Skirt No. 1

For my first skirt, I took inspiration from Alisa Burke's Petticoat Tutorial.  I wanted a ruffled skirt with predominantly white and off-white elements.  All of the fabric (except for the lining) was from my stash.  The buttons are Vans buttons that were extras that came with a pair of my husband's shorts.  This is more of a pencil shape than the petticoat, and as a result I had to add a slit up the back to make walking a little bit easier.  My only complaint about the whole thing is the zipper (in the back, not pictured).  I grabbed an invisible zipper without realizing that it required a special invisible zipper foot (I have a regular zipper foot), so I didn't follow the instructions and it doesn't look great.  Not terrible, but not the clean, invisible zipper I wanted.  Oh, well.  Lesson learned.  Here are a couple of detail pics:

Come back tomorrow to have a look at some of the other skirts that were added to the Week 1 pool.  And, hey, just because you didn't git'er done last week doesn't mean you can't get a skirt in this week.  Better late than never, friend.

Backpack for Joshua and a Skirt Tease

I meant to post this earlier, but Steve has been holding the camera hostage at work for the past several days.  This is a cute toddler backpack that I made for our friend Joshua's first birthday.  He's probably a little too little to wear it, but I figured that he'll be ready to stuff it full of cars and dinosaurs soon enough.  I actually found the pattern on Indie Tutes while I was researching skirt tutorials.  It is a free pattern (although she does take donations, if you are so inclined).  I liked it because it doesn't have a zipper, which is something that requires finer motor skills than most one-year-olds have.  I did use a tiny piece of velcro to keep it shut, though, but most toddlers can manage that.  The stuffed toy is from IKEA.  Love IKEA kids' stuff!
 

And, I can't do a post without talking about the skirt challenge!  Here is a little tease of the fabrics I am using for my first skirt.  It is almost done, but I think I'm going to have to line it and put in a zipper--off to JoAnn's today!

Skirt Challenge Participants - Link It Up!

Hey, guys! I figured that since so many of you are nice enough to display my badge on your blogs, I should find a way to link back to your blogs, too.  So, if you are participating in the Summer of No Pants Skirt Sewing Challenge, please feel free to add a link to your blog's home page to my sidebar.  Please, only one link per person--link to your main page URL and not individual blog posts.  Simply click the "Add your link" button and submit your URL.  It's super easy to do.  And, if you don't have a blog, do feel free to link to your Flickr photostream.

This is ONLY for folks participating in the challenge, so please don't add a link unless you plan on sewing some skirts.  Thank you!

Skirt Inspiration & Tutorials - Aline, Wrap and Simple Skirts

I saved the easiest for last! These skirts are all simple to sew projects--great if you are short on time, or new to sewing.  Today is my last day of sharing tutorials.  I have updated my sidebar (you'll have to come on over to the real blog if you're looking at this through a feed reader :) with links to each of the Skirt Inspiration & Tutorial posts from this week, as well as links to the Flickr group page where you can share your completed projects, and the "official" rules.  By the way, since there is no judging and no winner, the "rules" are actually "guidelines."  If you miss a week, or jump the gun and post early, I won't send anyone to break your knees.  This is intended to be a personal, fun challenge and sew along, so no pressure but what you put on yourself.

Reversible Wrap Skirt by Andrea DeHart on Craft
This is a great tutorial that actually offers two versions of this skirt--one for beginners and one for intermediate/advanced sewers.  I love reversible clothing.  It's the perfect solution for Mommy wear--if you get covered in a snot bomb you can run to the Ladies and flip your skirt around!

Wrap Skirt by Bethany on Sew, Mama, Sew
This is an easy, basic wrap skirt.  The tutorial is great because it shows you how to draft your own pattern, too, so you can make several of these if you like this style.

Easy Gauze A-line Skirt with Sash by Destri on Simply Modern Mom
I've said it before, and I'll say it again--I love skirts made from knit fabric.  T-shirt and gauze fabrics are the most comfortable style for the summer. This one is really versatile, and it has a nice drape to it.

