i have made an article of clothing! with my own two hands!
many thanks go to courtney (who helped me figure out how to read a pattern) and sarah (who helped me decipher some of the diagrams) -- i couldn't have accomplished this without their help.
but even with the assistance I AM SO PROUD OF MYSELF! i can't believe my very first attempt at skirt-making came out so well. i figured it would be unwearable (and that's why i only spent $1.77 on the fabric) with crooked hems and rotten seams. but it's NOT! it's *cute*!
there is one major problem with the waistband, but no one will ever know if i stick to wearing my shirts untucked. so really... who cares?
i went by the fabric store this morning and picked out some new material for another two skirts. (less than $4 each.) i'm excited!
Posted by xta at July 26, 2006 01:36 PM | TrackBackGreat job! It looks fantastic! Now I want to get out my sewing machine...
Posted by: Tanya at July 26, 2006 01:53 PMOooh, VERY cute! You did well centering the fabric's pattern too--patterned fabrics with large motifs can come out looking unbalanced, but yours is dead-on.
Posted by: Penny at July 26, 2006 02:54 PMwhat is the problem with the waistband?
btw, 'layer seams' is normally called 'grade seams', unless they've simplified the terminology recently (I mostly sew from old patterns). So if you see "grade seams" on a pattern it means the same thing, trim them to different lengths so there won't be a ridge or bump at the edge of the seam allowance.
Posted by: Sarah at July 26, 2006 08:37 PMsarah, i somehow sewed the waistband unevenly, so that it's higher on one side of the zipper than on the other. i have no idea how i managed to pull that off.
additionally, i didn't fully register the complete function of the waistband and failed to take into account the fact that it was supposed to encompass a button on one side and a buttonhole on the other, and i trimmed it off on both sides... which doesn't allow any of that to happen. at the fabric store this morning i bought some hook & eyes, though, which i hope to use to solve the problem.
Posted by: christa at July 27, 2006 12:59 AMVery cute! And don't new skirts give you a perfect excuse for new shoes?
Posted by: Sharon at July 27, 2006 10:01 AMHey, will you teach ME to read a pattern when I get back??? I love sewing and have some great fabrics, but, um, very few skills.
Gorgeous.
GENIUS! It could not be more adorable. Much like yourself.
Posted by: Lulu at July 27, 2006 03:53 PMCongratulations! Isn't it a thrill to put something together for yourself? Even better when it turns out darn cute. Yea! :)
Posted by: erthsister at July 27, 2006 05:34 PMKiller skirt! Atop of pair of sexy pins. Which fabric store do you go to, please tell - a cute skirt for $2 + labor is pretty unbeatable!
Posted by: marianne at July 27, 2006 07:38 PMi got the fabric at joann on 15-501. it was the last yard-and-a-half on the bolt, and i found it in the sale section in back. they've got some surprisingly nifty stuff in that hodgepodge area in the back of the store... it's worth a look-see.
Posted by: christa at July 27, 2006 07:44 PM"i somehow sewed the waistband unevenly[.] i have no idea how i managed to pull that off."
yeah, what's up with that, pulling it off is supposed to be MY job. ;-)
That looks completely great on you.
Way to go! I am so jealous of your amazing domestic arts!
Hahahaaaa! Chicks that can sew are HOT. Buuuut seriously, that's a cool pattern.
Posted by: The_Chef at July 30, 2006 02:47 AMHey -- please email me when you have "sewing day". I'm interested in learning some simple stuff, and my friend Hilary has several pieces of fabric she's been dying to make into skirts while lacking the knowledge how. She's here until ~Aug 12. Thanks!
Posted by: Phil at July 31, 2006 02:06 AMHey Christa, I took home-ec in junior high and sewed a rad duffel bag. I wonder what happened to that...
I dig the skirt, nice pattern. I wish getting new pants was a good excuse for new shoes...
It's funny that I visit here today and you are discussing sewing skirts. Just minutes earlier I was looking at a fine web log by my friend Erin, who I told the story about in my web log post that you commented on not too long ago, called A Dress a Day. I actually thought of you as I looked through the blog and saw that she also posts about shoes every once in a while. Go to www.dressaday.com/dressaday.html to check it out. Happy continued success in your sewing adventures.