Learning to sew: Meet my new project, a "Mad Men" pencil skirt

And the winner is . . . loud beating of drums and clashing of cymbals . . . the waist 30. It is, as you may remember, dear readers, 1/2" too small in the waist, but it fits perfectly in the hips. The pattern is McCall 5082, copyright 1959. It's a staple. Truly. If I do a good job, this is a skirt I'll wear again. And again. And again. And again. You get the picture. 

The fabric I've chosen is black cotton-linen with the tiniest bit of stretch. I've had it for many years. I love it. I do. Absolutely. I confess my heart beats a little fast at the thought that I might ruin it. Do any of you ever have that fear when cutting into a beloved piece of fabric? Nightmares abound. 

I especially want to work on my hand-hemming technique this time around. The exterior looked terrific in the Asian skirt. Not so the inside. Alas. And, of course, there's the zipper. Oh my. Doubtless you remember, dearly beloved readers, the mess I made of the centered zipper on the sewing machine in the Asian skirt. I do. How can I forget when I see it each time I wear the skirt. Heavy sigh. Dramatic sigh. I'm going to do a side-lapped zipper this time, and I think I'll do it by hand. Any advice?

So. I've laundered the fabric. Twice. Next, pressing. Then, gulp, cutting. Fingers crossed.