Finished! Yay!!

Here I am being silly in my new skirt. It didn't end up the way I expected. Come see a close up picture and read about it here.

Finished but not satisfy

I've finished with the skirt, but not quite satisfy with the outcome, it looks too girlie on me. Feel disappointed with it. Anyway it has been done, but I might do another one, a more mature A-line skirt instead of flare one this time. Haven't choose what kind of fabric yet, it will depend on the fabrics stash that I have.

Which excuse should I use?

Hi Everyone!

I never got the chance to introduce myself as time is not in abundance these days. My name is Sarah and I am a new mom. Yep, and there we go with excuse numero uno for not completely finishing my skirt on time. As others have pointed out you actually have to concentrate when sewing and three month olds are not too supportive at times.

Excuse number two involves the sewing machine I was hoping to show you a picture of. It looks a lot like this one. So, um, blind hem function, what's that? Zipper foot? Don't get me wrong...I love the machine. It is my mother in-laws and luckily she knows it very well but it is very sensitive which means everything takes a loooong time.

ok, ok...so here is what I have to show you:



I found the fabric at Marche Saint Pierre. They have a section of fun and colorful fabrics and this one caught my eye right away. I used Simplicity 4546.



So, what's not done? Oh the hem around the bottom...but I will get to that tomorrow when there is better light. This will give the skirt a better length (just below the knees). I also need to iron it. And I was hoping for more artistic photos but you'll have to wait for that too. I was lucky to get one photo where I wasn't holding the baby!

I learned so much from this project. I hope to put together a post with more about that and better photos for my blog but right now I am off to a crying baby!

the skirt? she is done.

Given that my hair and make-up support team were nowhere to be found, you just get a picture of the skirt. Rest assured that I do have a head, torso and feet. And while you can't tell from this shot, I even shaved my legs for this.



Some thoughts on sewing: It's not as challenging as I had believed. And you get a finished product more more quickly than knitting -- even with my ability to misread even the simplest of directions. I fairly certain I sewed each seam in this skirt twice. I refuse to show you what the zipper area looks like. Let's just say that I always plan to wear a long shirt with this.

Because I was feeling so flush with success, I even made two pairs of pants for the Diva, who seems to be built like her dad, which means that I can find pants that are either long enough or fit her waist -- but not both. A Picture of the Diva in her new pants is here.

I'm more pleased with these than I am with my skirt. We'll see how they hold up, however. I did leave enough extra fabric in the hem to give them another inch or two when the need arises. In theory, I can also let out the waist, but I doubt I'll need to before she is 7 or 8.

I can't wait to see what the next project is -- but I plan to let the sewing machine sit unused for a couple of weeks. While I have enjoyed the sewing, it requires soooooo much concentration that I'm ready to simply knit for a bit.

Well, I finished -- but watch out, this may hurt your eyes

So, I finished -- my first time ever alonging ON TIME! But I forgot to get someone to take a picture this morning, so here's a blah picture of my skirt on the floor. Next to it is the one that I still have to hem to complete my mother-daughter master plan. My daughter actually "picked out" this amazingly bright fabric about a year ago when she was a little over a year old. (She pointed to it and said "ooh, pretty flowers!") I don't know if I'll have to guts to actually wear mine outside, but I finished, it fits, and I'm happy. I used susan*stars simple A-line skirt kit -- which was perfect and so easy for someone with the sewing machine phobia that I had. I really did do it in less than two hours. And most of my lines are almost straight. I will try to get a real photograph and more details up tonight. To our hostesses -- thank you so much for starting this -- now I'm all geared up to work on some of the patterns I've been staring wistfully at for so long.

shamefully pathetic

it looks like i am the first member to not have success. (at least the first one brave enough to post my sad failure)
i left it to the last moment (started the sewing yesterday), which usually works highly in my favor.
not this time.
who knew that cotton crepe would be so much harder to handle than 100% cotton?
who knew that when they tell you to sew the side seam before doing the lapped zipper that they really mean it?
who knew how to do a lapped zipper? not me apparently.
who knew that when your thread matches perfectly the color of your fabric, and when you rip out a seam for the 5th time, you will create a hole in the fabric in a place that is not hidden by the seam?

after the hole incident, and the cramped shoulder incident (from too much concentration trying to rip out the seam for the 6th time),
i climbed the stairs to my room in defeat, sat in bed, watched grey's anatomy, and made a few fabric buttons:


at least i was successful with something fabric related

congrats to all of you who had fantastic skirts - i have enjoyed seeing the end results!

and thank you for putting this together, can not wait to see what's next. and i won't leave it till the last minute next time!

cross posted on my new blog: head full of pixies

I'm done already......

