The Make It In May Skirt Sew-Along - Here's mine!

Unfortunately Frances is not as wide as me, so the skirt is clipped in at the back to stay up

I've finished my first skirt for the Make It In May Skirt Sew-Along!

It's a little bit later than what I'd first hoped, but I'm completely chuffed with it and I love it.

The pattern is the Nicole Mallalieu Design You Sew Girl A-Line Skirt Pattern which I stock in my shop here.

The pattern doesn't have pockets - I've added them using my own template to satisfy my slightly absurd pocket obsession!

Reasons why I love this pattern:

• It suits my shape
• The fully interfaced waist band does wonders for my belly
• It's comfortable
• It can be shortened to any length (I choose to make mine knee length as I rather like my lower legs)
• There is an instruction booklet with a step by step guide and lots of photos.
• My finished product looks like an expensive shop-bought skirt
• The pattern is paper (not tissue)

I picked up this wool suiting fabric during the Spotty 40% off sale, so the fabric for the entire skirt only cost around $7.

**Edit: I just found the receipt from Spotty - it's Wool Suiting CLT #22 Grey, 147cm - it was $8.99 per metre (after the 40%) off and I only used 1 metre for a knee length in size 14, so the actual fabric cost was really $9

I originally intended to use an invisible zip at the back, but I had a little accident and mangled the teeth of the zip. Then while trying to fix the teeth, I completely broke the zip... so instead of taking another trip to Spotty, I used a dress zip from the stash instead.

I've never sewn with wool suiting before. but I'm loving the way it drapes. It's hard to get excited about a plain grey fabric when you're shopping and sewing, but this skirt is going to make lots of coloured/patterned tops in my wardrobe much more wearable during the winter months.

I'm taking it for the first test run in the city tomorrow. It should fit in well in the centre of black/charcoal grey loving Melbourne!

The 'Make It In May' Skirt Sew-Along

It's time for a Make It In May Skirt Sew-Along crafty peeps!

Here are the rules (should you choose to accept them):

1. Sign up on the dotted line below
2. Choose your favourite skirt pattern
3. Pick a fantabulous fabric
4. Sew Sew Sew
5. Blog it and show it off

I'm making myself a winter version of the You Sew Girl A-Line Skirt using some gorgeous dark grey wool suiting that I picked up at the last Spotty sale. I'm hoping that I'll also have time to make at least one of the Lisette Skirts too (fingers crossed)!

I've been using some of my newly learned photoshop skills on the button - feel free to add it to your blog and link it to this post!

You can just right click and save the button above (it's 200px wide) or copy and paste the html code below

<a href="http://www.curlypops.blogspot.com.au/2012/04/make-it-in-may-skirt-sew-along.html"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7063/7127652389_f0a392cd72_o.png">

Lets go!

A Summer A-Line

 

I probably should have ironed it before taking photos, but it's waaaay too hot!

While hibernating from this horrid Melbourne heat yesterday, I thought I'd take the opportunity to tick something off my 'to do' list.

I'd promised a friend that I'd make her an a-line skirt, so I grabbed Nikki's A-Line Skirt pattern from the stash, and then started searching for Carly's measurements that I'd written on a notepad... somewhere.... before my latest clean up!

Alas, my search yielded nothing nadda zilch!

So, never one to waste an opportunity, I decided to make one for myself instead.

I've had this fabric in the stash for at least four years. I bought it from Spotty because I loved how the pattern is printed along the selvedge on both sides.

I used a plain balck cotton drill for the waist section as there was no way that I was going to be able to match up the pattern, and I actually like the way that it adds a bit of definition (I also love the way that the interfaced waist and facing section holds my tummy in)!

The only problem with the fabric is that the white section at the top is a bit see through, so tomorrows mission is to buy some lining fabric from spotty and add it to the inside.

Here's hoping that it's cool enough to leave the house for that!

Something out of the ordinary.

 New Look 6720 in Echino Bonbon

I've been working on this little project in the background over the last few weeks now.

New Look 6720 in Umbrella Prints - Oasis - Wild Floating Grasses (beautiful fabric to work with)

A friend bought some beautiful fabrics from Earthgirl Fabrics and asked me to transform them into some little dresses for her daughters, and skirts for herself.

New Look 6720 in Melly and Me - Where The Wind Blows

I love how these little dresses turned out, especially the Size 4. Completely adorable!

As for the pattern - I think the way that the facing is attached to the bottom of the bodice is a little clumsy, and not easy to sew. There was a lot of unpicking and re-sewing to make it nice and neat.

