Skirts!

At the beginning of the summer I had this great idea. I thought that if I sewed a few cute skirts then I would wear those instead of fishing shorts. Well, I made the skirts and still wore the shorts. I need some help with styling.

Pattern: McCall's 6333

Mods: Initially I added 4" to this pattern. When all was said and done, I lopped of two of the inches and took up a 2" hem. I'm 5'9" for reference. The instructions made me a little bit crazy and the only helpful thing I can say is this: Sew the elastic lines on the waistband accurately and don't serge/sew the elastic when attaching the skirt to the waistband. This will make you crazy. There will be weird, uneven bunching and you'll have to tear the entire thing apart.

Fabric: I used a linen (blend?) from Hancock Fabrics. I need to stop with the super-wrinkly cheap linen.

Because of the aforementioned stress and trauma, I sort of gave up when it came time to match stuff up. The pleated section does not match up perfectly with the flat waistband. Whatever. For the hem I just serged the bottom, then did a not-so-blind hem. I think it looks nice. Next time (there probably will be a next time!) I would insert the pockets into the side seam instead of the front panel. They are kind of awkward and I really like putting my hands in pockets. Otherwise I'm not sure what to do with them.

Pattern: Wiksten skirt
Mods: None! I think I made an XS because I wanted it to be high-waisted, but it turned out too small.
Fabric: Cotton chambray from Nuttall's - purchased during my brief stint working there.

The buttons aren't centered and I haven't sewn a tab at the top. I'll wear this more often when those things are fixed.

 

Pattern: Kwik Sew 3830 - View B

Mods: None. I think it's a size small.

Fabric: Lightweight denim

I really enjoyed making this skirt and think it's cute, but it's doing some really weird things at the waist. I think I need to take out some elastic. 

 

Pattern: Simplicity 2413 (OOP??)

Mods: None. Size 8

Fabric: Black cotton twill from Joann's

I love the idea of a tulip/pegged skirt, but this skirt does some weird poofing. The back is kind of a mess. Maybe because my hands were in the pockets? I don't think it's super flattering either.

Reading back over my post I notice a consistent theme - I don't like my skirts and they aren't flattering. Am I just not a skirt girl?? This fall I'm going to make pants and see how often those make it out of the closet. Sewing is so frustrating because even when I take my time and do a really good job, the fit could be completely off. Or the style all wrong. I started this blog in order to make better decisions about patterns and fabrics. It's already helping!

You might be wondering why my shorts are not done. I'll leave you with this:

Kwik Sew 3703 - The Maxi Dress

Earlier this summer I bought a jersey racerback maxi dress from Urban Outfitters and proceeded to wear it everyday. It drives me crazy when I buy things that are over-priced and easy to make! I don't know why I do it. Anyway, I wear it a lot, but needed to break-up my all-grey uniform. I remembered Amber from Confessions of the Pink Obsessed making some really cute knit dresses with Kwik Sew patterns, so I decided that's a good place to start.

For all three of these I used Kwik Sew 3703. I cut a size extra small, but added to the armholes and shoulder strap (picture below). They all have raw hems. I love this pattern. It fits beautifully and is extremely comfortable. You may think three is enough, but I'll definitely be making more. In fact, I was thinking of making one in white and then dyeing it with an ombre effect. Wouldn't that be pretty?

I added to the armholes and made the straps thicker.

Fabric: A cotton knit from Yellow Bird Fabrics that feels like medium weight t-shirt material.

Mods: I only had two yards, so I took out a lot of width from the skirt bottom. As you can see, there's still plenty of room. I also narrowed the neck and armhole bands to about 3/8".

Total Cost: I don't remember how much  I paid for the fabric and can't find a receipt. $20 maybe?

Fabric: A poly/lycra blend from Gorgeous Fabrics. (It's still there!)
 
Mods: Just the aforementioned pattern changes. I had a few yards of this, so I was able to keep the skirt width. I even did the neck and armhole bands correctly!

Total Cost: about $30

Eeeh. I probably should've tried to match the back seam.

Fabric: A rayon/ycra blend from Emma One Sock. (It's still there!) This is my most favorite fabric ever. I was sick about potentially ruining it, but I think it turned out really nice!

Mods: I only had two yards, so I narrowed the bands and skirt width, but was able to lengthen it quite a bit. I've been wearing it blousoned over a belt, but should probably take off some of that length. I'm tall, wearing 3"+ heels and it's still floor length.

Total Cost: around $35

The innards! Sometimes I sew, sometimes I serge.

It's taken me a long time to wear the things I sew in public, but all of these dresses have made it out of my house. Hooray!

Sorry about the blurry/grainy photos. Should I go outside next time? Find a neutral wall?