So, even though I finished my skirt over a week ago, I haven't posted pictures yet. What can I say, I procrastinate (hey, I should be working on a project, but instead I'm posting this!)

My skirt was a success, except for the minor detail of it being to big......... I sure fixed that in a jiffy! Other than that, it was fun. And I made a matching clutch!

Here it is, modled by my bed



And here it is on me



Hope you like it. Can't wait for the next project!

~K~

My first skirt is finished!

My first Skirt
Originally uploaded by Southern Knitter.

Well its been finished for a few days now, I just now was able to get a decent picture of it. This sew along has been so much fun, I've enjoyed seeing what everyone else has been making. I can't wait to find out what we will be sewing next.
Specs:
Pattern: McCall's 3341
Fabric: Michael Miller (you can check it out on http://www.reprodepotfabrics.com/)
Mods: none
I have decided to make this skirt again, only this time i'm going to make it shorter. This one just feels long, and my bf thinks its waaaay too long. I'm sure he'd rather it be a mini skirt.
Next skirt, or really anything, that I make I want to try out my blind hem foot. This skirt I hand hemmed it.
Check out my blog www.southernknitter.typepad.com to see the cool vintage sewing and knitting patterns I got yesterday from a thrift shop. Thanks again ladies for hosting such a fun sew along.

Under pressure, it's how I work best!

My finished skirt. It's Betsy Ross pattern 001 and some random fabric from Jo-ann's.

I must admit that this wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. I had a little trouble with the zipper (I sewed the skirt closed at one point...oops!) but in the end I got it all done.

I really love the pattern & would highly recommend it. Thanks to all the girls who posted about the fit. I took their advice and cut mine a little bigger to get the fit more on the hips & less on the "waist".

All the finished skirts have been inspirational! I can't wait to see the rest of you who subscribe to my 11th hour plan!

A huge thanks to our hostesses for this amazing sew along!! I probably would have waited months before I got up the courage to sew a skirt! All I needed was a little kick in the butt!

I can't wait to see what we sew up next!

floral skirt for spring!

dear fellow sewers:

I've finished my skirt. See? Wanna see another shot? It was an interesting experience sewing this skirt. Between the time that I cut the fabric and started sewing it, I lost the instructions. I hadn't really looked at them too much before they went away. So this skirt was sewn more instinctively than via the instructions. I started by sewing the waistband...while doing that section I successfully ironed interfacing to my ironing board (and a little to my iron)! d'oh! There's a first time for everything! Catastrophes aside, I learned a lot while sewing this skirt. I can logically figure out how to construct pieces. It helps when there's only 8 pieces. Learning this made me feel more confident in my sewing abilities.

Instead of doing a traditional hem for the skirt, I was inspired by this skirt at Boden to use a constrasting colour for the bottom hem. Rather than running out to the fabric store to get a light weight ribbon, I proceeded to make my own bias tape out a medium weight cotton. You can see a shot of my bias tape here. When sewing on the bias tape I first quickly went around to secure the tape and then I went around a second time so that the seam was at the top of the tape (to avoid it curling).

Sewing this skirt was a great experience. I've been avoiding my sewing machine lately, and I don't want to. Seeing all of the fabulous skirts that all you ladies have been making has inspired me to sew a few more skirts for the upcoming warm weather.

Thanks our hosts and all of you sewers for being an inspiration.

signed, lori z

p.s.: what's next?

Finished!

I chose a rather ambitious skirt (Simplicity 5914) with 6 panels and a zipper. My fabric, a chocolate brown micro-suede-like polyester or something, started falling apart after handling the pieces a lot. In order to prevent extreme unraveling, I had to finish the seams with a zig-zag stitch. I'm sure I spent lots more time on this than others would, but it was my first garment and there was a lot of learning involved!


I did a blind hem, and that was probably the most frustrating part of my skirt. My fabric did not hold a crease at all, so I had to baste the hem by hand first. Of course I didn't realize until after I was done basting that I needed to fold over part of that fabric to sew the blind hem, so I had to slowly pick out the stitches as I went along.

