[wip] giraffe shirt

cutting cute giraffe fabric
featuring a scented sachet as a pattern weight

Today, in between running errands and being super productive, I decided to make another top using the same pattern as my last one. When I learn something new, I like to practice those skills multiple times to solidify the knowledge in my mind. Practice makes... better memories?

Anyhow, isn't this giraffe fabric just the cutest? I'm pairing it with a matching turquoise solid for the yoke.

[completed] first real piece of apparel

isn't it pretty?

On my last day of graduate classes (yay!), I stopped by Jo-Ann's. There happened to be a 50% off classes sale, and I signed up for a class to make Simplicity Pattern 6148. It's a two-part class, with the first two-hour session last Thursday and the second two-hour session this coming Thursday. Well, we spent the first session just cutting fabric (which is legitimately difficult when you are new to patterns). So I decided to try the pattern on my own. 

I bought some inexpensive, colorful fabric at Wal-Mart for a test shirt, and used the same pattern to cut out the pieces. Then I followed the somewhat confusing directions, and assembled the shirt without any issues. Isn't it pretty? I actually wore it the day I made it (Friday). Sorry there are no pictures of it on - I totally forgot that part. But I showed it to my sister on FaceTime, and she has requested that I make one for her now, so it must be cute.

I'm pretty pleased!

love those giant flowers

[completed] summer skirts

first garment ever made by me

A few days ago, I found a pin on my mother's pinterest of great skirt tutorials. I decided to try one out - a (seemingly) easy gathered skirt. My attempt at a skirt failed miserably. I sewed and ripped out stitches and resewed and ended up with a confused pile of fabric. 

Undeterred, I googled "easy skirt tutorial", and found this tutorial on the Etsy blog. I decided to try it out, but instead of buying more fabric, I riffled through my stash, and found a one yard remnant in a pretty floral pattern. I followed the directions to a T, and found the instructions far simpler (and easier) to understand than the first pattern I tried.

I ended up with the skirt you see above - a simple gathered skirt with an elastic waist. Very casual and fun. 

Today, I bought a few more fabrics to try out some variations on the pattern. And I ended up with...

A lined brown polka dot skirt with pockets. It took me about an hour and a half to complete, from cutting to photographing. I adjusted the pattern to make the skirt slightly shorter (a change I did not like), and to add a lining and pockets. (I used the instructions from the first pattern for the pockets. The pattern does not include a template, so my freehand pockets are too shallow). I figured out how to add the lining on my own through trial and error.

it's lined!

In the end, I used just under a yard of the brown polka dot fabric and the brown lining fabric. I used knit elastic instead of woven elastic, which did made my life more difficult. But I managed!

The instructions say to stitch the hem just the once, but I did two lines of stitching 1/4 inch apart to make it look a little more "handmade, not homemade", as you can see below.

stitching

I will be posting a tutorial on how to make a lined, pocketed gathered skirt just like this one in a few days. For now, I am off to wear my new skirts (not both at once, of course) and enjoy the summer heat!

skirt! a little above the knee!

awesome tshirt and skirt