Peppermint Wrap Skirt becomes a Sew DIY Lela Skirt

More rummaging in the stash cupboard unearthed this lightweight denim/chambray fabric. Not sure why I bought it, or when, but I think it's from Spotlight?

I decided to try the free #peppermintWrapSkirt from Peppermint Magazine designed by In the Folds. I sewed the size "I" which I think is a size or two too big at the hips so it was a bit puffy there. It seemed like too much effort to adjust this (undoing French seams and waistband removal) so I decided to reuse the fabric for another new-to-me skirt pattern. The wrap skirt was VERY long so I had enough fabric (with some tetris) to make into something new.

I was happy though to be able to practise my button holes with the wrap skirt. It had been so long since I did a buttonhole (and I do them so rarely) that I forgot exactly what to do so got Dave to read the machine instructions as my brain was malfunctioning. We got there in the end!

So my wrap skirt got chopped it up to make a toile of the @sewdiypatterns #lelaskirt. I found the curved hem tricky so it's just turned up once, not twice. The front & back aren't cut on the fold as I didn't have enough fabric and for the same reason the waistband is cut against the grain. I top stitched all the seams so it's easier to iron. I probably should've made a smaller size as I think it's a bit poofy at the front...but my measurements said 22. 

I think this will be a good beach/pool skirt but I think it's going to go into the charity bag as I don't love it. 

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Another Sewaholic Rae Skirt

After experimenting with a few elastics waisted skirts (here and here) I've returned to my OG pattern  - the Sewaholic Rae Skirt (my original version is here).

I like this pattern as it's made up via a number of panels that taper towards the waist so it's less bulky than the more simple method of sewing two big rectangles of fabric together. That said I didn't get the elastic length quite right, and it turns out this non-roll elastic has a lot of roll. I've really stitched the elastic in so it would be A LOT of effort and unpicking to remove it and replace it. I might replace it but I'm worried the fabric might not cope too well with that.

I have no idea why, but this version of the Rae Skirt is quite a bit longer than my first one. Why would that be - everything is exactly the same as last time?

The fabric is an Atelier Brunette rayon/viscose that I swapped some of my fabric for - one of the Sydney Spoolettes is now the owner of some Nani Iro jersey I was never going to use. I love this fabric - it feels so light and floaty to wear and was so easy to sew with. I looked at getting some more in a different colourway but with currency conversions and shipping it was a firm NO from the bank account.

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Pattern: Sewaholic Rae Skirt
Size: 16
Modifications:  none.
Fabric: Atelier Brunette viscose rayon swapped with Tanya (thanks Tanya!)
Changes for next time: none - though use some better elastic!

Made by Rae - Cleo Skirt

I'm continuing my foray into elastic waist woven skirts with the Cleo Skirt by Made by Rae. This skirt has a flat front with an elastic back- I have a few store bought pants with this type of waist and find them quite comfortable. It was actually much easier to install this type of waistband than I thought it was going to be.

The fabric is from My Hung - a cotton that is probably not fluid enough for this skirt. As such I'm find there is just too much fabric going on. I probably could've chosen a smaller size also. I went with the size 2 in the plus size range, but I think a 1 would be more than fine.

I was really excited to learn how to sew this cut-out type of pockets - turns out it's very simple. I would want them deeper however if I were going to make this skirt again. I think I stretched the pockets out of bit though as they don't sit flat like I think they are supposed to.

As I said before the waistband was quite easy to do but there was A LOT of fabric to gather which made things a bit awkward...again, this could be resolved by sewing a smaller size in less stiff fabric.  

I'm glad I made this skirt as I learnt some new things - new to me pocket type, partial elastic waistband, gathers - but I'm not sure the style is for me. I'm just not sure how to wear it - there's A LOT of fabric at the waist so wearing a top over it isn't really an option. I'm not one for wearing tucked tops though I have here just to take a few photos.

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Pattern: Cleo Skirt by Made by Rae
Size: 2 plus size range
Modifications:  none

Fabric: cotton from My Hung in Parramatta.
Changes for next time: deeper pocket bags, sew a smaller size

Kunzea Skirt by Sew Knit Love

I've really been enjoying wearing my Rae Skirt - my foray into the land of the woven skirt/elastic waistband has got me wanting more. But being lazy I want an easier option that sewing all the panels together that comes with the Rae Skirt.