The zipper installation was time consuming, but successful! I’m so proud of this zipper! It’s called a “lapped” installation, where one side of the fabric overlaps the zipper. (This is one of the many things I learned while working on this project).



I'm so glad I joined this sew-along. I learned so much, and I'm no longer scared of my sewing machine!

BRING ON THE NEXT PROJECT!

Jenny

Finito!

I can't believe I finished in time! I cut the pieces last weekend and finished up the sewing this morning. This is a great skirt (My Favorite Things), and the instructions are pretty clear.



I love the panels - it makes a nice, full skirt. You actually cut eight panels, and use three for the front and five for the back. The back also has elastic in it, so you can wear it at the waist or at your hips.



I didn't buy enough fabric (1/4 yard short), so I made the skirt about two inches shorter than it was supposed to be, which turned out to be a perfect length for me. (I didn't measure - just kind of eyeballed it.) I was worried about the size, because my hips and waist didn't even come close to matching up on the chart. I went with the hips, and I'm glad I did. It would have been too big otherwise.

I considered doing a blind hem stitch, but I just wanted to finish, and I like the way the zigzag looks across the bottom. Next time, I think I'll use 1/2" elastic instead of the 1" - it had to fold it in half to get it through the waistband.

Will I make this skirt again? You bet! I already have enough fabric for two more...

Done!

I wanted to make the deadline, and since I was going to be away all weekend, I broke into sewing hyperdrive tonight.



Pattern: Dana 0405 (wrap skirt) from Fitzpatterns.com
Fabric: 100% Cotton Olive Twill w/ slight grey pinstripe

It took me about 4 hours, which I think it really should have taken 2. You can read more about my trials on my blog, if you would like.

I saw that a couple other people on the sidebar had planned on using this pattern from fitz too. I was wondering if the waistband was too small for you also. I had to cut another 3 lengths to make it long enough to tie!

Pretty...

Here's my skirt, which you have seen if you have been over at my Xanga blog. I wanted to place this further down in the post, but I can't figure out how to do that. Blogger confuses.

WOOT on all the pretty, flowery skirts! I've been picking boring solids. In the past I've made brightly colored clothes and then not worn them. I suppose it's because I don't want to call attention to my girth. But you have all inspired me to make another skirt in something more... vibrant. I haven't decided yet.

Secondly, you are all so lovely in your new skirts! They should call this the SewIKnit HOTTIES!
I love the kitty skirt down there! It makes me want to go ahead with my desire to make a skirt out of this. I wuv cute, waving Japanese kitties. Also, how about that A-line wool Betsy Ross? Nice. You gals ROCK. All of you gals! Really, I'm so inspired. And the zipper tutorial, so cool. I'm gushing.

I am gearing up to make this shirt in this, to match my skirt. A couple of people have asked me about the pattern, so I thought I'd better post it. When I finish, I'll post a photo of me modeling my new ensemble.

Yay! I'm finished!

It took me a couple of weeks, but I finished my skirt!


Pattern - Simplicity 4536
Fabric - Destination India linen blend

I am cheating a bit - the skirt is missing a hook and eye but it's wearable so I say it's done! All in all I'm happy with the skirt but I think it would look better with less fabric - and it would be easier to hem (but it twirls nicely!).

Things I learned:
- I tried to make a big size, learning from Stephanie's entry, but I think I could have gone one size bigger.
- My sewing machine has a blind hem function? Why did I read about it AFTER I hemmed my skirt?
- Sewing is relatively easy but it makes my back hurt. I would not make a good sweatshop worker.
- Using a print helps hide all of my sewing flaws. Woo hoo!

I can't wait for the next project - thank you to Stephanie and Yai-Ann for having the idea for the sewalong. I would never have finished the skirt otherwise!

Finally Done!

I cut this skirt out last year and never got around to sewing it, so thank you Sew I Knit for getting me going and finally getting it finished!



Sorry for the awful photo, there is so little light here at the moment it's untrue! This is the pattern and the fabric which I posted before:



I also made this flowery skirt from the Betsy Ross pattern:



It looks like it fits there but it's a bit loose on the waist, I will be going down a couple of sizes when I make the next one so it fits the waist better.

Looking forward to the next challenge!

Anna - finally waking up

Mommy & Me Skirts

Here is my entry for the sew-along, when my daughter Anna heard I was sewing a skirt, she asked, "Are you making one for me too?" I made a mini-pattern of my McCalls and it's pretty much falling off Anna's hips and has a wavy hem but she was happy with the results!

