The last little bit of summer sewing.

I always have so many projects lined up that I could never in a million years finish them...At least as long as I have this full time job gig that keeps interfering with my hobby life!  :-)

I bought a bunch of summer-y fabrics this summer and was determined to actually sew them up in the same season I bought them.  The first one was the sweet white burnout knit that got made into the little sleeveless sweater I blogged about here.  I have gotten so much wear out of it that it is almost worn out already!

I also bought some stretch denim in a cool graphic floral print.  I knew right away this would be a short pencil skirt for summer. And a couple of weeks ago...just in time to still officially be summer...I completed it!

My late season zinnias match my new pink cardi!  :-)

I was going to use a straight skirt pattern from my stash, but while visiting my husband's family in King of Prussia, I dashed into a local fabric store - Obviously! - and saw Pamela of Pamela's Perfect Patterns.  I had seen her patterns sewn up while visiting the blog over at Lucky Sew and Sew.  So I grabbed up the Magic Pencil Skirt pattern and some of her Fantastic Elastic and gave it a try.  

The first thing I noticed is that the pattern measurements are very generous. Pamela has you measure your waist, hips and low hips and tells you to choose the largest measurement because you will take in the rest.  My largest measurement fell at the low side of the medium pattern. Medium?  Yes!!!

Working the model poses - or something...

I am such an "apple" that I ended up having to take it in quite a bit through the hips and thighs and it was still a bit more roomy than I really wanted for a pencil skirt.  Even the waist actually ended up being a bit big.  I also shortened it a few inches for a summer skirt look.

I think that next time I will actually try a small (Worth buying the pattern just to say that I am going to make a small next time!) and grade up to a larger waist size.  I think that I will get a better over all fit for my shape and will keep the pegged look better.  It fit well enough to wear it to work the next day and was certainly comfortable.

Overall it was a super easy pattern to make and I learned a lot about fitting me - which is my big goal in sewing right now.  I am definitely going to try another one!  I was happy to get two of my summer sewing projects done.  I still have several fabrics to sew up, but I think that I can use those for some cross-seasonal garments.  Maybe this weekend?  Is it wrong to hope for rain so that I don't feel guilty about spending the weekend in the basement sewing room???

Anyone else out there use Pamela's patterns?  What do you think?

The Pencil Skirt the Hurricane Blew In...

So what's a girl to do when Mother Nature give you a hurricane day home from school? 
She heads straight to the sewing machine while she still has power and sews up that skirt she's been meaning to make since last winter!

Plaid Pencil Skirt

Back view - I'm pretty happy with the
plaid matching.

I found this fabric at G-Street on the $3.99 table when I was visiting the store for the class where I made this blouse.  I knew that it was going to become an easy, pull-on skirt, but got side-tracked by several other projects...and then it was spring...

At first I tried to draft my own pattern using a skirt that fits me.  It seemed like it should be easy, but low confidence in my pattern drafting ability and the fact that I'm still getting into the swing of sewing for myself after all these years made it a frustrating experience.



After multiple tries with a muslin, I realized that I really needed to use a pattern for a base.  Digging through my pattern stash I found an old 1988 pattern that may have even been my mother-in-law's.
It was just 3 pieces and the size 18 fit straight out of the package.  (Pattern sizes are nothing like ready-to-wear.  You wear 2-3 sizes smaller in ready-to-wear.  I've heard a lot of reasons why, but it is still shocking to say that I have to cut a size 18!!!)

The waist is 2 1/2 elastic and I added the lining

  





The only changes that I made to the pattern were:

• Left out the belt loops 
• Added a wider elastic waist instead of the 2 pieces of narrow elastic called for
• Added a lining. 
• Fringed the bottom hem instead of a traditional hem 

The lining is some tricot lining that I found in my stash.  

I sewed a tiny zigzag for the hem and then pulled
out the cross threads one at a time.  The plaid made it
easy to keep the hem straight.

I am especially proud of the plaid matching. I didn't worry too much about the vertical matching - just got the horizontal part to work.

Double pinned to match plaids

Since it is a loose weave I was worried about it shifting so I double-pinned it.

All accessorized and ready for winter!

I'm feeling good that I got one winter sewing project done.  Now if we still have power tomorrow....

Oh the possibilities!!!

If you are in Sandy's path, stay safe and dry!