Simple Circle Skirt on Better Homes and Gardens
This is a simple design which has the patchwork feel without all of the sewing that goes into making a patchwork skirt.  It is basically six triangles sewn together into a circle and then hemmed.  Again, I love this color combo (like the two-color a-line tee skirt from yesterdays post).

5-Minute Skirt by Amy Karol of Angry Chicken
Alright, so everybody and dey mama links to Angry Chicken, so maybe you've already seen this one.  But there's a reason Amy Karol is so popular among craft bloggers, and this is just another example.  This is as simple as it gets.  This is the one to make when you find that you were gonna do the challenge, but now it's Sunday afternoon and you don't have time.  Well, now you have time!  Thanks, Angry Chicken!


Today's Sweet Hot Tip:

How to make a built-in slip or lining for an a-line skirt with elastic waistband by bookwormbethie
Well, what else do you need to know?  The title says it all.

And that's a wrap on the tutes!  I hope you guys have enjoyed all of the inspiration!  Have a fun week of sewing.  I can't wait to see the skirts!

Skirt Inspiration & Tutorials - Upcycled and Reconstructed

First things first--I made a badge!  All good blog challenges have a badge, so here's mine.  I've put it over in the sidebar with the code, so if you are participating, please grab one and put it on your blog!

Today's skirt tutorials are all upcycled, repurposed and reconstructed projects.  There are some creative folks out there who save crap from the landfill and make beautiful, wearable objects!  Onward!

Two-Color A-Line Tee Skirt by Lee Meredith on CraftStylish
I love skirts made from t-shirt material.  There is really nothing more comfy, and yet you look totally dressed up!  This skirt is easy and it has so many possibilities.  I love the bright color in this one, too.  It makes me think of the circus.  Fun, fun!

Button-Front Mini by Melissa Coker for Wren on ReadyMade
There are a lot of skirt-from-man's-shirt tutorials out there, and this is the one that I liked the best.  Often skirts from men's shirts just kind of *look* like skirts from men's shirts, you know?  This one had a more tailored look than most of the ones I saw.

The Tablecloth Skirt by V and Co.
This is a really clear, well done tutorial on how to make a tablecloth into a skirt.  I love this idea because tablecloths often have a nice edging pattern instead of the all-over pattern that you usually get from fabric that you buy off of the bolt.  See another one that she made using this technique here.

T-shirt Skirt by jubilee on Instructables
Another t-shirt skirt, but this one doesn't look like a t-shirt skirt.  I believe that she's combine a t-shirt with either a tablecloth or a curtain to make this one.  T t-shirt waistband makes this a good maternity skirt, too.

Pillowcase Skirt by Cassi Griffin at Bella Dia
This one looks like it would take all of ten minutes to make, and what a pretty skirt to end up with!  Like the tablecloth skirt, you can find pillowcases with pretty edging that you can't find on bold fabric.  A couple of things I might add to the tutorial would be: for a thinner pillowcase it might require a lining--maybe a white pillowcase would be easy to sew into there.  And for a longer skirt like this, I might put a little slit up the back so you could take a longer stride..

Today's Sweet Hot Tips:
How to Upcycle a skirt with Ruffles on Craftzine
This is a nice tutorial on adding a ruffle to a skirt.  I've been thinking about buying a ruffle foot for my machine, but this technique looks pretty simple to do without one.

How to get Started on Flickr on Meylah
If the reason you haven't signed up for the challenge by joining my Flickr group is because you don't have a Flickr account, this is a quick tutorial on how to get started on Flickr. It's free and easy to sign up, and they don't send you junk e-mails or sell your name, or anything.

Tomorrow is my final installment of tutes and inspiration!  And since it's getting down to crunch time, I'll feature the easiest styles of skirts: alines and wraps.

Skirt Inspiration & Tutorials - Patchwork and Scrap Fabric Skirts

I hope all of these awesome skirts are breaking some of you down.  I get all giddy every time someone new signs up for The Challenge.  Today I'm presenting some inspiration for one of the Super Duper Extra Bonus categories: a skirt made entirely from fabric already in your stash.  These are all patchwork skirts pulled together from smaller pieces of fabric.  Enjoy!

