More Skirts!

The third and final skirt I've been meaning to post about is this simple cotton number I made up using Simplicity #2226. This is one of their "learn to sew" patterns, and I felt a little ridiculous buying it since I've been sewing for more than two decades! But I thought the style was cute, and I'm a sucker for good-size pockets, so I had to have it.



Can you even see the pockets, though?!? I took the time to really match things up! In this side view, the skirt is rippling more than the pocket, but trust me, it all lines up. I'm obsessive about these sorts of things. ;)



The fabric came from a Craftsy kit that I impulsively bought during one of their sales. This is not the sort of print I would normally choose, but I was trying to step outside my comfort zone a bit. I don't think I'd recommend purchasing the sewing kits from Craftsy. I've bought a few of them now, and they barely have enough fabric to make a garment. There is definitely no allowance for matching prints or making even small alterations for size. In this case, there was no fabric allowed for the tie belt that is included in the pattern, which was sad. I ended up hunting down an additional yard of this same fabric, so I may make the belt, as well as a new waistband, because since making this, I've lost so much weight that it is actually a bit too loose!



Of course, I had to make the insides very beautiful, as I always like to do! In this case, I fully lined it, as well as used my beloved Hug Snug seam tape on the exposed seams. I think it's worth it to take the time to make things nice inside because it makes it hang nicely, keeps things from unraveling, and just plain makes me happy!



In looking through these pictures, I realized I never added the hook and eye at the top of the zipper. Oops! I'll have to go back and add that. . . But here's the back view, anyhow. . .



I used to wear the shirt untucked with this skirt, but now it's really too loose, and I need that extra fabric tucked it to help it stay up! But here are some pictures of it untucked, all the same. . .



This cat is Ginger. She has a bit of a Jekyll/Hyde personality. When she's Jekyll, she's so sweet and huggable, but when she's Hyde, best to only pet with your eyes, and not your hands, if you value having them in one piece. ;)



Pockets!!! Love. Also love this necklace, which is the silhouette of Jane Austen, and was made by my talented friend Taylor, of Dames a la Mode fame. It filled a gap in my jewelry collection. (Yes, I had a wardrobe gap due to "not owning a necklace with a literal Jane Austen theme so that the world can know how much of a Janeite I am!") It was impossible to photograph, but I didn't want to not mention it as I am so very much in love with it!



And finally, as a bonus, here is a second skirt I made from this pattern. . .



I made this one for my niece, who is studying to be a chemist, and has appreciation for a fun, crazy skirt such as this! This one was even tricker to match up those pockets, as I was dealing with a very small amount of fabric, but I somehow pulled it off. And of course, once again, I fully lined it, and also finished the seams with Hug Snug seam binding.



I've been promised pictures of the skirt in action in the lab, so I'll definitely post those when I get them!

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!

Swan Lake

I have so many lovely things I want to blog about, that it's actually kind of crazy. I've been having some fun crafty adventures, including finally getting back to making historic costumes, in between all the school madness that is ongoing. But first, I want to post about a few skirts I made over the past. . . Wow, I guess it's been almost a year for at least one of these!

I'll start with a whimsical skirt I made to go see the Boston Ballet perform Swan Lake this past spring. I had this fabulous Michael Miller Swan Lake themed border print in my stash, and thought it would be fun to make a skirt from it for this outing. I just wanted a simple, box-pleated skirt, so I didn't bother using a pattern. Although I'm very happy with my pleating and the look of the skirt when laid flat, once it was on my body, I felt huuuuuuuge! I was at my heaviest and feeling very bad about my body, but I was also sick of "saving" my nice fabric and not making anything for me because of feeling bad about my weight. I knew this skirt would look ridiculous on me because I'm already short-waisted, but when I'm carrying extra weight, it's even worse. And also, I don't like my skirts too short, so between the waist placement and the length needed for me to be comfortable, the skirt came out looking proportionally ridiculous - as I knew it would! I'm glad I went for it though, because I had fun wearing the skirt, and got a lot of complements. (And side note: I've since joined Weight Watchers and have been steadily losing weight while gaining energy and a healthier lifestyle! I'm feeling quite good about myself now, and looking forward to reworking this skirt to suit my new body!)



The ballet itself was positively sublime! I love going to the ballet in general, because it's like a vacation from life for a couple of hours. You just get totally swept up in something that is nothing but beautiful for both the eyes and ears, and for those couple of hours, I don't think about all the things I have to do, or how ridiculous my job is, or how stressed out about school I am. . . I just enjoy being part of a totally magical, fantastical moment. Swan Lake is my favorite because I am completely in love with the music, and the costumes for this ballet were perfection.



The pin I'm wearing is from "Deer Arrow," a company with a terrible choice of name (don't google images to see their pins unless you don't care about seeing how cruel people can be to animals), but beautiful pins. I thought it was the perfect accessory for my ensemble!



The Boston Opera House is stunning. We got there a little early, allowing us time to wander around and be in total awe of the beauty of the place, to admire all the quirky little corners, and marvel at the beautiful fireplaces and other architectural details.







The ballet itself was absolute perfection. I was replaying it my head and humming it for days! I don't often go to see a ballet, but every time I do, I remember how much I love it, and that I should do it more often!

As an added bonus, we ran into the new-ish Poe statue! I'd been wanting to see it, and I'm especially happy we saw it at night, because it looked appropriately gothic!