Finished: Box Pleat Skirt

A few months ago, my sister-in-law pinned this skirt:

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It's way cute and way over $200. I told her I'd make her one, but made one for myself first as a muslin. It actually turned out completely different than the inspiration picture because the fabric refused to gather - it has SO much body - and I didn't use a high-waisted contoured band. I like the original skirt so much that I'll try again at some point. The pictures do not do the fabric justice. It has a beautiful sheen.

 

Pattern: I used two 18" x 30" rectangles for the skirt and I can't remember the measurement for the waistband. For the best fit, I need a contoured waistband. This one gapes a  bit. I was going to use Simplicity 2215, but the waistband is just a rectangle and the pleats are asymmetrical.

Fabric: poly/silk/wool faille from Mood - I was able to iron the fabric at a hot temperature with a pressing cloth and there were no problems.

I had to hand stitch the waistband facing because stitching-in-the-ditch was not working out and neither was topstitching.

Next up will be finishing my sister-in-law's skirt (it's halfway done), Anhinga and Simplicity 2054 out of gray sweatshirt fleece.

Obligatory Resolution Post

2011 wasn't a great year for me, so I'm looking forward to hitting the reset button and trying again. My priorities include school and family, but I also want to flesh out my little home here. I know very few crafty people in real life and sincerely appreciate the feedback and support received by being a part of online sewing and knitting communities.

The Binks - obstructs any and all progress in the craft room.

I'm going to worry less about offending people, get more comfortable with writing, not sew things just because the blogosphere is going absolutely apeshit over them (those projects generally do not work out for me), sew with a plan (SWAP!), knit without constant frogging and over-analyzing...

This is getting out of hand. I'm going to sew and knit a lot, which should result in more successful FO's. That's it.

So happy holidays, happy new year and I'll be back in a few hours with a skirt. 

Sweater Inspiration

La Garçonne Moderne / Alpaca Handknit Sweater

Helmut Lang / Loose Knit Pullover

Steven Alan / Roll Neck Sweater

VPL / Fall Out Knit Pullover