Sunday, October 28, 2012

Bias Strip Skirt


I finished the bias strip skirt yesterday, just in time to pack for my trip to South Africa. I really enjoyed the process. When I sew I hardly ever get to spend any length of time at the machine and pretty much make progress seam by seam when I get time. This project was completed while watching TV shows with my husband. I had the cutting mat and rotary cutter upstairs in the living room where I cut my strips and then ran downstairs during commercials to sew the strips together and press. Once the strips were made, it was measuring and pinning during shows and sewing onto skirt during commercials. Hooray for multi-tasking.

The skirt is very girly, but it is fun and cute, so not to be worn any time I want to be taken seriously.



Seeing the photos reminds me I need to add a hook and eye to the back.
I liked this project so much I'm bidding on a lovely fabric bundle on ebay to make another bias strip skirt. Next time though I will make an a-line skirt.

I won't be able to complete my 2nd skirt for the sew-along, as I'm leaving early Tuesday morning and just have too much to do.
 The Carnival of Skirts sew-along was just what I needed to get myself back in the sewing room, thanks to Faye for organizing.

Sunday, October 21, 2012

Skirt sew-along


I'm back at it..sewing that is.

With work and kids and many business trips, I've just not had time. But with talk starting on the SWAP challenge/contest again, I've realised that I really miss my sewing.

So I've joined a sew-along, the Carnival of Skirts started by Faye of Faye's Sewing Adventure. Basic rules are: 2 skirts, 2 ways in 2 weeks. Pretty simple.

I thought this sew-along would be a great way for me to get back into sewing and my creative juices have been flowing.
I've had a skirt muslin on my dressform for over a year, Butterick 4613, I've long since made a much loved skirt from this pattern and thought of it again when I was planning for this project.
However, another skirt caught my attention....an A-line skirt adorned with rows of bias-cut fabric strips in Sew it all Magazine, Vol 3 (sorry no photo available of the inspiration skirt), so long story short..I decided to use the skirt muslin and attach the strips to that.

I have decided on a pink floral theme for the fabrics. Two from my fabric stash, two from the local Fabricland, one vintage sheet and another vintage pillowcase.

The strips are cut and sewn together, now I just need to sew them to the skirt.

Below is how I like the placement, I'll be sewing the top of each of the 2 inch strips onto the muslin skirt with zigzag stitch and overlapping the next one by 1 inch. It looks like I might need to make a few extra strips to cover to the top of the skirt.



What do you think??
I plan to wear this skirt during my upcoming business trip to South Africa (during my free time..it's too cute to be suitable for business meetings) and my family vacation to the Canary Islands.