Sunburst Hippie Chic Scrap Skirt by Abby on Recycled Sewing
Most of the skirts I found for this roundup have a very busy look.  Patchwork skirts can easily look sloppy, but this one is clean and modern, though it still has the easy, laid back feel of a scrappy patchwork skirt.  Not an easy thing to do and Abby does it beautifully here.  I think the key is the simple a-line and the fitted waist/hip (versus an elastic waist).

Patchwork Scrap Fabric Skirt by Nikkishell on Cut Out and Keep
This skirt is another example of a patchwork skirt that uses a lot of different patterns without getting sloppy.  Choosing one primary color combo (in this case, black & white) with just a tiny bit of an accent color (green polkadots) works beautifully here.

8 Panel Scrap Skirt by Kristin on Grace Violet
These panel skirts are so cute and fun!  I think that these are actually for little girls, but I think that this style would make the perfect miniskirt to wear at the beach.  I'm definitely making one to go with my red and white polkadot bathing suit!

J.Crew Tiered Brique Skirt by au
I was a little unsure on whether or not to include this skirt in this category, but if you look at the tutorial you'll see that the "ruffles" on this skirt art made up of individual little rectangles.  I love it in white, but I think that this style could be really interesting using scraps in different colors and patterns.

Summer Swing Skirt by Elizabeth and Pam on Moda Bake Shop
Well, looky here!  You'd look just like a shimmering, shining rainbow in this one!  This is very similar to the Petticoat for the Ages I posted on Monday, but is much more fun.  If it's too loud for your taste, I think it could be toned down by using a solid white for the top tiers and doing the bottom tier with the bright, multicolored fabrics.


Today's Sweet Hot Tip:
Color Basics by Elizabeth Hartman of Oh, Fransson!
This is an article about choosing colors for your quilts, but I think it could be very helpful for choosing scrap fabrics for a patchwork skirt.


Whew!  Alrighty!  There are just two more "inspiration" posts left for you before the challenge begins.  Tomorrow I'll feature a collection of upcycled skirts.  As for today, you can Join my Flickr Group and get ready to make some skirts next week!

Skirt Inspiration & Tutorials - Pencil Skirts

Did yesterday's skirts hook you in to my Summer of No Pants Challenge? Or are you too sophisticated to indulge in ruffles? I'll get you sewing yet, my pretty.

Today we are looking at Pencil Skirts.  Again, click on the titles to take you to the patters and/or tutorials:

Long Pencil Skirt by retretretretretret on Craftster
This is a nice tutorial on making a basic, lined pencil skirt.  I love the high-waist and below-the-knee look, and this one has a pleat on the back so you don't have to take little Morticia Adams steps. Simple, beautiful. What more do you need in a skirt?

Draped Skirt by Stephanie on anywho
This one is a Burberry knockoff.  It looks a bit complicated, but the instructions actually seem pretty simple.  This might be a little much for everyday wear, but I think it would make a super cute cocktail mini.  Too bad Steve never takes me anyplace nice (say that in a whiny Edith Bunker voice for full effect).

Sporty Knit Skirt by The Sleepy Time Gal
Okay, so this one is a tutorial for a child's skirt, but with a little more yardage, the instructions can be very easily adapted to an adult size.  I love knit skirts--there is nothing more comfortable, and a ribbed knit with a sleek pencil line like this skirt looks a lot more dressy than it feels.  And because it's knit, no hemming necessary!  I think I want a whole rainbow of these in my summer closet. 

Kasia by Burdastyle
I'm not a huge fan of loud prints, but I love the military style button front of this skirt.  Check out some of the finished projects in a different fabric combinations.  There is one in navy with white polkadots and white buttons that has a cute vintage sailor-girl feel, and a lovely, romantic version in deep bordeaux with a cream ruffle.  The buttons and front panel have a nice belly-flattening effect, too.

