We are so glad that you are loving the Blair Skirt so much. Today we want to go over all things fabric and notions so you are able to choose the correct items to make your own version.
FABRIC
Main Fabrics
For the main skirt, the Blair calls for medium weight woven fabrics such as denim, corduroy, linen, and wool. Think bottom weight fabrics that are going to hold the shape of the skirt. I love a good denim, wool, or corduroy for fall, but also think it's a great spring / summer skirt in a linen or cotton.
Here is a photo of the three fabrics we used for the Blair samples. All three were from Blackbird Fabrics and were perfect for this skirt. From left to right they are Cotton Twill in Cumin, Cotton Twill in Kelp, and Corduroy in Brick.
Lining Fabrics
The Blair also calls for some lining fabrics. This is to line the Waistband, Pockets, and Pocket Flaps. If your main fabric isn't too bulky (like linen or cotton) you could choose to just self line the skirt. But, if your fabric is bulky like a corduroy, I would definitely line it with a lighter weight fabric. I personally love a cotton like cotton lawn or quilting cotton. It's a great way to use up those old scraps. You could also use something with more drape like a rayon bemberg, but you might have a harder time getting crisp corners with something like that.
This may be obvious, but a fabric that is closer in color to your main fabric is a definite plus (but not essential). If you are not super careful with pressing and understitching, your lining fabric might peek out and can be distracting. So keep that in mind when choosing your lining.
If you are sewing up your skirt in something that might be uncomfortable against the skin like wool, you may want to think about fully lining the skirt. We have tutorial coming for this next week. It's a very easy hack.
Interfacing
We need a bit of interfacing for this project. You will interface the Waistband Lining, Belt and Pocket Flap. I personally prefer a nice woven fusible interfacing, but any medium weight fusible will do.
NOTIONS
3/4" Buttons
Sliding Buckle
The Blair offers an optional fabric belt with the pattern (although you can also just wear the skirt with a regular belt too). The fabric belt is 1.5" wide so you need a buckle with a 1.5" opening. We are carrying a rectangular resin buckle in our shop in two neutral finishes that should coordinate with most buttons - Brown Tortoise and Black Marbled. Another great optional is to source two D rings for the belt.
Other
A couple other things you may want to finish up your skirt are a hand sewing needle for the buttons. I personally usually sew on buttons on my machine, but it's really tight on the front pockets so I like to hand sew those on.
Lastly, if you are sewing the belt, you are going to want some kind of tool to turn the tube right side out. I generally just use a safety pin.
Ok, that should be it. I hope that this was helpful. The full sewalong is coming a couple of weeks. If you need to purchase the Blair sewing pattern you can do so here.