I saw the Kunzea Skirt on Instagram somewhere and thought I'd give it a whirl...it's simply two rectangles of fabric, an enclosed elastic waistband and pockets. I'm sure the entire world, bar me, would just do this without a pattern but I like having a pattern for cutting out and especially so I know the correct placement of the pockets.

Long story short, EPIC FAILURE as the fabric I used (a denim looking cotton bought from Tomato in Tokyo when we were there at the beginning of the year) was just too stiff and the skirt had no drape. If I'd sewn a smaller size, thus using less fabric around my body, it might have been OK but as it was it was just too much fabric to be gathered around my body.

You'd think I'd be upset about this not working out but I've passed it along to a friend who has more curves than me. I think the volume of fabric will sit well on a more curvy figure. I'm really glad it's gone to a good home as I think my friend really likes the skirt.

As for the pattern, the instructions are OK but I think they are lacking in a few areas that may trip up a brand new sewist. I did refer to certain steps in the Rae Skirt pattern to make sure that I was doing things correctly (for example, how much to turn down the waistband).

I'd like to give this skirt another go once I have some nice, drapey fabric.
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Pattern: Kunzea Skirt by Sew Knit Love
Size: J
Modifications:  none.
Fabric: denim looking cotton
Changes for next time: probably would sew a smaller size so I have less fabric happening. 

Megan Nielsen's Veronika Skirt

I've been wanting to make a knit Megan Nielsen's Veronika Skirt since I tried on @_busylizzie's about 18 months ago...and this week it finally happened. Going by their measurements the Megan Nielsen patterns are WAY too small for me (by about 12cm in the waist for this pattern) but the knit version of this skirt fits so I'm glad to try Liz's before I went through the effort of sewing my own....or more to the point, ignoring the pattern completely!

I wasn't sure what to pair this skirt with so have tried it on with a tucked-in Maria Denmark Kimono Tee and (in an unusual sartorial move for me) a tucked in tee. I think it looks good with both tops but I do find the untucked top more comfortable and more..."me".

This was an incredibly easy sew - just two pattern pieces: the waistband and the skirt piece (which is the same piece for the front and the back). It's a full circle skirt so there is a lot of fabric here and my fabric (a "supplex lycra" from My Hung) is not quite a drapey as I feel it should be for the volume of fabric in this skirt. That said, the fabric was very easy to sew with and although the fabric tag said "no ironing" I gave it a light press when sewing to get rid of bumpy overlocked seams. 

Because the fabric is a knit and doesn't fray I could have left it totally unhemmed but I had not cut it out particularly neatly (think drunk Edward Scisscorhands type cutting) so it was looking a tad...ragged. I've overlocked the hem but hveot turned it up and stitched as I think that would affect the nice drape I have going on here. Because it's black stitching on black fabric I think I can get away with this...

The waistband casing is sewn on first and the elastic threaded through a gap and the sewn into a loop. As always I dithered about with how tight to make the elastic as I find there's a VERY fine line between too tight and too loose. I think I got it pretty much "just right'...though I have to confess this anxiety about the waistband is one of the reasons I put off sewing this skirt for SO LONG!

The skirt is good for twirling!

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Pattern: Megan Nielsen's Veronika Skirt 
Size: size XL
Modifications: none 
Fabric: a "supplex lycra" from My Hung
Changes for next time: none 

More Mabel Skirts...

Nothing new here today - just three more Mabel Skirts. Two are winners, one is a big fat fail. Let's start with the bad news first and then end on a happy note!

I'm really bummed that this skirt is a fail as the fabric is my much sought after "jegging" fabric - bought in Hanoi at the Dong Xuan market (so it's not replaceable at this point in time). Basically - the stretch on this fabric runs up and down the fabric and not across but I still but it cut it out as I normally would. Thus, we have a really bloody tight skirt that is so uncomfortable! I'm lucky I have enough left to give this another go - hopefully it will work out when the time comes. I did also find some similar fabric via an online store in Australia...so all is not lost.

This skirt is refashioned from The Casual Lady Dress that I made back in 2015. The dress either shrunk in the wash or I expanded in the wash - either way it didn't fit comfortable anymore and wasn't getting worn. I love the fabric (from fabric.com) so decided to make it into a Mabel Skirt. I was (obviously) very tired when this photo was being taken.

