Going dotty

Finally the sun has made an appearance over Sydney skies, so I took the opportunity to get take some snaps of my new skirt. Using a navy blue and white polka dot cotton from the stash (yay for more stash busting), I made skirt 103 from Burda 10-2008 which looks like this:

It's a super simple skirt - a wide waistband that sits at the natural waist line, three pleats on either side of the centre that are top stitched down, and a side zipper. It's unlined with just the waistband faced with self fabric, although it would be a simple matter of adding a lining if needed. My fabric is a fairly dense weave that I think will be fine without a lining, and since this is a summer skirt I wanted to keep it cool. And here's how my version came out:

A bit blah isn't it? Possibly that's the fault of me wearing it with a boring plain grey tshirt. Let's add some accessories and see if it works better:

Ah, that's better! Although I probably should have worn a darker brown belt to match the shoes, or worn heels instead of flats because I just don't feel dressed wearing flats. But we were only going out to the local shopping centre to buy a christmas tree, and if I had worn heels I would have felt too overdressed. How's that for irony Alanis Morrisette? Although now she's about to have a baby of her own, I'm sure she'll be able to write several more verses to that song!

The back of the skirt is also pleated and top stitched down, although it only has three pleats in the centre back:

Looking at this photo I think the top stitching across the pleats means the skirt isn't wide enough to fit properly around my wide beeehind, and is causing those drag marks at the sides. As much as I loathe taking rear photos, they are certainly valuable for seeing what you really look like from behind!

Overall, a simple and quickly made skirt that once I figure out something more colourful to wear with it on top will be a welcome addition to my summer wardrobe. The only negative I have found after wearing it for a day is that those pleats on either side of the centre front cause the fabric to gather between my legs so that the skirt closely resembles those baggy culotte shorts that we used to wear in these parts during the early 1990s, usually in an ugly floral fabric. Not good, not good at all!

And happily I didn't put the leftover fabric back into the stash, I used it to make Anna a pair of elasticised shorts instead:

They looked awesome worn with her hot pink high top Cons, but it seems my daugher prefers to be barefoot and wildhaired pretty much all of the time.

No I haven't gone completely dotty, we shan't be seen wearing these garments together at the same time, trust me on that! But boy am I happy to have made two garments and do a little stash reduction at the same time.

And speaking of dottiness, Lindsay T - I had a good chuckle at your suggestion of a brother or sister for Anna! Actually, it was more a scoff followed quickly by a shudder. One day she'll get one, but while I'm still shellshocked daily at toddler behaviour and sleep is just a long forlorn memory I can't bring myself to contemplate doing it all again. But I'm sure I'll get the third degree about it from my inlaws over christmas, and even my husband has starting dropping subtle hints.

Mrs Juzzie Green - I have been known to shop at the Remnant Warehouse on occasion. Oh alright, it may be been on frequent occasions until my husband confiscated my frequent purchasers card and reminded me of my self made promise to only buy fabric retail if I had a specific project in mind. He tolerates my opinion that purchasing fabric from op shops is 'rescuing' it but goes get concerned whenever I step foot into a retail store!

Re a comment from two posts ago - Melinda thank you so much for pointing out the croquis templates over at fashionary.org, I think I like them even better than the Hokey Croquis ones. The main difference is that the fashionary ones are lightly dotted so you can't really see the template when you've drawn your sketch over the top, whereas from what I can tell you only get that effect after photocopying the Hokey Croquis one. But it's great there's so much choice in tools out there for us amateur fashion designers.

And from a few further posts ago, Kirsten asked where I bought the Japanese sewing books. I purchased those two from the Kinokinuya book store in the Galeries Victoria on George St in the city, which I love to browse in because they have an enormous selection of sewing, fashion and craft books. But I know you can also buy them from Tessuti Fabrics as well.

And now I only have two more outfits ready for a show and tell from my very industrious week last week!