I joined the Sew Retro sewalong, which starts July 1. The challenge is to make anything you like from a vintage pattern of your choice. I haven’t picked mine yet, but I did make a quickie skirt to dip my toe back into sewing.
Not at all fancy, just an over-the-head knee-length A-line that rests on my hips. Not even a dart. It’s based on a cheap A-line skirt I had that actually had an elastic waist, but the elastic’s been shot forever, so now it just kind of hangs on my hips & I like it that way. So I traced it out and sewed it up.
If Weight Watchers takes this time, I can always add a few darts later.
The ruffle is just strips of the same fabric, torn and frayed, then gathered and allowed to bunch and twist everywhichway. I thought the fabric was kind of crap (I actually just intended to make a muslin out of it and make the real skirt of something else afterwards) until I noticed how nicely it frayed:
In other news, I totally ruined my new critter trying to felt him. I’ll keep washing him whenever I have a load of hot, in hopes that he’ll tighten up, but he looks awful! He looks like what happens in a cartoon when they blow someone up like a balloon and fly him in the parade. Poor little guy. His neck shrunk up, but the rest of him got all puffy and round, and one of his eyes got all mushed into his head. He’s like a curvy Weeble. Except he does fall down.
Oh, I think critter still looks happy. Fab skirt – make mine as a simple A0line too, no darts… do mine in 4 panels, which means I get to hide any shapings in the seams. Being as I wear mine on the hips too, this is the best way to go!
That skirk is RAD, Nikol. I did some a few years ago where I did an A-line, but with the waist big enough to fit over my ass so they didn’t need a zipper, then did the back of the waist in elastic. I know, sounds old lady, but I copied Krista Larson’s 9 million dollar skirts and the flat front/poufy butt is cute. (That site is cool because it shows a line drawing of each garment so you can see how it’s constructed.)
I did one with a frayed ruffle like that, but spiraled it from top to bottom. Your fabric frayed way better, though.
I love your little critter! I think he/she/it is adorable. Did you find a pattern you went off somewhere, or is it your own?
Oh, that’s clever! Plus, I could use the extra real estate in the back. I’m also in the process of converting a stack of awful babydoll dresses I made in the late 80s early 90s into skirts. I can’t believe I never tossed them, but one was in Sassy one time (uncredited–which is why I resent Jane magazine now–I hold a grudge), and I always felt kind of nostalgic about them. So I need ideas on no-zip, because I am LAZY.
Wooly–are the 4 panels quarters (seams on the hips) or front/back/sides?
Holly, the pattern’s here. That’s how he looks when he doesn’t go into the washing machine. Only the one here was about twice as big.
I like the skirt! I really really need to get a sewing machine!