The fabric was $3.00 a yard, I bought 3 yards, and although I like the print it faded quite a bit after washing. I had to rip and resew my side hems because it was too tight at first! Also, I like the ribbon trim on Anna's skirt but may take it off my own. Still, it was a very fun project and I'm looking forward to sewing something new.

hmmm...

um, wow. i just started cutting the pattern, and i had no idea how much went into making a skirt.
i thought i was going to wiz right through this, but not the case.
i just got my fabric over the weekend, and just have a solid green cotton blend, because i have so many printed skirts and pants and wanted something solid.
this is really fun, though, and i am loving seeing what everyone else comes up with.

a million thanks!

Thanks you so much for all the tips and encouragement!!! I am pumped up again and I am definitely NOT giving up. Thanks! You guys are the best!!!!

Second skirt, better than the first

As promised here is the second skirt I've completed. The fabric is a paisley print by Amy Butler. I've included a close up shot so you can see the detail of the print. The picture of the skirt itself is a little blurry because I took the picture myself, indoors, at night.

The pattern was a very simple one from McCall's I believe (I know some others here are using it. I omitted the ribbon embellishment that goes around the hips). There's a 7-inch zipper in the center back and pleats in the upper front and back.

I couldn't get decent detailed shots in this bad lighting but am hoping to add some to my blog in the near future. That way you can see just how imperfect this skirt actually is. Nonetheless, as you can see from the title, I like this skirt better than my first one. With a few adjustments it'll be ready to wear out. I do wish it was a tad bit longer, but that's it. I won't be too hard on myself. This isn't Project Runway, after all.

can it really be done?

First of all let me say something to all the people who have completed their projects: wow! amazing! all your skirts look soooo cool! I'm dying with project-envy!

Now, the real reason for this post: I'm seriously thinking about quitting. As you remember (maybe you do, if you read my post) I am very new to the sewing thing. I tried to do a simpler project (an apron) a couple of weeks ago and failed miserably, there is something seriously wrong with my sewing machine and I can't figure out how to fix it. It's probably something simple if I knew what I was doing. The tension of the bottom thread is all out of whack. And yes, I've tried everything, except tinkering little by little with the bobbin tension... I have yet to muster the patience to do this. So if I figure out how to correct the tension problem do you think it is still very possible to complete the project? I feel like the slacker kid in school a couple of days before a major paper was due asking everybody how far along they were into it and hoping to find the one other kid who hadn't started yet but was totally relaxed and confident that it could be done.

Pink

Here is my first finished skirt. All nice and wrinkly, heh. This was totally not the skirt I was planning to sew. That skirt is sitting unfinished back at my apartment in New Mexico. I'm visiting family in Hawaii now and just started a whole new skirt based on a pattern I found lying around in my bedroom (thanks to my mom for not throwing it out after all this time). The instructions were missing so I had to fudge some parts. The waist is simple elastic and the pattern was cut on the bias. I bought the fabric at this great place called Discount Fabric Warehouse (a whole huge warehouse full of fabric). They had Amy Butler prints for $4.99 and of course I couldn't resist. Plus they had a pattern sale. So I'm 3/4 done with another skirt. Hopefully I'll post a finished pic of that one soon.

Fabric Schmabric!

I'm so amazed at everyone's finished skirts! You all are amazing and talented. To think, at one point, we didn't think we'd be able to pull this off!

Okay, this hostesses finally got off her behind and picked out some fabric. I initially bought this denim a two weeks ago and wasn't really happy with it so I finally went shopping again. I bought two fabrics (because I'm trying to be ambitious and sew two skirts). The first is this burgandy cotton twill (this is a close up) that I'll be using to make a simple a-line skirt. The fabric actually is a little darker than shown here.



The next fabric is a cotton Japanese print that I hope to make something a little more full, and girlie. I'm not too sure which is the right side, but I'm thinking the first one is the right side. What do you think?

Cheetah Skirt Done!

I am done with my skirt and am quite happy with it. I used an old Vogue pattern that my mom had bought me about five years ago at a garage sale (I knew there was some reason I was keeping it). It is made from cotton with a cotton underlining to give it some structure.

Here is a pic. of the kick pleat. I used a Hong Kong technique to finish the edges and like the way it looks.