Natty's Scalloped Skirt by Natty Jane on Burdastyle
This is a sleeker version of the Ruffled Petticoat that I posted about yesterday.  Unfortunately, this one doesn't have a pattern, but she does describe her process.  I love it so much that I wanted to include it in this roundup even without a tute or pattern.  If you'd like to give this one a shot, Vain and Vapid has a great Scalloped Edge Tutorial (via Zom) that could easily be adapted to this project.  I love the black and white for going out, and I think this skirt would be gorgeous for every day wear in cream and white, or in deepening shades of blue.


Sweet Hot Tips:

Skirt Block and Pencil Perfection by Julia B on House of Marmalade
Julia from House of Marmalade has put together some very clear, easy-to-follow instructions on how to make a personalized skirt block:

"A pattern 'block' or 'sloper' is a blueprint of your body, on paper.  When you have made a skirt block to your own measurements, virtually any style of skirt can be made and adapted from the basic block, and because you will have fitted it perfectly the first time, then subsequent fittings and adjustments will be minimal and easy to do."

Check it out!  She even includes a downloadable design sheet  to make it easier to draft your block.


Hit your Mark With Darts by Mary Travis on Threads
This is a nice little article on how to add darts to your skirts.  Darts are a really nice way to custom shape a pencil skirt around your body


What are you still wearing pants for?  Join my Flickr Group and start posting your skirts next Monday.
Up tomorrow: Patchwork and Scrappy skirts

Skirt Inspiration & Tutorials - Full Skirts: Ruffles, Circles, Tiers and Petticoats

I have been busy, busy, busy this weekend gathering up inspiration, tutorials and tips for the Summer of No Pants Skirt Sewing Challenge. Every day this week I'll feature a different style of skirt and a Sweet Hot Tip to help you along the way. Today's skirts are all in the Full, Flowy and Fluffy Skirt category - ruffles, tiers, petticoats and circle skirts! Oh my!

First of all, here are some tutorials and patterns for you.  Click on the name of the skirt to go directly to the tutorial or pattern:

Petticoat Tutorial by Alisa Burke
I had a realllllly hard time finding a fully ruffled skirt for a grown up.  Most of the ruffled skirts I found were a little too sickly sweet, and they looked like something for a child.  I am in love with the cream and white ruffles in Alisa Burke's pettiskirt.  The subdued colors and the unfinished edges are the keys to making this skirt feminine and not girly.

The Linda Skirt by Burdastyle (shown here by Lazy_Linchen)
Burdastyle, in general, is a great source for free and cheap patterns.  This Linda Skirt is one of the most versatile skirts in the collection.  The length and the type of material can dramatically change the look of this skirt.  I love the breezy flow and pretty lace edging of this version.

Punky Petticoat by Karline at Urban Threads
This is a basic, tiered skirt, and there are about a million and a half tutorials for this style online.  I love this version because I usually think of tiered skirts as having a hippie/country/homesteading feel to them, and this version is definitely not any of those things.  Who knew a tiered skirt could rock?  Very nice.

Elastic Waist Skirt (with pockets!) by Susan Petersen at Freshly Picked
I'm a big fan of the whole domesticated 50's housewife look.  I like to picture myself in high-waisted, blooming skirts, stirring up a batch of oatmeal raisin cookies for my boys and using words like "swell" and "grand" and "big daddy" and this skirts fits in perfectly with that fantasy.  Plus pockets!

A Petticoat for the Ages by Beth Skwarecki at The AntiCraft
Ahhh.  A long white skirt.  This one epitomizes summer to me.  Too bad my sweet boys would get drooly oatmeal cookie grossness all over this in about two minutes.  But I wanted to offer it here because it's so darn purty, and it's the sort of thing I would wear if I were, like, a girl in a flashback in a movie, running in meadow and laughing among the wildflowers with kind of an echo-y giggle, and everything's kind of blown-out and fuzzy. . . definitely, I'd wear this.

Today's Sweet Hot Tip:
Seam Finishes Simplified on Sew, Mama, Sew
If you don't have a serger (sadly, I do not) this page has everything you need to know about how to professionally finish your seams.

