cute skirts

it's the first official day of summer and i just happened to finish this super lightweight and super cute skirt today.

a dear friend from Brazil sent me this fabric a few years ago. after giving it some thought, i finally decided to go with a sweet skirt from this pattern. i wasn't teasing about the title!

i've been working on it for over a week now, whenever i had a free hour or so. but it really should be a quick sew. it is constructed from eight panels which means a lot of stitching, but that's pretty straightforward.

i was a bit confused with the instructions when it came to attaching the gores to the adjoining panels. from the illustrations it looked like you sew to the end when you sew one gore to each of the panels. i think you should really leave whatever your seam allowance is at the tip. i confess i never read the instructions beforehand so, though i was confused, i wasn't going to rip anything out, especially when i had all the gores done. i just had to "make it work" as one of my favorite public figures, Tim Gunn, says on one of my favorite reality shows, Project Runway, which is premiering July 19th, by the way! if you've worked with gores before, it's probably a no brainer. regardless of whether i did it right or not, it looks perfectly fine, outside and in; however, if anyone has any suggestions for me, i'd be grateful if you left a comment!

those little details aside, i really like the skirt. i like the narrow waistband and the elastic that's threaded through the back only. it makes for a nice, clean front. it fits well. do be sure to consult the chart to find your measurements. and though i'm curvy, it lays down flat on the front, back and sides, no bunching or bulging. that's a winner as far as i'm concerned!

i like it so much you may see another some time soon.

now, go out there and celebrate! hope you've sunny skies and bright sunshine in your corner of the world!

what more could i need?

i've this new bag. and this new top. and now this new skirt.

throw in some hoops i also made from 1" and 3/4" 100 psi poly pipe with gaffer tape in bright, fluorescent colors and i'm not only ready to hoop dance into summer, but i'm color coordinated, too! would you expect anything less? tee most certainly wouldn't. LOL!

i'd forgotten i'd made this skirt before, some time ago. i saw the pin marks in the pattern pieces, but i couldn't for the life of me remember when or of what. until i had finished that is. the gathers on the front and back jogged this middle aged memory.

i never wrote about it. obviously that skirt is still packed away where it'll stay, for now. it's in solid black and much too dark for this time of the year.

this version is the belle skirt by favorite things. it looks nothing like the cover photo. that's because i decided to omit the contrasting band so it would be shorter. also, the fabric is a bit sheer so i made two skirts of different lengths then sewed them together before stitching both to the waist band. it's still rather lightweight and i won't feel self-conscious without a slip.

for a little fun flair and because i positively love machine sewing double fold bias tape now that i know how to do it, i hemmed it with 1/2" tape in canary yellow. it's what i happened to have on hand and i'm all about stash busting these days.

i've also made the double circle skirt from the hip skirts pattern which is very similar. you'll see them here. the size of the waist bands are not the same though they are made the same way. fortunately i fit it on myself before i made the skirt. have you noted that, too? i think i like the double circle skirt better. it fits my hips and thighs more comfortably. fabric type has a lot to do with it, too. go for a voile if you want it to flow and twirl. this was sold as an embroidered voile at hancock fabrics a few years ago. not all voiles are alike, however. maybe you can see that from the photographs. check the fabric weight before you buy to be sure you get what you want. i do like that it wrinkles nicely and you can wear it right out of the dryer without putting an iron to it.

i've a cute peasant top in a pale yellow that will pair sweetly with the skirt. but wouldn't these finish the look from head to toe?? or these???

circle skirts

the summer of 2010 was unseasonably warm for most of us here in the usa. even shorts felt a bit uncomfortable and in my middle age years, i'm all about the comfort.

i needed something of a new wardrobe, but couldn't find anything i liked or was willing to pay for at your typical retail stores. fortunately for me and those of you who love to sew, i've a machine, fabric and thread ready at my disposal.

i'm also somewhat a creature of habit, particularly if it means a perfect fit.

and so all three of these little fab and funky beauties are the double circle skirt from this collection by favorite things. you can dress them up for a nice evening out to dinner, particularly the longer one, or more casually with a tank, tee, flip flops or in barefeet for hanging out, inside or out!

and because these are double, no slip necessary.

the sweet skirt i am wearing is an embroidered voile in deep lilac/blue.

the one i am holding in my hand is from Anna Maria Horner's line, Little Folks, a voile in coloring garden  - sea (top layer) and little honey - meadow (bottom).

the skirt on clotilde is a floral voile i purchased in the summer of 2008 from Fabric Bliss, an online vendor i don't believe is in service anymore.

the hip skirts are one of the first ever pieces of apparel i made for myself shortly after i started sewing. however, i used a batik. i love the colors and designs available in batiks, but they can be a little stiff. the designers suggested a voile and i would agree. it's seriously flowey and drapey, falls smoothly over your curves or pencil straight if you're taller, thinner. and with these fabrics, wash, dry, wear them slightly wrinkled right out of the dryer or hang them. no ironing necessary!

cutting and sewing is straight forward and easy. i serged all of the seams and double stitched my hems. still, it's a quick little sew.

whether you choose to add the belt loops as i did on two out of the three or not, you can wear it either closer to your waistline or as a hip hugger.

fortunately for me, i'll be able to wear my skirts about 3 out of the 4 seasons. i'd say that's getting the most for my hard earned dollar. and i've no doubt my quality is every bit as good as what's available at a top line retailer.