I want to join the chorus in praising our blog hosts! This was fun. I am a pretty prolific knitter, but never seem (no pun!) to finish my sewing projects. A little deadline and some community support was all I needed! I can't wait for the next project. I would like to do another skirt. Does anybody know what is next?

C'est Finis!

Heeeeyyyy! I finished my skirt. You can check it out on my blog here.

I know I said I was going to update both blogs, but, well, um... not today, anyway.

Somedays the Bear eats you

So I joined the sew-a-long some months back. It took me forever to find a pattern I liked, but when I did it only cost $1! Woo hoo for sales!

It took me much longer to find fabric that I liked and I ended up only spending about $22 on it - I really like this fabric.

I decided that I really wanted to finish the skirt today, now that I had all the pieces (I picked up a zipper and thread and interfacing at JoAnn's over the weekend). So I spent over two hours cutting the pattern, pinning it to the fabric and cutting it out. I was going to quit then, but I wanted to finish! So I sewed the side seams and tried it on - it fit! Woo! I added the waistband and got ready to put in the zipper. Oops. Bought a 22" zipper. Needed a 7". Not sure how I screwed that up (though I think the zipper was misplaced at the store). so I decided I'd go back to the store, but first I wanted to try it on again. Um yeah. Doesn't fit. At all. About 4 inches too small around. Really ticked off.

I bought the pattern according to my dress/pant/skirt size (in between an 8 and a 10 depending on the store). Should have paid more attention. According to Simplicity, I needed a size 18!!!!!!! Yikes. Feeling like a fatty.

I have been wanting to lose a few inches in my midsection, and now I'll have to if I want to wear this. However, I was wondering if I could modify the skirt for now - add a side triangular section to give more ease on the zipper side. Anybody have any experience doing this? Your help is greatly appreciated!

(Blogger won't let me upload pictures. They can be seen here.)

Better Late Than Never...

Hi, I'm marirob's sister Mina, she encouraged me to sign up for this sewalong, never anticipating such great participation! I've enjoyed seeing everyone's progress as well as the finished skirts. Anyway, being busy with two kids, I did manage to steal away to the fabric store for a pattern this past weekend, I picked up McCall's M4783 and have cut out the pattern pieces, and have yet to pick out a fabric. I wish there was a store like Mood Fabrics (i.e. Project Runway) near me. Hopefully my next posting will be a completed skirt... I like the time limit aspect of this!

Seams

I cut my fabric last night, however, I'm still waiting to get my machine back from the shop...which gives me time to think...

I've never made a garment before. My pattern doesn't really say anything about finishing the seams. Is this just something I'm supposed to know? Or do I just press them open and let them go? Should I use a zig zag stitch or something?

I'm loving everyone's creations so far!

Sew Much Fun!

I finished my skirt this Sat. and I'm really pleased with how it turned out! This is a bad self portrait, but I had to hurry and take it on my way out the door. (Please ignore all the junk in the background.) It took me about 4 hours in total, so not too bad.

Project Specs
Pattern: Simplicity 5503, size 14 so it would sit lower on my waist.
Materials: Light Medium Weight Denim, Cotton Thread, 7" zipper (lapped zipper), hook & eye
Notes: I used the blind hem function on my machine for the first time and am so excited to have this feature! I didn't want an obvious hem line on it, plus I didn't have a lot of extra to turn up since I have a super high waist and wanted it to be below my knees still. The blind hem function was easy to use and worked well. I just hope it will be strong enough for the heaviness of the fabric. I don't think it would hold up in washing very well. I washed the fabric before cutting to compensate for shrinkage, but since I will probably only wear this once a month, unless I spill something I don't think I'll need to wash it very much at all. The zipper was a little tricky to install, and I wish I would have done an invisible zipper, but I got it in and it looks good, all on the first try.
I like the fit of the skirt and might try it again in a lighter weight cotton for summer. It's full but not too full.

Thank you

Thank you so much for all your nice comments. I really had fun with this project. I totally agree with Erin. If not because of this terrific sew-along, I don't think I'll ever touch a sewing machine, let alone making someting I can actually wear. Bravo to you ladies out there. By the way, the pattern number listed on my previous post should be M4971. My bet! Can't wait to see more beautiful skirts. Have a good week!

bias cut skirt

I managed to sew my bias cut skirt on Saturday. If not for sewiknit, I don't think I would have taken the effort to sew, so my appreciation goes out to stephanie, yaiann and marirob for hosting this sewalong. I made my skirt out of stretchy black fabric with little polka dots (they're so small you can't see them in the photo). There was just enough fabric. And I managed to sew it with an elastic waistband, so postponing my zipper conquest once again. Oh well, there's always next time. The skirt does not flare at the hem as much as the one pictured in the magazine I showed earlier, because I used a non-fraying fabric and did not hem the skirt edge. I just cut the edge as neatly as I could, and voila, it was done. I'm wearing my new skirt to work tomorrow!

