Miss Zinnia Solves The Case

Hello, darlings! It's finally, finally getting chilly in Texas. Today is a blustery 48° Fahrenheit--I can hear your cackles, Dwellers of the North!--and the perfect weather to wear my favorite cozy new make: a wool Zinnia skirt.

Not going to lie, this skirt was entirely inspired by shoes, as the best garments often are. When Colette first released the Zinnia pattern, I took one look at it and thought "That is a skirt made for penny loafers!" Conveniently enough, I happen to own four pairs of penny loafers. That's right, four. My favorites are a pair of Bass Weejuns acquired at a sale this summer. They have tassels, a perfect penny slot, and are made from the loveliest maroon leather. They are, quite frankly, shoes for girl detective.

Nancy Drew has always been my style icon. I live for tassels and cardigans and perfectly pressed pleats. Luckily, Zinnia fits that last qualification to a tee. With sixteen sewn-down pleats and a floaty circular hem, it's just the skirt for a girl detective on the move.

My last version of the Zinnia has actually been given away to my mother, because the waistband was entirely too big for me, once it was worn for a little while. It ended up sitting in that awkward middle area between my natural waist and hips, which I don't love in a full skirt. As a result, I tweaked the fit of my second version a bit.

Made up in a maroon wool-cotton challis, still available from Fabric Mart, this Zinnia is a delightfully warm little skirt. Because of those previous fit issues, I sized down at the waistband for this iteration, but then graded back out a size at the hips. It sits right at my natural waist, then gently flairs out into the full skirt. Perfect!

Originally, I had planned to line this version with Bemberg rayon, but I loved the drape of this challis when it was unlined. Because of the cotton content in the fabric, it doesn't attract static electricity like other wools can, so it works really well as is. I absolutely love this color, a perfect winey maroon, which pairs well with most any sweater in my wardrobe and is perfect for brisk Aggie game days! Not that I suffer through football games any more, but you know, in theory it's great for such affairs.

It's funny, the Zinnia skirt really got mixed reviews in the blogosphere upon its release, but I'm starting to love this pattern. It's simple, yes, but that's what makes it a great winter wardrobe staple. It does so well with those slightly heavier, warmer fabrics which can weigh down other full skirt patterns. Don't you long for one in a nice plaid flannel? This silhouette just begs for a romantic bonfire date!

Or, of course, a mystery.

Yes, I do own an antique magnifying glass. Themed pictures, ahoy!

 Tennis balls are showing up mysteriously chewed to pieces. Can Miss Zinnia unmask the culprit?

The details...

Things I Loved: 

• The fabric! It's perfect for these chilly fall days we're getting. 
• The pleats! So classic and lovely. 

Things I Changed:

• Switched the invisible zipper to a hand-picked zipper. If you're curious about this technique, I recommend Tasia's tutorial. 
• Graded down a size at the waistband.

Things I Would Change, If I Made It Again:

• Nothing. Now that I've got the fit down, it's an easy enough pattern to sew up. 

Notions & Fabric: 

• 3 yards of claret wool-cotton challis: $30

Construction Time:

• Four cozy hours

Is that a clue? A curiously dug hole!

The culprit is unmasked! The shepherd did it, of course.