To Make: Wrap Dress!

I need to make this wrap dress.  I love wrap dresses.

To Do: Flirty Skirt

LOVE!  This is a variation on the 20-minute skirt that I want to try - the triple elastic looks neat!

To Do: Vintage Inspired Skirt with Pockets

I totally want to make this skirt!  Pockets!

To Make: Bias Skirt

I want to make this bias skirt!

For Me: Jean Upcycling

Upcycling is all the rage, and I had a couple pairs of jeans in my closet that I don't wear any more.  This particular pair had a giant hole in the butt. 

Skirt it!

I could be happier with this one... I worry that, in the words of Heidi Klum, it looks like I'm pooping fabric.. and the front is a bit weird also.  But, it was fun to make and it's comfortable.  I will try again with some jeans that have a little less stretch in them.  It would be nice to have some more structure in the waist.

But overall?  Pretty happy for a first try!

For Me: Another "20-Minute Skirt"/variation

I used this beautiful fabric to make another "20 minute skirt" in the same was that I made the gathered skirts for The Girl.

I put a little patch pocket on (for the cell phone) and it worked great!

I used one long piece of fabric, but I think the shape would be better if I had cut in in half and made two side-seams.  But overall?  Really pleased.

For Me: Another Breezy Wrap Skirt

I made another "Breezy wrap skirt" - this one with a larger overlap than the other one, because it was so ... risky before.  This one is much better.

I love this fabric.

This one, I might even put the wrap in back, and then have a back pocket...

For Me: Drawstring skirt

I am outfitting myself in skirts for the summer, in case you couldn't tell!

This one was almost a disaster.  I messed up in cutting a little, and made the buttonhole for the drawstring ridiculously too low, and so had to do a lot of seam ripping and ended up cutting a couple inches off the top... so it's a little short, but it is comfortable and cute!

Bad picture, but I also have a little patch pocket on this baby.  Love it.

To Make: Chalk Line Skirt

This might be a bit advanced for me, but it sure is cute!

Chalk Line Skirt

To Make: Bow Ties for Philip

How cute are these?  Philip could totally rock the Bow Tie!

To Make: Three Part Dress

How cute is this?

First Try Failure: T-shirt Yoga Skirt - SAVED

I really wanted to try this skirt... I had a couple maternity t-shirts to play with.  (Can't find the link right now.. I'll add it later)

I got the sewing right (I think), and I measured right (I think), but the thing didn't fit over my hips.  Really?  Really.  I'm probably going to try to turn it into a skirt for The Girl, because it really looks cute... if only it fit...

*** Updated ***
So, I cut off half the waistband (It was very very long) and put the skirt on again... it's short, but it works!  Wearing it today, and hoping that my bum doesn't hang out at work... it's supposed to be up to freaking 90 today, so something short and cool will be welcome!

First Try Failure: Shirred T-shirt Skirt

It looks so simple - The Shirt Skirt...

I found a maternity t-shirt that I could use.

I bought elastic thread.  I wound three bobbins with it, by hand.

I attempted shirring.

I failed.  *sigh*  I'll revisit it again, but it was frustrating.

So, instead, I put a narrow elastic waistband on the tube of the shirt and made a really deliciously comfortable skirt.. not what I wanted to do, but it was still wearable.

Patch Pocket & Button Hole

I'm so happy with myself!  I was intimidated by pockets and button holes, and both ended up being very easy.  I wanted to make the wrap skirt more useful and more secure.

And I need a pocket for my cell phone.

So - I sewed a simple patch pocket onto it - I just cut a small rectangle (with one end on the selvage, but you could hem all edges), did a small rolled hem around it, and sewed it onto the skirt.  I did a straight stitch and then did a wide zig zag stitch over it for security.  Voila.

Test button hole.

Small chalk line on the buttonhole with strap through it.

And for the button hole?  My machine has a sliding button hole foot, and detailed instructions in the manual.  I practiced a couple of times first and then went for it.  Easy and done. 

To Make: Two-Color A-Line t-shirt shirt

This is the last one I'm searching for this morning, promise:


Two-Color A-Line t-shirt shirt

To Make: Shirred Pillowcase shirt

I really need to stop surfing... these posts are mostly just to collect the links.  :D


Shirred Pillowcase Shirt

I mean, really?  How cute and simple (if I can figure out how to do shirring, of course...).

To Make: Patchwork Skirt

With any extra fabric, maybe I'll make this:

Patchwork skirt

To Make: T-Shirt Skirt

Holy cow, this looks easy... if I knew how to do shirring.  I could learn, right?

This skirt looks SO easy and comfortable!

T- Shirt Skirt

I need to stop surfing sewing blogs....

To Make: "5-Minute Skirt"

This would take me much longer than 5 minutes, but ... This looks fun.  And I love the way skirts on the bias fall.


Angry Chicken's 5 Minute Skirt

For Me: "Breezy Wrap Skirt"

I got this book the other day, and I'm really excited to make some of the skirts in it!

Drafting the pattern

pinning together

Pieces sewn together.

I did a double seam - straight stitch with a zig zag over it.

Ironing seams flat

Making my rolled hem

The waistband/straps

Placing the waistband/straps

Pinning the waistband on

Waistband attatched

Straps!

Turning straps right side out

Waistband!

Ironing the straps and waistband down

This one was really very easy.  I've never made a (non-elastic) waistband before, and it was fun to learn.  It has an optional button hole to put the strap through, and that would be nice... I am still intimidated by button holes.  Maybe I'll tackle it for the next wrap skirt I make.

Front of the skirt done (needs ironing)

The overlapping back (I might do a bigger overlap next time).  Note the errant chalk lines... that'll come out in the wash.

This skirt didn't take long at all.  I drafted the pattern (making several mistakes along the way and re-doing things), cut the fabric (also re-positioning a few times... I erased some chalk lines, let's just say that much), and sewed the skirt in only 2-3 hours, working time.  I think it would look really cute with a contrasting waistband and straps, too.  But this orange fabric I got is so cool.  I'm pleased.  Can't wait to try my next skirt.

And the book is really cool.  :D

For Me: "20 Minute Skirt"

This one is similar to the skirts I've been making for the Girl.  This fabric is fabulous.  I also wore a matching hair scarf.  It looked really cute, if I do say so myself.

I used this tutorial, and honestly, I like the order I did things for the Girl's skirts better.  I like doing the seams first, under the hem.  It just looks better.

Seriously.  How cute is this skirt?

More Fabric

I think I have a problem.  This fabric is for both Evalina and I.  Moms get to have some fun, too.

To Make: Yoga Skirts

For myself and the girl: Yoga Skirts.  These will happen

Simple Skirts for the Girl

I've done some sewing in the past, but I've never gotten very far with it. I want to be better and increase my repertoire.  What better place to start than with ridiculously easy skirts made for my daughter?

I can't improve on the tutorial here.  I did, however, end up doing the skirts in a slightly different order in order to make them even simpler.

1) Cut fabric and elastic
2) Pin side seam together and sew a straight seam, with a zip zag seam over it.
3) Iron down the seam
4) Iron down the bottom hem (simple rolled hem, fold over once, iron, fold over again, iron)
5) Iron down the top hem and then the elastic casing
6) Sew zig zag stitch over bottom hem - I did two rows.
7) Sew around elastic casing - I did top and bottom stitches, leaving an opening for the elastic to go through on the bottom stitching
8) Feed elastic through.  The most time consuming part for me.  I need a bodkin, apparently
9) Sew elastic together (two zig zag seams down the elastic)
10) Close up the casing seam

The cats like to help sew... not so helpful.

The Girl helped a little... more helpful than the cats.

Done!