A summer skirt

One of the pleasant things in life must be to make a simple summer skirt. Often when I am tending my market stall I have a conversation along these lines.
Customer:  "But how do you use such narrow fabric? You can't make clothes out of it."
Wise kimono fabric seller (that's me)...seams can be sewn.

I have a lot of responses to this question above and for an unknown amount of time into the future I shall address it by illustrating what I am up to in my sewing room. During a recent conversation with an Etsy customer, I realised I have been very remiss in not sharing my own sewing experiences in Japanese kimono fabric with people. I am including a couple of photos of summer skirts I've made using a New Look pattern, 6345. I've had a look in their online catalogue, but it looks like it is no longer available. The only pattern adjustment I did to this skirt, which comprises a yoke which rests on the hip, was to add a centre front seam. That's it. I made view C without the flaps or pockets.

Photo 1 (above): This skirt is made from a 1950's silk fabric. The colour is a bit washed out in this photo, though. I've worn it heaps and originally made it to wear to a friend's summer garden wedding. I hand-wash it. I've lined it with a used haori fine silk lining fabric.

Photo 2 (above) This is the same skirt pattern, this time made up in an indigo cotton fabric from the 1960s. It is one of my favourite skirts because I can wear a variety of tops to go with the colours in the skirt. I have lined it with a blue silk from the lining of a kimono.

Photo 3 (above). The Pattern I used was New Look 6345, view C. To add a Centre Front seam, I added a 1.5cm seam allowance at the centre front on two pieces. There was no shaping to do. 

In my next installment, I'll get you to follow along while I make version E or F (the bottom pics and the pink skirt illustrated). I'm going to make it up in a wool, for winter.