I have no idea why I bought the below fabric - I think I had it mind for a dress, but hindsight is 20:20 as this is not a fabric I'd wear in a dress as it's not stretchy enough. This Cotton/Elastane Stretch Woven Velveteen is from Tessuti and I still have quite a bit left (no idea what to do with it). Anyway...it's made an nice skirt, though it does get a bit baggy in the butt area after I've been sitting in it for awhile.

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Pattern: "Mabel Skirt" by Colette Patterns

Size: XL, sewn with 3/8" seam allowance and lengthened by 15cm. Depending on how stretchy the fabric is I add 1cm - 2cm. 
Modifications: 5cm elastic waistband (added 10cm to the pattern to accommodate for this), 15cm added to length. 
Fabric: Various
Changes for next time: none. 

Vietnam, and did I actually wear what I made?

So, it's two weeks since I've returned to reality from what turned out to be a FANTASTIC holiday in Vietnam!  After reading a not-so-positive travel biography before I visited I have to admit I was expecting Vietnam to be terrible, really hard going and not enjoyable. I had the lowest of low expectations and I'm glad they were not met. What an incredible country. Beautiful, hectic, friendly, funny, delicious and joyful. I cannot wait to go back!

I went a bit bonkers sewing for my trip and, along with some items I'd made earlier (just for everyday life), I ended up packing 2 x Mabel Skirts; 3 x Gabby Dresses; and 5 x Marianne Dresses.

Did I wear it all? Yes. And, no!

I only ended up wearing one of my Mabel Skirts - on two separate days with clean t-shirts each day. Vietnam was SO hot so I guess I was saving the second one for another day but just never got around to wearing it. Luckily it was not too hot in Hanoi (relevantly speaking to the rest of the country) so I used some anti-chaffing cream to keep my inner-thighs in good shape (just in case anyone is wondering about skirts, thighs that touch in the middle and hot hot weather).

All of my Gabby Dresses were worn - multiple times actually. All three of them were in quite cool, thin viscose jersey (bar the striped one which was a bit thicker) so did the trick. I wore them with pairs of Dave's long undies underneath to avoid the dreaded chub rub due to the hot hot weather. These dresses were good as they could be worn on the back of a moped or in a cyclo without flashing everyone.

I only wore three of out the five Marianne Dresses I packed. Two were just in a fabric that was too thick and thus too hot for Vietnam. Did I mention it was HOT! Again, Dave's long undies saved the day.

I think I over-packed. I could've left out those two Marianne Dresses that were never worn. Plus I rinsed out clothes as I needed to and we also had an opportunity to to do laundry along the way.  I probably could've left the Mabel Skirts at home -- they weren't very practical in terms of motorbike riding or sitting on low low stools at various eateries.

I would definitely pack a variety of what I've made for another hot-weather holiday. I'm really keen to visit Cambodia and Vietnam (again) in 2017 so I have my wardrobe needs all sorted!

Midi Mabel Skirt

I think I've made about 30 Mabel Skirts since the pattern was released (no exaggeration). Some successful. Some destined for the bin.

About a week ago I started obsessing about NEEDING a black calf length pencil skirt. No idea where the desire came from but I thought I'd better make it happen!

The fabric is a ribbed jersey from The Remnant Warehouse...bought online when I was searching for ribbed knits.  I'd originally set out to make a Simplicity 1366 dress from it but the neckline stretched out and the whole thing looks frumpy. I couldn't rescue the fabric despite trying so ordered more specifically for this skirt.

I'd already lengthened View A of the pattern to make it knee length on me, plus 10cm added to accommodate for the wide elastic waistband I use. I then lengthened all of this by 20cm and added a 2" hem to get a length that hits just below my calf. I pegged the skirt in a bit at the bottom and think it would be better a bit more fitted still - but then I might not be able to walk, which could be an issue?

I'm wearing this skirt at work today...very comfy. I think I made the waistband a bit too loose though (despite unpicking the whole thing and bringing it in by an inch). Good thing is if it does feel way too big I can take the waistband in even more...

The weather is cooling down in Sydney now (thank goodness) and I am keen to find some ribbed wool-knit to make a snuggly winter-version of this skirt. Any ideas where one could find such a fabric in Oz?

