!!! Muppet! Here is the shameful evidence in all its shortness.

It's still wearable though and with the more subdued colouring, it should be able to take me through autumn too.

I also have another confession that I'm REALLY excited about. I bought an overlocker an have been slowly playing about with it and gaining confidence in using it. I've even managed to change all the threads! Of course as soon as I did that it wouldn't chain properly. Turned out it was due to the chain mechanism not being threaded properly. I can see why they give you tweezers as part of the essential kit with the overlocker. Say no more.

I used the overlocker to do the side seams of this lining and I'm pleased with the results. it'll certainly stop the lining fabric fraying! I couldn't quite work out how to do the back seam which has the zip in it but that's fine. I'm happy to work my way up to new things with the overlocker.

And here is the new overlocker, though you should see a photo of it :) and here it is beside its much older New Home cousin (which was a 21st birthday present), they look well together!

Just have to work out how to finish the thread chains at the beginning and end of overlocker seams.....any ideas? What do you do?