Late Introduction

Hi! This is a late introduction. My name is Robyn and I live in the Washington D.C. area. I am so excited about this sew-along, because I had taken up a little bit of sewing recently because I have bad tendinitis in both wrists and have been on knitting probation since early Dec....so I had been seeking solace with my sewing machine to get my fiber fix (I also made a diaper bag recently..see blog here for pics). The diaper bag came out well (easy...a series of rectangles sewn together) so I have the confidence now to try a skirt. I have not attempted clothing yet (only quilts and the 1 bag). I am going to go with the Simplicity Pattern 4885 (Easy Chic). I chose this one because it also had a pattern for a tank and a jacket. I haven't picked out the fabric yet--I'm thing something black & white--maybe a toile like the diaper bag. Hopefully, I can get this done by March 20. I work better under a deadline though so the procrastination can help.

First Skirt

I just finished sewing my skirt this afternoon. The pattern is from McCalls M4871. It took me about 2 hours to trace the pattern, cut out the fabric and about 3 hours to sew. I think it turned out a lot better than what I had anticipated. I'm kinda proud of myself, this is the first piece of clothing I've ever sewn. Thanks to stephanie, yaiann and mari for hosting this. Didn't know sewing can't be so much fun. I'm ready for my next project.

Good News, Bad News, and a Question

I just about finished my Betsy Ross A-line skirt. I'm super proud of how well the zipper came out, despite not using a zipper foot (I'm going to pick one up, though). All I have left is to hand sew the waist facing down, add a hook and eye, and sew the hem.

Here's the bad news. I went with the shorter skirt, not even thinking to see just how short it was. It's short. About three inches shorter than I would want.

Now for my question. What do you all (especially you more experienced sewers!) think about my adding something as a ruffle. When I was at Joann's today, I saw some pretty tulle-ish stuff. I have a fair idea of how to add the ruffle, but do you think it will look wonky on an A-line skirt?

I'm leaving for a conference in Austin on Thursday and REALLY want to wear this there. Thanks for any help!

ETA: I found this site with a good instruction on adding a ruffle. I think I'll try this with a contrast tulle. I still would love your input.

Skirt chaser.

La jupe, la falda, a saia...in whatever language, it's a finished skirt!





Pattern: Butterick 5488 (out of print, according to the website, but I saw it recently at Joann Fabrics)
Fabric: Destination India, from Joann
Time to complete: two weekend afternoons

Here in Austin, TX, it was actually warm enough yesterday to venture out in sandals and a tank top. Sorry, northern climes!

Last time I posted, I hadn't yet had the adventure of sewing in the zipper. It was just as painful as I anticipated, but at least I got it in on the second try. I was following my Vogue Sewing Essentials book, which had me using fabric glue to baste the zipper, and tape as a stitch guide.

The problems I had was that the foot nudged against the zipper pull at the top, and I couldn't stitch past it. Sewing for Dummies recommends buying a zipper that's extra long, so that the pull is completely out of the way, and then trimming it (but I didn't read this until after I bought the zipper). On my second try, I stitched as far as I could and then just stitched the rest of it down by hand.

The other problem was with the fabric glue...it just didn't hold well enough. After I tore out my first try, I just handbasted it to the seam and that worked a million times better.

Although I'm very pleased with the way the skirt turned out, the worst problem I had was with the crappy piece of crap zipper I bought. I think it's a Coats and Clark. Once I successfuly put in the zipper, I unzipped it, and found that it splits open underneath the pull once you zip it back up. Argh! I hate this stupid zipper! Does anyone have a recommendation for a better-quality zipper?

After pulling it up and down about ten times, I got it to stay closed, but now I'm paranoid about my Victoria's Secret being on display without my knowledge. My boyfriend, though, promised to keep an eye on my zipper for me. ;-)

I have finished !!

