2 New Skirts

Ever since Pattern Review announced the Travel Wardrobe contest, I have been sewing up a storm.  Helping my motivation was an actual trip I have planned...to Mexico!  This contest was a great opportunity to finally sew up some things I have been thinking about for a long time.

First up was a refashion.  I purchased this Target brand, halter top, maxi dress at Goodwill for $3.  I liked the colors and patterns and knew it would be a simple transition from dress to skirt.

I forgot to take a photo prior to cutting it, but here you can get the idea.  I determined what length I wanted the skirt, added about 1.5" and cut!  Simply folding and stitching down a casing, and adding a length of elastic was all it took.  A 15 minute skirt!  :)

The next skirt I made was McCall's 6654:

Link

This pattern is a fantastic choice for easy knit skirts.  There are multiple lengths and either a straight or flared option.  I made the straight skirt using some striped ITY fabric purchased from Denver Fabrics:

Source...(sorry sold out)

I had initially thought of using this fabric to make a maxi dress from McCall's 6559 which was the #5 PR Best pattern in 2012.  After stewing on this idea for several months, I accepted the reality that I don't wear dresses very much, and a skirt would get more wear than a dress.


Here is the finished skirt:

Prior to cutting, I experimented with the stripes to determine which color stripes should be at the widest part of my hips.  As a definite pear shape, I was concerned about wrapping the widest part of my body in horizontal stripes.  Locating the darkest purple and raspberry stripes at my high hip was the most pleasing to me, after extensive raising, lowering, and flipping the fabric top to bottom.  I had plenty of fabric to match the stripes and (I must say), I did a great job :)

Next up is the tops I made to go with my 2 skirts...

  

Me Made in May

I wore something Me-Made each day of May, but I was shockingly unsuccessful in taking photos each day.  Rather than boring you with me made Renfrews and other tees, I will share my highlights instead:

 Simplicity 2906 skirt

New Look 6735 Tee and beige Jalie 2908 Jeans 

 

      Sewaholic Renfrew Tee and Simplicity 3628 jacket

 

Maria Denmark Kimono Tee and Jalie 2908 Jeans in brown non-stretch denim

 

McCalls 6654 Maxi Skirt

 

In surprising news...I have been sewing!  While in London at the end of April, I made it to Walthamstow market on my last day there.  In the first shop I went in, I found this very cool striped knit with little accordion-like pleats/wrinkles.  It was 1pound per yard, so I bought 2 yards.  I thought it would make a cool maxi skirt.  I did actually use a pattern for the skirt which is almost silly, but whatever...It was McCalls 6654, and I made the flared version.  I didn't have enough fabric to match the stripes along the side seams but I think it makes the skirt more RTW ;)  For the hem, I marked it about 2"off of the floor and used my coverstitch machine. 

 

This is my first maxi skirt.  I am only 5'-2" tall and I have always thought that a maxi skirt would make me look even shorter than I am.  I was reading this blog post by Michelle at Happily Caffeinated, where she mentions in her "Pet Peeve #2" about being annoyed by being told what you should and should NOT wear, and that you can actually pull off whatever you feel comfortable wearing.  So all 5'-2" of me made a maxi skirt.  I cut off several inches from the pattern so it didn't use quite so much fabric, which is a benefit of being short.  I still didn't have enough fabric to match the stripes though.  Now that it's done,  I can see the appeal of a maxi skirt.  Unshaven legs stay hidden as well as post-winter pasty-white legs.  (I don't tan and I am an SPF freak so pale legs are pretty much year round).  When your fabric is pretty or interesting, there is a lot of it in a maxi skirt and it's really shown off.  I had a few small chunks of fabric left which got turned into a skirt for my youngest.  So I got 2 skirts for 2 pounds!  :)

 

In other news, I have been sewing like crazy, so more garment post are coming!