Dirndl skirt - pink chambray: Part II

I don't have any pix right now, but I will later. 

I will confess to being both slightly sloppy and to not really wanting to face what a month without jogging might have done to my waistline, so I fudged the waistband measurement on the skirt.  I'm going to say it now: Don't do that.  Do as I say, not as I do, and don't fudge your waistband measurements.  It's pretty much a guaranteed way to ruin a sewing project because it won't fit, and it's a royal pain to fix.

I was poking around yesterday at Gertie's dirndl skirt instructions and realized that I'd neglected to add ease, as well.  I'd added an inch for seam allowances and an inch and a half for a button tab, but no ease.  On top of fudging the waist measurement.  

Homer Simpson said it best: "Doh!"

I held it up to my waist last night over the clothes I was wearing.  Not a prayer.  I could see my lovely pink chambray skirt swirling down the drain.  Somebody was going to score big at Goodwill.

However, because I am a champion at denial, I told myself it might fit once I tried it without street clothes on.  Right?  Right??  And I'll start running again once I'm allowed to sweat on my wounded leg.   And I've been trying to pay a little better attention to my eating habits again.

I don't have a button on the inset belt yet, but I tried it on without my clothes and--are you sitting down?--it fit.  It will even fit with a blouse tucked in.  Hallelujah, I'm not as chubby as I thought I was!

I gathered the skirt onto the waistband last night, which was no mean feat since it's 80 inches of rather thick fabric.  I have to finish the waistband, topstitch it, do the button-backers and buttons (once they arrive in the mail; they've been shipped so it could even be today) for the skirt pockets, do the button and buttonhole on the inset belt, and hem.  None of that stuff is super hard so I could be wearing this thing tomorrow.