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Pattern: "Mabel Skirt" by Colette Patterns
Modifications: 5cm elastic waistband (added 10cm to the pattern to accommodate for this), 35cm added to length, pegged in the bottom by. 1cm added to the CF and CB to accommodate for middle-aged spread.

Fabric:  Superior Rib Jersey- Black from The Remnant Warehouse (Cotton / Polyester / Elastane)

Size: XL, sewn with 3/8" seam allowance

Navy Mabel Skirt

Lucky me received a Tessuti gift voucher from Dave for Christmas. Over Christmas we were in Melbourne so I ducked into Tessuti to see what they had for me - plus it was sale time. Winning.

I did a few laps of the store and nothing really jumped out at me that would work with my $50 voucher. After fondling some Navy Ponti for a while I decided that I NEEDED a navy skirt for my work wardrobe (I also bought some fabric for a top/dress - not yet made up as I'm waiting for the pattern to arrive from eBay).

Yes, I know, ANOTHER Mabel Skirt! But, it's a pattern that works for me, is comfortable and when it's hot they are something I reach for to wear with a simple tee to work. I'm not really loving my earlier ones anymore with the "original waistband" and having put on a bit of weight others are not comfortable like they used to be. I NEEDED a new Mabel. Honestly!

For this version I added just 1cm to the centre back and front. The fabric has good stretch, but I need just a bit more room that I used too (funnily though some of my earlier Mabel's still fit OK at the original XL size). Everything else is the same as usual....

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Pattern: "Mabel Skirt" by Colette Patterns

Size: XL, sewn with 3/8" seam allowance
Modifications: 5cm elastic waistband (added 10cm to the pattern to accommodate for this), 16.5cm added to length, pegged in the bottom by 0.5cm at each seam (so 2cm in total). 1cm added to the CF and CB to accommodate for  winter weight
Fabric:  White on Black Ponti (60% viscose, 35% nylon, 5% elastaine) from Tessuti

B+W Striped Mabel #2

My last Striped Mabel Skirt - refashioned from a 'not-right' Marianne Dress - turned out to be too tight around the hips and butt. I tried to wearing it to work one day but as got as far as the bus stop before I came home to change - sad face!

I found some nice Ponti at Tessuti so snapped it up and set up making a second striped Mable Skirt. This time I added 2cm to the centre front and back of the XL (my last iteration had 1cm added) and it fits well. The fabric does not have a lot of stretch to it so 2cm is definitely the right amount.

The waist elastic size is the same -- in fact I unpicked the 'not-right' Mabel Skirt and re used the elastic.

Back view...

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Pattern: "Mabel Skirt" by Colette Patterns

Size: XL, sewn with 3/8" seam allowance
Modifications: 5cm elastic waistband (added 10cm to the pattern to accommodate for this), 16.5cm added to length, pegged in the bottom by 0.5cm at each seam (so 2cm in total). 2cm added to the CF and CB to accommodate for less stretch (and winter weight) 
Fabric:  White on Black Ponti (23% viscose, 5% spandex, 72% poly) from Tessuti

When dresses become mediocre Mabels

I've made two Marianne Dresses lately -- neither of which were quite right due to the high neckline and funkiness going on with the sleeves. Rather than just pop the dresses into the charity bag like I usually do I thought I should try and rescue them and upcycle them in to Mabel Skirts.

Like the dress, this fabric looks great in photos; and the garments look great on the hanger. As soon as the fabric hits my body though - blergh! The colours look awful on me...and the skirt is WAY too small so it's not a keeper.

This dress would probably be wearable if the fabric wasn't pure sweatiness - ugh, get off my body. I did drop the neckline a bit, but the stiffness of the fabric made the sleeves look like I was in some 80s band...hello shoulders! As the skirt above was WAY too small I added 1.5cm to the centre fold of the back and front pieces -- 6cm overall. This fabric has hardly any stretch so it's still a bit snug...but wearable if I suck my gut in and think skinny. It's a keeper. For now.

And here's my attempt at rescuing a RTW dress that must've shrunk in the wash (that's my story and I'm sticking to it). It's not bad as a skirt, but the shape is not as pegged as I would like. It's comfy though and I'm still deciding if it will get worn.

So, some success and some fails - my typical sewing story. My overlocker and sewing machine really fought me on these makes...skipped stiches and the like. Sigh.

