*If you follow me on facebook, you have already seen this skirt here and here.
Made by Me File:
I bought a yard of it, but because Liberty fabrics are 54" wide (standard for cotton seems to be 44"), I actually still have a bit of this fabric left over, and I think I may make the Mathilde Blouse from the remainder of my fabric, although I may have to use the liberty for the front and a solid color for the back to make it work.
Anyhow, I thought I would try the fabric out with McCall's 3341, which is a pattern for a very basic a-line skirt in five lengths. It would allow me to try something not terribly challenging, and because it is a basic shape, it would really allow the fabric to be the main focus. (You can see it on another blogger here.)
So I go to my mother-in-law over Thanksgiving 2010 with the fabric and the pattern and she helped me cut it out, and all excited, I anticipated being done by New Year's 2011. Except I wasn't. I kept putting it off because I didn't want to ruin the pretty with my sub-par sewing skills.
And then I got pregnant with Angus that summer, so I knew I would definitely have to wait on making it.
And of course, if you have been reading this blog lately, you know that I finally got my sewing butt in gear and have been trying to sew at least as many garments as I buy, and so far so good. :)
BTW, this is the first piece of clothing that I made with a zipper**, and somehow, even though I made this whole skirt, by myself, in an afternoon, with only youtube/blog tutorials to help me, the skirt came out looking pretty good. Whee! I had originally cut a size 14, thinking that was my size, but I ended up having to take about three inches total off the hips. I have a suspicion this skirt and its pattern suffer from a bit of vanity sizing. And to think I thought the skirt would be too small when I was done. Ha.
*Which doesn't mean that I am pushing out tons and tons of garments, in fact, I have buying less and less overall. Funny how seeing what constructing clothing entails and what *could be* in a truly finished garment made me really examine what I decide to buy and keep. Basically--if I can make it from a similar fabric on my own, I am not buying. If it is something that would be too difficult for me or is not worth my effort--say leggings--I will buy that instead.
**Since then my zippers work, but don't look as neat and tidy as on this skirt. I think I need to have the tutorials right by me when I do that step, regardless of whether I think I need them or not.
Here are some examples of items made from this fabric (sleeveless dress, vintage dress, purse, head scarf, and boy's swim trunks--wish they had those in the US), but not a whole lot. It would be awesome if Liberty would make this a part of their permanent line, but if that doesn't happen, at least I know I have a piece of this unique pretty in my closet.
OOTDs:
Where: Preschool Run/Little Gym.
Ease of Wear: (3 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.) Okay, the skirt was super comfortable, but unfortunately, because it isn't lined, it kept sticking to my tights. Nothing terrible because the skirt is a-line, but not exactly fuss-free, either.
I may end up lining the skirt later, since I believe I can do that to a finished piece, but if I end up not being able to, I will probably just see if I can source a short slip instead.
Cool Factor: (3.5 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.) I think my skirt is cool. LOL. :)
I like this outfit, and I think with the coat, it looks chic and pretty, with the turtleneck alone, it is less polished, but still nice.
Anecdote from the day: I had a very typical day for me, you know, run to CW's preschool, run to Angus's Little Gym class, watch him nearly die from the excitement of playing with balls and tumbling equipment, and then run back to pick up CW from school.
No one even noticed the skirt, which at least means it didn't fall apart or anything. I feel like as a novice sewer that if my clothing can at least stay secure and not have a wardrobe mishap, I am a bit successful in my endeavor.
Where: Rex's Tee Ball Practice/Friend's Birthday Party.
Ease of Wear: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.) Stupid me forget a cardigan for the outfit. It was cool by the time I arrived at my friend's bday party. I was fine at Rex's tee ball practice, but that was out in the sunshine.
However, that said, since I wasn't wearing tights, the skirt felt much better on my legs and I didn't have to fuss at all with it.
Cool Factor: (3 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.) This looks less cool than the first outfit, but the friends of my friend liked the look, so I guess that means something. :)
Anecdote from the day: My friend also sews, and she sews VERY well. She got super-excited to see my skirt, since she always asks me if I made whatever I am wearing. (Most of the time I answer with the ubiquitous, "no, this is Boden/J. Crew/Madewell/Anthro.")
Anyhow, I loved showing her the skirt, since she doesn't make a ton of clothing (other than for her kids), but when she brought me up to see her quilts and projects she had sewn for her house, I was amazed by her talent. OMG, she's good. I am trying to convince her to start a quilting blog (there are a TON of them on the internet), so when/if she does it, you had better believe she's gonna be in my blogroll.
Okay, that's it for today! I hope everyone's Friday is going spectacularly well.
