KCW Spring 2013 - Day 4 - boardwalk skirt

Whew! Finished this last night with only a mild bit of cussing. This is the Boardwalk Skirt by Go To Patterns. I purchased it when it was released as a pattern collection through Pattern Anthology.

 

So, I have mixed feelings about this skirt. First off, the pattern itself is lovely and very well written. But I think I have to come to terms with the fact that I don't really like sewing gathers/ruffles. Especially when the fabric I use frays like nobody's business! Seriously! There were threads everywhere it was such a pain in the butt trying to find my bobbin threads to pull. But, I do love the end result and the full-ness of the skirt. And so does lil c :)

I made this skirt in a size 4T but probably should have lengthen it to a size 5 or 6 for my tall girl. I used a yarn dyed cotton (possibly linen blend..) that I picked up a while ago from my local Fabricland. The fabric for the under-layer (petticoat) is from a vintage sheet, and the lace is from a vintage stash my aunt recently handed off to me. Because I wanted to just use materials I had on hand, I ditched the eyelet and drawstring cord that was called for in the pattern, and just did a basic elastic waist (this is an option given in the pattern as well). And of course, I also used the lace from my stash as opposed to the crochet lace suggested in the pattern. I don't mind the look of the lace but would definitely use the crochet lace the next time I make this. Or I might even rip out this lace and sub in some crochet lace. Aside from the fact that I love all things crocheted, I think the regular lace looks a little too 'lingerie-y' and perhaps doesn't suit this style of skirt very well. So overall, aside from my choice of lace, I do like how this turned out and will definitely be making it again.

melissa x

KCW Spring 2013 - Day 3 - boardwalk skirt in progress

I was pretty slow moving today and didn't get much actual sewing done. I had actually had the fabric cut out already, but spent a good while trying to decide on which lace to use for the detail. The pattern calls for crochet lace (which I love and think would look adorable) but I didn't have any on hand and really wanted to just use materials I had in my stash. My aunt recently gave me all the lace she had been hoarding over the last 30+ years so I found a piece that I think might work. Hoping to finish this up tonight.. 

kcwc - upcycled knit twirl skirt

Yay! I finished my first project for the kcwc!

I was out at the thrift shop the other day and found a couple of knit tops that just happened to go together perfectly. I wish I had taken a picture of the 'before' tops. They were in great condition but rather lacking in style.. I love how this skirt turned out! I 'd actually wear this if it was adult sized! I was hoping to get a couple of pics on my normally skirt-loving model, but she has deemed today 'sweatpants and pajama day' and has refused to touch this :( Hopefully I'll be able to get some pics later on this week.

Here are the details:

Pattern - The Twirl Skirt by Lil Blue Boo. This is a PDF download so it involved some printing and taping but because there are only 2 pattern pieces, it was super quick

Fabric - The polkadot fabric is 100% cotton, the floral is a cotton/poly blend. Both are from thrifted shirts which were $3.99 each (with enough leftover to make another skirt). The ribbing for the waistband was from a remnant bin (can't remember the cost)

General Thoughts - Wow! This was a super easy, satisfying project. Once I had printed, taped and traced the pattern, the actual fabric cutting and sewing part probably only took about an hour. I've been meaning to make an upcycled knit skirt for a while and was freaked out a bit about sewing with knits so I put it off. For this project I just used my regular sewing machine - a standard stitch for the seams and zig-zag for the attaching the waistband. Easy peasy! Will definitely be making more of these :)

Ok, on to the next project now..

market skirts and another use for selvedge

I've been eyeing this sweet patchwork linen/cotton fabric by Echino for a while. The colours and patterns are so vibrant I figured a simple skirt would showcase it all just perfectly! And of course, with fabric this lovely, I just can't bear to toss out any of it. So check out the selvedge 'clothes line' that's now up in little c's room.

Speaking of fabric scraps, check out this adorable little scrappy owl pattern by Nicole at Follow the White Bunny. I made these last year to attach to Christmas gifts and they are just so adorable and easy to make and use the tiniest of scraps. Do you have any other fun ideas for fabric scraps?

And of course, another little reminder of the upcoming Urban Artisans Craft Market on Nov 26-27 at the Roundhouse Centre in Yaletown :)