C'mon.  Tell me you're not inspired!  If ruffles and fluff ain't your thang, come back tomorrow for a collection of sleek and chic pencil skirts.

*psst* it's not too late to join my Flickr group and get in on the challenge.

Summer of No Pants - Skirt Sewing Challenge

The Summer of No Pants is coming up quickly!  I already have a bunch of skirts and dresses that I have bought over the years, but I really wanted to make some, as well.  I just haven't done it.  So I've come up with an idea.  I had so much fun doing some "selfish sewing" for Made by Rae's Spring Top Week Challenge, that I thought I would host a little challenge of my own.  Now, I'm no Rae!  I don't have nearly as many readers and there are no sponsors and, frankly, I'm totally making this up as I go along.  But here's the deal--summer officially starts on June 21st.  That's a little over a month from now.  So the challenge is this:  four weeks, four skirts.  One skirt per week posted to my Flickr group.  Here are the details:

The Summer of No Pants
Skirt Sewing Challenge!

Beginning on Monday, May 24th, make one skirt per week for yourself.  Not for your kid--this is for YOU to wear over the summer.  We will make a total of four skirts. 

Each week starts on a Monday, and that week's skirt should be posted by the following Sunday.  For example, Week 1 will start on Monday, May 24th, and your first skirt should be posted by Sunday, May 30th.  I will post about my skirt, and pick some skirts from the Flickr pool to feature on my blog each Monday (or Tuesday-cut me some slack :). Here is the posting schedule:
Skirt 1 - post between Monday 5/24 - Sunday 5/30
Skirt 2 - post between Monday 5/31 - Sunday 6/06
Skirt 3 - post between Monday 6/07 - Sunday 6/13
Skirt 4 - post between Monday 6/14 - Sunday 6/20

Join and add your pics to the Hideous! Dreadful! Stinky! Flickr Group.  I have a sad little Flickr group that nobody ever posts to, so we can use that as a place to share our skirts. If at all possible, please post a picture of you wearing the skirt rather than having it lie flat.  It's hard to get a good idea of a skirt if it isn't ON someone.  Put a description under each photo letting us know about the fabric, the pattern, the inspiration, etc.  If you blogged about your skirt somewhere, be sure mention it!  That way, if I feature it I can link to your blog.

Super Duper Extra Bonus Stuff (for those who want a greater challenge!): Make one skirt entirely from stuff already in your fabric stash.  Make one skirt a reconstructed project out of old clothes (either from your closet or from a thrift/consignment shop).  Make one skirt that has a non-elastic waist (i.e. button or zip closure, or a wrap skirt). And make one skirt any way you want to!


This is a personal challenge.  There won't be any winners (although you may get a blog feature!).  Bonus: No losers!

That's it!  I know this is kind of last minute, but I hope some of you take on the challenge.  I figure that at the very least, I'll force myself to make a few skirts.  Over the next week, I'll post inspiration and links to free or cheap skirt patterns and tutorials that I find online.  If you have any great links to share, I encourage you to do so in the comments, and I'll try to share as many as I can over the next week.

Horray for no pants!

May the Fourth Be With You

In honor of Star Wars Day (May the Fourth Be With You), I threw together a couple of quick Jedi capes for my guys.

Real Jedi's don't need pants, by the way.

Spring Cleaning Part 2 - The Fabric Stash/Craft Area

Hi, everyone!  This has to be just a quick post today.  We had some very sad news over the weekend.  My husband's grandpa passed away.  He was a wonderful man with a great sense of humor, and he is missed.  We will be spending much of this week with family, so the blog may be a little quiet for awhile.
I did want to quickly share the fruits of my efforts with my crafting area/fabric stash/giant-pile-o'-crap-in-the-bedroom.  Doesn't it look nice?!  It is amazing how cleaning up the big messes encourages both myself and Steve to keep the rest of the house cleaner.

I also want to say a quick Hello! and Welcome! to my new readers who found their way over from Craft and ReadyMade and the many other wonderful blogs and online publications that have picked up on some of my work in recent days.  I'm so glad you're here, and I hope you stay awhile.