I'm glad I have these three projects out of the way though as they've been my roadblock to embarking on any new projects...

Sewaholic Rae Skirt - a toile

I haven't finished this skirt; and I'm not sure if I can be bothered, but want to write my notes for when I next embark on the Rae Skirt journey.

I was interested in this skirt as it has an elastic waist (no zipper = yeah) and the panels mean less bulk around the elasticised waist.  I decided to make up a toile in some floating Rayon bought from my beloved My Hung in Parramatta.

The instructions are OK, though I scratched my head a lot as to which panels matched up with each other. In the end I decided that the more flat sides must be the side seams?  I was hoping to put pockets in to this skirt; but it's just too confusing to figure out where they'd go (sadly, no pockets included in the pattern).

The pattern has you make a channel for the elastic which is fiddly and annoying and my elastic twisted TWICE whilst trying to put it in. Next time I'll see it in the round and overlock it straight onto the skirt and then turn it over and stitch it down. I've not been bothered to hem my toile.

So whilst I've lost motivation to finish this skirt (cool weather = I've moved on to warmer things) I'm keen to make one next summer out of chambray or tencel. This rayon was very...wiggly, so something a bit more stiff, but not too stiff, next time would be good!

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Pattern: "Rae Skirt" by Sewaholic

Size: XL
Modifications: none this time
Fabric: Rayon from My Hung Fabrics in Parramatta
Changes for next time: change the way the elastic is sewn onto the skirt.

A week of Mabels

Last Monday I wore my new denim ponti Mabel Skirt to work.  I was pretty happy with the simple outfit I came up with. My work is fairly casual, so a me-made pencil skirt with a RTW t-shirt and sandals is PERFECT - especially on super hot days (and when the s-hirt is a linen blend). Perfect summer work outfit!

On Tuesday, as I reached for another of Mable Skirts, I realized I had made more than enough Mabel's to be able to wear a different one each day of the week (and then some)....so I did!  It was SO hot here last week and I have to say the skirt was perfect for the gross humidity we've been suffering through.

I loved wearing all my Mabels and after the week was over I wore another to work...old habits are hard to break! I have a mix of the "old waistband" vs "new waistband" style in my wardrobe and I can report the new waistband method is far more comfortable for me....

I look so grumpy in most of these photos - it was a rough week at work I'll tell you now! But by Friday I was smiling and happy as I was off to dinner after work, in my green skirt, with the Sydney Spoolettes.

Do you tend make a the same thing over and over again - I'm not the only one, am I?

A trio of (modified Mabels)

After the raging success of my modified Mabel Skirt I jumped right in to the stash and decided to finally sew up my BELOVED teal butterfly ponti that I've been hoarding for about two years. Of course, because I love the fabric so much it turned out less than perfect.

This one should have been a #woohoomake but sadly it's more #meh due to wonky hems (the hem became totally wonky when I overlocked it, like I was drunk sewing - so the whole thing is now uneven), dastardly overlocking of the waistband (overlocker is still not stitching over the elastic at the seams very well) and it not being pegged in enough for my liking, plus I'm thinking the waist is a smidgen too big (cannot seem to get the length of elastic needed quite right). On this make I also increased the length by 3cm which I think is a bit long.

All stuff other people won't notice but I know so I'm not enjoying this as much as I'd hoped too - which is gutting as the fabric is beautiful. Nevertheless I am still wearing and I could remove the elastic, and fix up the hem too at some point.

Next up we have a simple black ponti skirt made for wearing to work. It's WAY too long, as I still kept the 3cm addition to the length but other than that it's OK.  I also wish it was more pegged in.  The elastic waistband is comfortable though the overlocker is still playing up here (I think it's the needles, they don't seem long enough to handle the elastic at the seam - any thoughts people)? The good thing about this skirt is that there's always black ponti out there, so I can remake this as some point to better suit my tastes - but for now, it'll do Pig.

And lastly! I've been desperately scouring the shops for a pull-on denim skirt to replace one that I have that it's getting a bit ratty. Of course when you want something, you can never find it. Nor could I find jegging-like denim in the fabric stores -- stretch denim that I've found just does not have enough stretch to work for a Mabel.