Nicole M Design A-Line Skirt in Melly and Me - Where The Wind Blows - Blossom

After making my first a-line in thick denim, this one was an absolute joy to sew. It drapes beautifully in this quilting weight fabric.

This one is most definitely on my to do list to make for me.
 

Burda 8090 in Vintage Groove Polka Dot

Finally, I finished off with this Burda A-Line skirt. I've made this once before... a very long time ago.

The retro style of the fabric is perfect with the design of the skirt..... and Frances was very happy to finally be modelling skirts that fit!


PS - I've made myself a new header in illustrator. I'm still a newbie so don't be too harsh... but check it out!

A New A-Line Skirt.... edited

I've had Nikki's A-Line Skirt pattern for the longest time.... buoyed by a denim find at the oppy last week, I finally took the time to sit down and make something just for me!

I couldn't believe that when I got the piece of denim home and measured it - there was enough for an entire skirt for just $1.

I always have problems making things for my lower half, as my waist measurement and my hip measurement don't differ much, and I have no bum (seriously, it's as flat as a pancake). I'm also notorious for not being able to measure myself accurately.

I didn't have enough denim to make a mistake. So, to make sure that I was going to get the fit correct, I first made calico toiles of the top section in two different sizes and tried them arounnd my waist and hip. Once I had that correct, it was all systems go!

This was my first attempt at an invisible zip. It's not perfect, but I'm blaming the thick denim ha ha....
 In fact, I didn't even own an invisible zip foot before I bought one to try this out.

I really wanted to add some pockets to the skirt, and I still had a sketch of a tennis skirt that I'd drawn while watching the Australian Open over the Summer. So, I made myself a little template based on that sketch and just laid it on top of the bottom section with the pocket edges extending up into the middle seam and over into the side seam (hope that makes sense).

Now with all of this sunny weather, I just need to make a more summery version!

Edit:  I neglected to mention that even though it's pinned onto Frances (as she seriously needs to add a few kilos), it fits me perfectly!

Doileyed

I finally had a chance to finish my long awaited doiley skirt yesterday morning....

....and my favourite thing about it is..... (well, other than the super gorgeous fabric from Michelle)

...Pockets!

I'm a pocket girl. Can't leave the house without lip balm and tissues and my phone in my pocket.

The skirt ended up being a hybrid of various designs.

I initially made myself a pattern in January of this year based on the a-line skirt in Sew What Skirts. As my weight constantly fluctuates, I had a bit of a problem with the final fitment and had to take in the side seams a little.

I desperately needed pockets, so I took the pocket pattern from the Too Cute Tunic Dress in Pip's Sew La Tea Do book, and inserted it into the side seams of the skirt.

I drafted my own facing pieces and interfaced them to make sure that they sit nicely at the front and back. The zip at the back isn't perfect, but it's completely adequate for me.

Guess what I'm wearing out the door today?

A 15 Minute Re-fashion

I have a massive range of clothes in my wardrobe. My weight tends to vary over three different clothing sizes depending on what's happening in my life (skirt is gathered and pinned at the back to fit Frances.... I am nowhere near this size).

I try to clean it out and donate things to the oppy every so often, but there are some pieces that I just have to hold on to.

Does anyone actually remember when ankle length denim skirts were fashionable?

I bought this skirt on a holiday in Queensland somewhere around 1999 or 2000. I used to wear it with a pair of black high heel lace up boots that I bought at the Queen Vic Market...... ahhhh the memories.

It's been sitting in a drawer gathering dust for years, and has even survived the massive wardrobe cull of two house moves, so I thought it deserved a new life.

Bring on the rotary cutter, overlocker, sewing machine, and a spare 15 minutes..... and this is what you get.

All of a sudden, I now have a wearable denim a-line skirt. Perfect!

My Creative Space

I've been wanting to make myself an a-line skirt since January, but of course, everything else kept getting in the way, and I just never got around to it!

I finally had some spare time on Monday, and so I made a start...

It's based on the a-line skirt from Sew What Skirts and I've used the gorgeous doiley fabric that Michelle gave me.

I wasn't happy with the facing the last time I made this skirt, so I've just used my own method (including some nice interfacing) this time (not sure if it'll work as I'm planning but we'll wait and see at the end).

I'm also going to add some pockets into the side seams before I put it together.

The back is a plain black denim.... that's the centre zip poking out the top. I've glue basted it from the back (not sure if that's acceptable for most but it works for me). 
I'm yet to actually sew it into place.

Here's hoping I may actually finish it today or tomorrow!

The home of my creative space