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These patterns can be altered for design and fit. My collections contains almost all the divided skirts patterns I have been able to find in convential pattern catalogs. There are more patterns available in the Links section. McCalls 5535 This is a young girls jumper with divided gathered skirt. Very good for picnics and hiking. I think it is darling cute. Made it for my little sister a couple times. Simplicity 9797 A girls skort with easy elastic waist. Easy to make pattern. Vogue 2587 A more modern fitting split skirt with front and back pleats and full lining. This is challenging skirt to make. A couple things make this skirt a little tough for riding; the pleats are too long and hem is too short, but alterable. Vogue 7574 A great skirt for working around the garden or taking a hike. Less full without pleats, it has a fly zipper front, elastic waist and side seam pockets. I made one of this pattern and while I didn't think it had the most flattering cut, I love it for working or training around the ranch. Vogue 7178 This is a pretty skirt to sew and with some practice, a good one for altering style and fit. Wide legs, front and back pleats (optional), back zipper, contour waist and darts for fitting. Simplicity 5802 Very similar to the above skirt without the back pleat. Pockets available. Simplicity 7434 Ladies jumper with option for divided skirt. I made this for a friend and wanted one for myself - that's on the to-do list! Loose fitting and comfy with side seam pockets. I could this as any mom's favorite jumper. Many possibilities for embellishment. SuitAbility 6411 I think this pattern was combined with some other patterns from SuitAbility. This skirt gave me the inspiration for quarter seams. A very workable skirt.
Pleats are wonderful for giving the garment a regular skirt look and hiding the fact it's a divided skirt. But the pleat, especially the front gets a lot of stress and in my cases, is the first thing to look worn and torn. Use fusible woven interfacing before you sew the pleat. If the crotch seam is too long, the skirt has more of a tendency to bunch up under the riders leg. Fabric is the single most important component to making a nice skirt. Don't shirk on the quality. Also, lightweight denim flows better than heavy weaves. Stiff fabric can give the skirt what I call a "stove pipe legs" look. Gabardine, suiting fabric and 6.5 - 8 oz quality denim are my favorites.
Monica, why do you wear skirts? Around 1995, I was led to the conviction to dress modestly and with femininity. Having previously spent all my time in jeans, it was very hard for me to understand how I was going to continue riding and training horses in the restriction of skirts or dresses. I shed many tears of frustration and begged the Lord for some solid understanding on why it was so important for me to be so different from the rest of the world. Through the years, I've gone through seasons of chafing against my constraining beliefs. As I analyzed the emotions and dealings of my heart and mind, I just couldn't think of facing myself if I threw away this challenge to be set apart. People often ask me why I wear skirts. My standard answer is, "Because I believe the Lord wants me to." The Lord leads His own through biblical lines of authority. In this season of my life, that authority is my mother. While she has never commanded me to not wear pants, I know it's her strong wish that I dress in only lady-like apparel. How often do we pray for the Lord to make His will known to us? How much do we ask for a heart after His own heart? My response to my dear mother is a witness to the visible and invisible witnesses that I am striving to follow the Master's call. I firmly believe that ladies can dress in a lovely, feminine and modest fashion that is not clunky or hard to look at. This culture has lost the art of dressing with a gracefulness which brings focus to the wearer's eyes and expression. The Lord asks us to be the salt of the earth. I can't count the amount of times I know that my dress has affected the words and focus around me. People know that I am different and therefore aren't as apt to use unacceptable language. Acquaintances give prayer requests and I'm given many opportunities to shine light for the Lord. Only He knows how many times I've been protected from harmfulness because of simply wearing skirts. Some people may think this mentality is a fearful avoidance of life. I couldn't disagree more. My life has been tremendously full of adventure. What's more important is that I pray to be kept in my Heavenly Father's wings of guidance. There can be no greater fulfillment of life.
www.7sisterssewing.com Modest, feminine clothing for Ladies' and Girls that is Christ honoring and distinctly different from the world. A Christian family business located in Northwest Oregon. Cattle Kate Skirts Wonderful western style skirts and riding skirts that capture the prairie with a hint of lace. Big Sky Riding Skirt Pattern Fair priced sewing pattern for a western riding skirt. Harper House Western clothing for women. Visit this page for a whole bunch of skirts and prairie dresses! Get ideas and purchase patterns. Buckaroo Bobbins Beautiful skirts and patterns. A+ resource site for patterns and ready made clothing! Cowboy Outfitters Remember that even if a skirt is more expensive than you want to pay, you can get many ideas for style, color and function by looking around. This link is to a skirt which is easy to sew and very pretty with the lace peaking out!
Our goal should not be to draw attention to ourselves by dressing as 'strangely' as possible. Just because we are set apart does not mean we should make everyone look and wonder what century we are stuck in. Our clothes should be lovely to look upon, in a way that causes reflection and questions in the people at the grocery store or horse show. Here are a few tips I've learned through the years. If you're going to a horse show, wear the nice, long sleeved western shirts that are available. Pick colorful plaids that are up with fashion. Even if it's hot, wear sheer, dark stockings in public riding circles. If your skirt is at all full, it will fly up a little. Wearing dark stockings helps keep attention away from any leg that might peek out. Don't wear thick soled boots below riding skirts. High quality ropers or lacers should be feminine and not too clunky, while still being safe for horsemanship. Ask friends and family for input. It's easy to get stuck into habit and forget that we may need to look for a change in some area. Maybe a different belt would be better, or different colors. For a while I was wearing a skirt and shirt combo that I thought matched - until my sister told me it looked awful. Oops.
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