After a quick Google search I found some "denim ponti" online from Emma One Sock (an online store in the USA). I ordered 1.1 yards which was way too much, and with postage it come in at under AUD$40 which is OK I think.

Image from Emma One Sock

For this skirt I removed 1.5cm off the length and pegged the bottom in a tiny bit, 0.5cm off each pattern piece. I think the shape is much better BUT this skirt is super snug - I just cannot cop a break with this skirt can I? It's still wearable, but with a longer top - but I've ordered another length of fabric to make another that fits better. I think this fabric must not have enough stretch as my other skirts; and the fabric has a rayon content, not cotton (like most of my other skirts) so I guess that's affecting the stretch too.

I'm telling myself it looks like a denim skirt but Dave thought I'd made the skirt for a suit. Sigh.

I still have two pieces of fabric in my stash for two more of these, but I think I have Mabel fatigue at the moment and I think there's about 10 of these in my wardrobe now and that's enough.

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Pattern: "Mabel Skirt" by Colette Patterns

Size: XL, sewn with 3/8" seam allowance
Modifications: 5cm elastic waistband (added 10cm to the pattern to accommodate for this), 16.5cm added to length, pegged in the bottom by 0.5cm at each seam (so 2cm in total).
Fabric: 4-way stretch rayon blend ponte from Emma One Sock
Changes for next time: none.

Modified Mabel = Happiness

I've made myself quite a few Mabel Skirts and I really love the shape of them, and how easily they fit in to my wardrobe. That said, I don't love the waistband, and probably half of the Mabel's I've made have ended up in the charity pile as the waistband has ended up too big.

The pattern has a simple waistband that you sew to the skirt, but with no elastic involved my first ever Mabel was just too big in the waist. To counteract this, I would sew some clear elastic between the waistband and waistband facing and sometimes this would really work well, and other times my waistband would still be stretched out and too big. I really have NO idea why sometimes it worked and sometimes it didn't...that's sewing for you. But when I fluffed my beautiful butterfly ponti I was ready to put the Mabel away for good - which is a problem as I still have quite a bit of fabric in the stash for this very skirt.

After sewing a few Lady Skater Skirts and attaching a 5cm wide elastic waistband my love of the wide elastic waistband grew.  Why couldn't I do this for my Mabel Skirts -- after all I have a few RTW ponti pencil skirts just like this. It's only taken 2 years, but my brain finally got there in the end!

In order to change the pattern piece I just added 10cm to the top to account for the 5cm elastic and 5cm to turn it over and then stitch it down. In hindsight, and now that I think about it it probably needs a bit more added as turning the fabric over would take maybe 1cm so the skirt is a smidge shorter than I would like.

To make this new "waistband" I sewed a loop of 5cm elastic tight enough to fit my waist, but not so tight that it would be painful. I've found that different types of elastic will make the loop bigger...or smaller  I like "soft elastic". Then I just overlocked it to the inside of the waist, turned it over and stitched it down with a zigzag to keep it from flipping over.

And the verdict? I wore this skirt to work yesterday after finishing it the night before (it took an hour to cut out and sew). It was VERY comfortable - much more comfortable than my "clear elastic waistband sandwich method".  In fact I also wore it again today for a 2 hour car trip up to Newcastle and it was pretty comfortable to sit in. My only change for next time will be to add a bit of length to it. As it is it sits just above my knees, and I prefer this type of skirt to sit on the middle of my knees.

 

The fabric was bought from my local fabric store - My Hung in Parramatta. They stock a lot of woven fabrics and stretchy "dance stuff" so I often walk out of there empty handed. I feel in love with this fabric though - I do love the pattern on this fabric and it only set me back $6.50/pm.  It's probably not the best fabric for a hot summers day - it's 100% Polyamide (whatever that is) and feels like (fake) wool on my skin, but I'm willing to suffer for my sewing (and something that goes so well with my clogs).

I'm going to call this a WIN and I finally feel confident enough to cut my really nice piece of ponti from Tessuti that I've been hoarding in case my Mabel waistband went belly up. I'm also now going to remake my butterfly skirt with some "back up" fabric in the stash, and I've even ordered some "denim look" Ponti from the USA to make myself a much longed for denim Mabel.

