Some might look at a basic pattern and not even think twice about it, but they often become my favorite projects. You can match the simple tone with basic textiles and add to your capsule wardrobe, or use the pattern’s plain design as an opportunity to highlight a magnificent fabric. For the Aspen Ensemble, I went with the latter. Mood has a brand new line of vegan fabrics, featuring 100% vegan-friendly fibers and dyes, and they are some of the most gorgeous fabrics I’ve worked with yet. The lightweight jacquard formed itself beautifully into a simple pencil skirt, while the cupro drapes wonderfully for a slight bishop sleeve.
Fabrics & materials used:
- Blouse:
- Skirt:
- MDF079 – The Aspen Ensemble Sewing Pattern (free download below!)
All seam allowances are 1/2″ unless otherwise stated. See chart below for sizing specifications. Note, this specific pattern is available up to a size 30.
Starting with the shirt, I first formed the neck facing, just to have it out of the way. The two back pieces attach to the front at the shoulder and then the entire thing gets a rolled hem along the outer edge.
Next, following the guides on your pattern, add your bust darts to your front shirt piece. Attach to the back at the shoulders and sleeves, and then cut a 4″ slit at the center back of your neckline. Roll the raw edges and then add on the facing around the neck of your shirt.
Finish up the back of your shirt with a small hook and eye to keep the keyhole opening closed. Add on your sleeve, and the evenly gather the bottoms into the cuff. I chose to interface the cuffs, but it’s not 100% necessary.
Hem the bottom of your blouse, and you’re ready to move on to the skirt!
First, the front and back of your skirt needs darts. Add 2 to each panel, following the guides on your pattern. Connect the front and back of your skirt on one side. Repeat with your lining.
Interface all of your waistband pieces and connect one front and one back along the same side that you connect the front and back of your skirt. Pin to the top of your skirt panels, starting at the side seam and working your way out. Repeat with your lining.
Starting 1/2″ down from the top of your waistband, add your invisible zipper to the open side of your skirt. Sew down the remainder of the open side so it’s closed.
Sew up the side of your lining, until the top 10″ or so remains open.
Place your skirt inside your lining and sew along the bottom hem, with the fabric faces together. Repeat with the top of your waistband and turn right side out through the lining side opening. Slip-stitch the lining to the inside of your invisible zipper and your skirt is ready to wear!
For More Inspiration and Pattern Hack Using the Aspen Skirt Pattern, Click the Links Below:
Mood Presents: The Animal Print Collection – Free Sewing Patterns
35 comments
Yeaaa Courtney. You are an awesome your woman, business woman, and seamstress/seamster. Keep up your awesome work. And good luck and congratulations to your “fake girl band”, the Mood Sewciety!!! Thank you for the inspiration you bring to the sewing community!!!
Hahah, thank you so much!!
Hi Courtney, lovely pattern! I had a question about the skirt waistband, the pattern says to cut 2 of each waistband piece, where do the second pair fit into the skirt? Thank you!
Hi, Thanuri! The second set becomes the facing inside the first. 🙂
Sorry, meant to start a new comment thread. That makes sense now, thanks so much!
Very lovely.
Gorgeous colorway!!!
I don’t know if anyone will see this, but I’ve never used a pre-made pattern before, and I was wondering if the 1/2″ seam allowance is included in the pattern? Thank you very much, I realise this is a rather silly question haha.
That’s not silly! We include a 1/2″ seam allowance in all of our patterns. 🙂
Thank you!
Hi, I downloaded a pattern but I cannot understand how to get a smaller image? What I see is parts of a pattern in large zoom format. Should I be viewing this in a different program other than Adobe?
Hi there! It’s a pattern that’s meant to be printed at home, so you lay them all out and tape them together. The first page of your pattern should have a test square to make sure you’re printing at the correct scale, as well as a grid showing the layout of the pattern.
Does this pattern lengthen well? I would want it to sit below my knee.
Yes, you could certainly lengthen it! I’d cut it about 3″ above the hem and lengthen it there.
Thanks!
Love that basic blouse . Can you tell me what cup size you draft for please. My daughter is a 36 DDD so I have to do a full bust adjustment but without the above bust measurement I don’t know how to decide how much to add when doing that. Feel stuck, Maybe I need to research how to tell what the upper bust to full bust ratio is on a pattern. Feeling dumb.
An outfit like this is just what my daughter, who works at our State University from which she graduated, asked me for to boost up her professional wardrobe.
Thanks for all the beautiful patterns you make available through Mood.
Hi Beverly! A 36DDD usually means a full bust measurement of about 40″-42″. You could cut a size 16 and then fit it around the waist and maybe add some fisheye darts. I hope that helps!
A 36″ band plus 4″ (40″ full bust) is only a D cup; a DDD/F cup would be 36″ plus 6-7″, or 42-43″ depending. Most of these patterns are drafted for much smaller cup sizes! I know; I’m a 34E and have to blend sizes like mad to fit my size 18 front with my size 12 back and size 10 waist
When i cut a pattern for myself (I’m a 34E), i usually blend sizes rather than add darts, which is fairly simple with these patterns.
I enjoy it. Thank you so much.
This is lovely, on you!
Thank you for your generosity and sharing your gorgeous talents
Hi, what types of fabric would work for the blouse and skirt? This outfit is amazing
Thank you so much! You can find fabrics good for blouses here and for skirts here! 🙂
Is it absolutely necessary to have a lining in this pencil skirt? Could I finish the seams with my serger and be good to go? Thanks for the free patterns!
Hi Karen! If you have a sturdy enough fabric, I think it’d be fine to skip the lining! 🙂
Love this pattern! i am wondering if it would be possible to put the zip in the back middle?
Hi Kelly! There isn’t a seam in the center back, but you can always insert an opening at CB the length of your zipper, if desired. 😀
Okay brand new home sewer here: do we line the waist band? I cut 4 of the wast band out of my lining material
Hi Ava, cut 2 of the front and back waistband, out of the self fabric. Cut 1 of the interfacing for the front and back. The waistband is lined with the self, not the lining fabric. 🙂
Hello I want to lengthen the skirt to about mid calf and add a back pleat I will be also making the back to have a seam in the middle
Where should I lengthen it by and any suggestions for how to add a pleat
Hi Rosemary! To lengthen the skirt, I recommend cutting the skirt at a 90 degree angle from the grainline, around the mid thigh area. Tape paper in-between the pattern pieces, adding as much length as you want. Make sure that when you’re taping everything, the length is even all the way across, and the grainline is still straight! Redraw the seamlines as needed, and cut the new pattern piece out.
Repeat with the back skirt, this time adding a vent. Typically the vent goes all the way up to the knees. Download our Hydrus Coat to reference when you’re drafting the vent.
Before sewing the two back pieces together, finish the edges of the CB back skirt by serging, including the raw edges of the vents. Fold the vertical edges of the vent down to create a 1/4″ hem, and sew in place. Sew the back skirts together, down the CB through to the vent’s kick out point. Don’t sew the vertical edges of the vent pieces though. Clip the 90 degree corner of the vent, then fold and press both pieces to one side. On the side you the vent to, sew the kick out point together to secure to the skirt.
what pages do I print if I only want the skirt pattern?
Hi Carolyn, print the following pages for the skirt: 5-7, 10-13, 17-19, 23-25, 29-31. 🙂
Thank you for your previous reply
I have noticed the darts stay where they are whether you are doing a 0 pattern or size 22 this makes them very close to the side seam in the smaller patterns and looks strange
Hi Rosemary, if you want to move the darts you totally can!
Thank you!