I bought a book called Sew What! Skirts by Fracesca Denhartog and Carole Ann Camp last week at the Sewing Basket in Clovis. I had looked at it online but couldn't find a site that let me look at photos of the projects inside, which are what I was interested in. This book teaches some really basic pattern drafting. I have a more advanced pattern drafting book, but it's so intimidating I haven't done much with it. Sew What! Skirts is aimed at the beginner, so it isn't intimidating at all.
I've already made one skirt out of the book, the "Short and Sassy" skirt. It looked really cute in the book, with an uneven hem, and was incredibly easy. This skirt is basically a square with a hole cut in it for the waist. When it was done, it looked good, but was really too short and sassy for my taste, so I unpicked the waistband I'd made and layered another, slightly smaller square of fabric over it (at a 90 degree angle to the original) making my skirt essentially two of theirs, and I liked it a lot better. The layered look and uneven hem make it look like what I think of as a "fairy skirt". It would look awesome with the under layer of a sheer or semi-sheer fabric, in the same shade as the top layer, maybe in green. Does that make sense?
Anyway, here's a pic.
I make a lot of skirts, for someone who doesn't wear them very often. Of course, I've never made jeans, and I practically live in them. I guess I have less inhibitions about spending $40 for a pair of jeans I'll wear hundreds of times than spending the same $40 for a skirt I'll wear many less times. I can't remember ever wearing out a skirt. I can make a skirt a lot cheaper than I can buy one. If you don't count the cost of the book, this skirt cost me maybe $1.50 to make (I bought the fabric on clearance for 50 cents a yard). Not that economics is my main reason for sewing. If I didn't enjoy the process and the creativity I wouldn't do it.
1 comment:
Hey, that's awesome! I give you credit for going right for the square skirt. I took one look at it in the book and was like, "hmmmm...this will have to wait." Then again, I am pretty anal retentive and had to do everything in order in the dang book. Anyway, I am really enjoying your blog! It is so great to meet someone who appreciates ugly patterns as much as I do. And believe me, my thrift shop has no shortage of them. I will have to post some on my blog in your honor!
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