Brumby Skirt

Skirt #2 that I want to post about is Brumby. I tried to take marvelous pictures of this and another skirt, but it seems I am always at work, or at school, or it's cloudy or raining, or whatever other fiasco turns up. I made it outside today to try some nice fall foliage pictures but of course, no matter where I went in my yard, they all turned out too dark. So, you get poorly lit kitchen pictures, complete with piles of cat toys and even some cats! This particular cat is Woody. He is a bit mischievous, but also a total cuddle muffin, so he gets away with all the mischief. ;)

I fell in love with the Brumby skirt long before the pattern was ever published. Megan Nielson published some pictures of her skirt in denim and I thought, that skirt is perfect!!! What felt like ages later, the pattern finally got published, and I immediately purchased it. For my first attempt, I made it in a medium weight chambray. I want to say it was a Robert Kaufman linen blend, but I'm not completely sure on that. Most of the time, I order my fabrics online, so I can usually look up what a fabric was. . . But this one, I actually bought in person, in a little shop in Portsmouth, NH.



When I first tried this on, I tried it on with all kinds of tops, tucked and untucked, and universally decided "NOPE! Not on my body!" My finished Brumby then languished for a while, unworn and unloved. Then one day, I tried it on again, and I don't know what happened but I decided I really liked it. It has since become one of my most comfortable, most often worn items of clothing! I guess it just needed to age for a bit. Here is what it looks like with the top tucked in, although this is rarely the way I wear it in real life. . .



I opted to put a ton of fullness into the back of the skirt. I really wanted it to be swishy and fun, and it definitely is!



The other feature I really love about this skirt are the pockets, which are so roomy that one can fit all manner of things in there! Part of my commute for work involves a train and then a shuttle bus, and in the process of that commuting, these pockets saw knitting projects, an iPod, my T pass - even a bottle of Coca Cola! They really are wonderful pockets.

The only changes I made to this pattern were to adjust the length, and I skipped the exposed zipper and went with an invisible one, instead. I just can't seem to get on board with this exposed zipper trend. I guess I'm old-fashioned! I also don't want to suddenly have all my hand made things be obviously outdated when this trend finally passes by, as all trends eventually do! At any rate. . . Everything lined up in back so perfectly that I really think the sewing fates were smiling down on this project!



Normally, I line almost everything. I skipped lining this skirt, figuring it would be a summer skirt and I'd be wearing it with bare legs, but then I ended up wearing it all through the cold months, with sweater tights, which meant I had to wear a slip. I really regretted not lining it, and will not make that mistake again! I did, however, take the time to finish all the exposed seams with a Hong Kong seam finish, using some lovely blue Hug Snug seam binding. This is my absolute favorite way to finish raw edges. It's not only neat, but it can be a fun way to add a secret pop of color!



I absolutely love this skirt! I have another cut out in denim that I can't wait to sew up!