Sunday, January 03, 2010

Skirt!

A while ago (March-ish) I got together with some girlfriends to sew skirts but then abandoned the project for about 9 months while the pile of fabric I had bought sat crumpled up on my closet floor.

With a baby coming I had an urge to get this thing finished. It seems quite likely that I'll never finish if I don't before the Big Deadline.

I couldn't get myself to haul it all out and get started on my own so I invited the girls over again for a follow-up party. This time I invited more people and we got even more focused - everyone brought their own project and materials and after about an hour my entire living room was covered in crafty projects (mainly knitting and sewing, and one embroidery project and one giant pile of paperwork project). I was very glad to have some help with the sewing, for some reason it really freaked me out at first and I needed lots of moral support. However after I got rolling it got a lot easier. And it was so much fun that I finished the skirt (the next day):


Here it is! I used the 'honeycomb stitch' to decorate the bottom hem (in more detail below) - it took me a while to figure out how to make my sewing machine do this but in the process I discovered all kinds of neat things I never knew I could do - and practiced switching out the thread color a few times for good measure.


I even sewed in a 'hidden zipper' - something I never thought I could do!! I was really proud of myself.

Unfortunately when it was all done I couldn't try it on or show it off because my big belly got in the way. It still takes me so long to make these things that I thought it would be best if I just stuck with my original non-maternity plan so I can wear it this summer (I followed another one of my skirts for a pattern, below, and also had checked the size way back in March after I got the pieces cut and pinned, so hopefully the size will be close).

The skirt above was also hand-made and bought at a used store in Seattle. It is RikA RikA, a brand that is sold in boutiques around the US but made locally. This skirt was both a pattern and an inspiration, and also WAY better done than mine, but in making my own skirt I have become much more appreciative of a well-made garment like this one!

2 comments:

Uncle KT said...

I think your skirt looks great! Your story reminds me about how I feel about new computer programs. I always put off learning how to use them and dread it. Then when I figure it out and find out that it's either fun or easier than what I was doing before (or both) I kick myself for not doing it earlier. Glad to know other people do the same thing! Congrats.

Kathy said...

nice!

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