I've finished my skirt and a small bag.
Thanks for some comments in my last post,
so I've finally decided my skirt position.I added the under skirt.
It used same pattern as top one,but the length is different.
Also I attached the cotton lace.
(This is the lace where the gather is already attached)
There is no zipper in this skirt, but there are several buttonholes.
I am poor to sew the buttonhole,but I tried so hard !!
And then the round curve of pockets was so difficult for me.
I suffered hardship to making the round curve.
Anyway I am happy to wear the skirt of spring season!!




More photos is here.I can't wait for our next project!!!
Happy sewing and knitting :>

Finally I made my skirt!

Last night I started my skirt. I used simplicity 5505 style F. When I finally got it all done I didn't like the way it was hanging so I played with it and added a few hems and I finished with a skirt I liked.. My DH who took the pix btw was like "is one side supposed to be longer??" LOL I think he thought I wasn't any good at this. It was really easy to do at the end though I felt like a seamstress fixing and taking in the skirt. I'm wearing it tonight to celebrate my anniversary. I got a light blue shirt to go with it and I'm thinking about making a shrug to wear with it. I haven't actually found a pattern though. LOL it's always fun when your sewing projects create more knitting to do! Fun fun Fun!
this was fun I'm planning on making another skirt now that I've actually gotten out the sewing machine and started. LOL it's very addictive! This was great I can't wait for our next project!

project plans

I'm not sewing a skirt for my daughter after all. I found a tiered skirt exactly like what she wanted and it was on sale.

So I'm sewing a skirt for myself instead. I scoured all my Japanese sewing books for a skirt pattern. I am picky about the skirts I wear because I'm hippy, not seventies-hippie, but of the ample-hips variety. I don't like how I look in straight skirts or A-line skirts in stiff fabrics. Most of my skirts are bias cut skirts in soft fabrics. I even wore bias cut skirts with elastic waistbands when I was many months pregnant. So I am sticking with the familiar and will attempt to sew the grey skirt pictured in this Japanese book, using either this stretchy black jersey with tiny white dots or the other black fabric with embossed flowers. There may not be enough of the jersey fabric and I will know only after I have drawn out the pattern. You can't see the 2 fabrics, they just look like one black mess in the photo. As I can't read a word of Japanese, I was wondering how to layout the patterns on the bias and I found this superb photo illustration. I am hoping to get it done this weekend, fingers crossed.

Finished Betsy Ross #001

I've finally finished my skirt. For pictures, please follow this link. (I am far from tech savvy, and don't dare play with Hello - my picture sharing software - to make it post to a different blog for fear of never getting it back to its original settings again.)

I'm very happy with how it turned out, but I did run into a few problems along the way. When I pulled on the skirt last night for this picture, the zipper pull came right off. My zipper was useless. I sat and struggled with it for twenty minutes, trying to get it back on, and finally ended up cutting a small slit near the bottom of the zipper to rethread the second side. When I put in my zipper I had to cut it to size. Does anyone know how to best secure the top so this won't happen again???

If you haven't gotten to the hemming bit yet, I have a piece of advice: make sure you have the appropriate foot for your machine for hemming. I didn't, so I decided to do it by hand. Big mistake. It looks pretty nice, but it took me FOREVER to hem the bottom and stitch the waistband down. That one task took longer than the whole rest of the skirt, including the zipper. Rest assured, I have a hemming foot now and will surely be utilizing it in the future :)

I can't wait for the next project to be announced!!!

A very late introduction

Hello, sewing friends! Sorry this intro is so late - I spent February moving into our new (first!) house and things are finally calming down.

I try to sew, I really do. I've gotten pretty okay at bags, but never had much luck with items that actually need to fit. But I got a new sewing machine for Christmas:

Really, how could you not want to make something lovely with this? My old machine sounded like the little girl in the Exorcist every time I turned it on. This ones whirrs delightfully and even has grown-up stitches. I am trying very hard to be a grown-up.

I'm going to do the My Favorite Things pattern, but, stupid me, I didn't get enough fabric. I'm about a quarter yard short. I'm going to try anyway - hopefully it'll work out. If not, it'll just have to be relegated to the "petting because it's so pretty" pile.


Extreme close-up:


I'm hoping to cut the pattern pieces and start sewing this weekend. (I'm actually working on a Denyse Schmidt quilt right now - you can see photos on my blog. For some reason, it's much less intimidating than a skirt.) I'll keep you posted on my progress!