More Make It In May Skirts

We have six days to go.... I wonder how many more Make It In May skirts will get finished?

Nikki whipped up two versions of her You Sew Girl A-Line skirt this week.

A lovely long version...

... and a gorgeous short version.

Which reminds me, that I must try out a panelled skirt for myself.

Carmel also made the You Sew Girl A-Line Skirt. It looks fab in denim.

Checkout the schmick invisible zip!

Thankyou Ladies


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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!

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!

My Creative Space

Another one of Nikki's A-Line Skirts is in the works at the moment. This time for a friend.

The pattern is all cut out and ready to go, but there's no time for sewing 'til the weekend.

I'll have to just stare at it longingly til then.....sigh


More Creative Spaces

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!