Oh my goodness, a new pattern! Balanced out with a tried and true, of course.

When I met Lindy of Stokx Patterns fame last year, she gave me a copy of the Stokx Rock to try out. I don’t wear skirts all that often. I wear dresses a lot in summer, and in winter I tend to gravitate to pants or pinafores. I had some denim in stash that I figured would be fine for a hopefully wearable toile.

Choosing a size for anything that is fitted around my waist is always hard for me. My hips are two sizes smaller than my middle, and I don’t have clear waist definition. I eventually chose to sew size 5 (I’d sewn size 3 in Stokx Square Pants) and see how that worked out.

From the pattern page: Material: Woven. The Stokx Rock (Stokx Skirt) has been in demand since 1999.
– It is perfect to wear under a fitted overgarment because it is completely smooth over the tummy.
– It can be styled with knee length boots, flip- flops and everything in between.
– This practical skirt just covers the knee and is wide enough to wear whilst riding a “ladies” bicycle.
– The front piece is cutting diagonally so it can move with you.
– The waist edge is faced with a broad bias band which encases a band for adjustability.
– The closure is an invisible zip in the centre back.
– The original skirt is made in a robust dirt resistant and water resistant “beaver nylon”
– The most important measurement when choosing your size is the measurement of the broadest part of your hips.
– This style is small to size.

The next time that I sew this – and there will definitely be a next time – I will shorten the length to better suit my 158cm height, and I will size down to size 3 or 4. I should have paid more attention to the bit where it says the most important measurement when choosing size was the broadest part of the hip; the bias cut front and the inside adjustable tie should accomodate my waist and belly without too much hassle. The instructions were terrific, as was the drafting. The inside waist facing treatment is simple and clever.

I used a wide self-made bias binding to face the hemline as well as the waist. The skirt (rock is German for ‘skirt’) is extremely comfortable to wear and isn’t restrictive in any way, while still maintaining quite a sleek silhouette.

I wore it with an Aldi long-sleeved merino top and my latest Pattern Fantastique Aeolian tee.

This one is sewn in a fleecy lined scuba type of fabric from Spotlight. I bought it for the print (which is Ngapa Jukurrpa – Puyurru (Water Dreaming) by Ada Nangala Dixon, one of Spotlight’s licensed Warlukurlangu Artists Aboriginal Corporation designs.  I don’t especially like the fabric type (too synthetic) but I definitely love the colours and shapes in the print!  I sewed size Medium, using the overlocker for construction and the machine for topstitching.

I now have three more Stokx patterns cut out waiting to be sewn (Square pants, Gossamer dress and Coco jacket), a long knit Aeolian dress waiting to be photographed, and another dress in a different Warlukurlangu print waiting for photos. One thing seems to lead to another!