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Pattern: "Mabel Skirt" by Colette Patterns

Size: XL, sewn with 3/8" seam allowance and lengthened by 15cm.
Modifications: 5cm elastic waistband (added 10cm to the pattern to accommodate for this), 15cm added to length.
Fabric: 100% Polyamide (???) from My Hung, Parramatta
Changes for next time: I will probably use this elastic waistband method again, it's less fiddly than what I have been doing, quicker and the elastic is pretty comfortable. Will continue to lengthen by 15cm.

Just one more Lady Skater Skirt

Despite having come home from Japan with a suitcase full of fabric, I actually didn't buy anything that was summer-weight (it's winter in Japan so there was only winter fabric around). A quick trip to Lincraft to pick up a pattern saw me come home with this pretty mystery fabric. It feels a bit like neoprene, but nowhere near as thick.

No surprise, but I made myself another Lady Skater Skirt. The fabric has the potential to be hot and sweaty if made into anything fitted, but as a floaty skirt....no worries! I wore this out to dinner last night and felt great in it. Nothing to say that hasn't be said before on my other posts (here , here and here). I left the skirt unhemmed as it sits better that way, so all up (cutting time included) this took about an hour to sew up.

Most excitingly I got to use my new purchased glass-head pins purchased from Kyoto's gorgeous Misuyabari Needle Shop. These needles are handmade and they are simple, but lovely.

I love these skirts, but I think I now need to move on and find a t-shirt pattern to go with them as none of my RTW tops are quite right; or quite fitted in the right way for such a skirt. Any recommendatins? I think of the Maria Denmark Kimono Tee?

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Pattern: "Lady Skater Skirt" by Kitschy Coo
Size: 8, sewn with 3/8" seam allowance
Modifications: elastic waistband and skirt lengthened by 7.5cm from the original pattern piece
Fabric: some sort of knit from Lincraft (Parramatta)
Changes for next time: I wouldn't change a thing <3

Two more Lady Skater Skirts. That'll do pig!

I've busted out two more Lady Skater Skirts over the weekend - I probably need to stop now otherwise I'll have 55 more of these before the month is out!

I'm a bit under the weather so instead of my pretty self all dressed up in my latest makes you get "floor flat-lay" which I believe is quite the thing with all the young fashion bloggers these days (and sick 40 something year old sewing bloggers).

I found this fabric at Lincraft recently and bought it specifically for this skirt (I also have another piece in the stash for a shift dress). The elastic is 5cm thick, bought from Tessuti. This elastic is not as soft (so not as comfortable) as the elastic from the Remnant Warehouse used on my last Lady Skater Skirt. I used this elastic on my Butterfly Ponti Mabel (that I've only worn once as the waistband bugs me and feels a bit sweaty on a hot day).  The overlocker also skipped a few stitches whilst attaching the waistband and I guess that's also due to it being a bit more...stiff. The hem is rolled on the overlocker, same as before!

Verdict = I like this skirt, but I don't love it like I love my other floral Lady Skater Skirt as it's not as comfortable and the fabric is not as "floaty". That said I wore it out of the house today and it served its purpose.

This fabric was bought at Tessuti well over a year ago and is a swimsuit fabric that I intended to use for a swimsuit class (that I obviously never went to).  I think it might be Tigerlily, but I'm not sure.  I figured sewing swimsuits is not in my distant future SO I sacrificed this for another skirt.

I LOVE this skirt - the fabric is so pretty and I love that it has Australian flora printed on it (I have Kangaroo Paws right below my lady garden - what could be better than that)? The fabric is quite drapey and has a bit of a shine to it. The fabric really works as a skirt (I wasn't sure how swimsuit fabric would work as a pierce of "dry land" clothing), but as a dress it would be sweat city. I'm liking the idea of wearing this sort of fabric as a floaty skirt with a cotton t-shirt for summer; a departure from my usual summer garb of knit dresses made from not-so-breathable fabric.

I haven't rolled the hem on this...I'm not sure if I will as it hangs so nicely left as is. I just have to be careful that the sides don't unravel as I cut the overlocker threads too short to sew back in.

I'm looking forward to wearing both of these makes over summer, but especially this second one.

Pattern: "Lady Skater Skirt" by Kitschy Coo
Size: 8, sewn with 3/8" seam allowance
Modifications: elastic waistband and skirt piece lengthened by 7.5cm
Fabric: as mentioned above
Changes for next time: nothing