Plaid cloned skirt

A  few years I made my eldest daughter a skirt that she wore her first day of school.

Heres the picture from the first day of school a few years ago but you can barely see the skirt.

This all began the week before school started.  I was minding my own business when out of nowhere Pinterest attacked me.  That's not how it really how it went but close enough. Lol!  I was looking for outfit ideas for my tween when I can across this photo on Pinterest.  I felt like this photo slapped me. Why didn't I think of this Look before.  I could not seem to find a pattern to achieve the Look that I was going for.

So I made this skirt and now a few years later I need to make this skirt again as part if a cosplay costume.

I figured I would share the steps I did the first time to accomplish this look.

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I used this skirt as a guide for size and construction.

 Here's the beautiful fabric that I picked up at Joanns

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Instead of making a pattern piece I laid the skirt on the fabric.  I cut the fabric an inch longer and 4 inches longer to have enough fabric to create the pleats.

 
 I serged the edges for a clean finish look.

The beautiful inside.

To create the pleats I pinned the fabric an inch wide.

After pinning, I handed basted it.

Once done I measured the from to the back piece to ensure that it would be a perfect fit

Created a 1 inch hem at the bottom if the skirt.

After basting all of the pleats, took the fabric to the machine.

I hand basted the pleats to ensure that every pleat was the same size. 

Here's a closer look at the serging.

Next up is pressing.

Heres a picture of the inside before serving the seams.   This fabric really frayed

Heres my finished skirt!

I hope this was helpful.  Have a wonderful day.

Self Draft Ankara Skirt

😏Good day all!  Happy Monday!!!

This is what happens when you are determined to have a new skirt!  A few weeks ago, I entered my local fabric store and instantly fell in love with this fabric!  Can you blame me?

I do not have any skirts with a double flounce so I decided to make one.  The joys of sewing your own wardrobe.

It did not take long to make.  One and a half yards of fabric and 2 hours later, I had a new skirt. 

In order to make this skirt. I drafted a pencil skirt.  After fitting the pencil skirt, the remaiing fabric was cut into lare strips. The strips were sewn together and then gathered on one side.  I decided to wrap the fabric on top of the skirt and sew the strips on top.  

I wore this skirt to church and there was a lot of stares. :-)

My eldest daughter and I had amazing time at church.

Books

I read every book from the Bane Chronicles.  They are pretty quick reads.  It's entertaining to read the course of events in Magnus Banes point of view. 

This week, I have started reading "The Jewel" by Amy Ewing.  It really reminds me of the “Divergent” series by Veronica Roth.

This book is the first book of the “ The Lone City” trilogy.  The story line is placed in a world where the Royal family needs surrogates. This book is a page turner.  You guys should really check it out.  

What have you been up to this week? 

Bohemian Style New Look 6516

I love skirts!  I am absolutely in love with this skirt.  I made this skirt last weekend, after prepping for Hurricane IrmA.  I have a Hurricane purse and a hurricane skirt.  I do not want anymore Hurricane items Lol!

This skirt is a great addition to my wardrobe.  I can throw this skirt on and run errands.  I was in line at Joanns when I took this photo.  Yeah Joanns!!!  I will have to take photos but I just wanted share this completed project with you.  My review of this skirt is below.

Were you wondering what patterns I picked up at Joanns?  I couldn't help it!  I had to get a few of the Fall McCall Patterns.  I didn't do to bad. 

Only three!  Aren't you proud of me!  On to my review.

 Sewing Pattern Review
 

Pattern Description:

Misses peasant skirt in two lengths with ruffle and fabric options. Skirts feature an elastic waist for easy sewing and comfortable fit with choice of ruffles or a side slits. Make them unique with contrasting ruffle.
 

Pattern Sizing:

6 to 18
 

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it?

Yes.
 

Were the instructions easy to follow?

The instructions were very easy to follow.
 

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?

This pattern was nicely made.  There was nothing to dislike.
 

Fabric Used:

Black/Blue/Green/Multi 100% Poly Large Abstract Print Crinkle Gauze purchased at Fabric Mart
 

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:

No alterations were made.
 

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?

I would like to make View A in a solid. New Look 6516 is a New Look  "Easy" pattern.  This pattern does require an difficult skills.  However attaching the skirt together but be frustrating to a baby sewer.  So I would recommend this pattern to an "infant sewer (beginner sewer comfortable with basic sewing skills)"  not a "newborn sewer"(newborn sewer is very new to working with sewing patterns and not comfortable with basic sewing skills).
 

Conclusion: 

I decided to make View C.  I cut a size 18 and then had to take it in an inch.  Next time, I will cut a smaller size.  This pattern was pretty tricky.  This skirt requires a lot of fabric.  Gathering the middle and bottom was easy but attaching the middle to the top skirt required some hand basting and patience.  The bottom ruffle piece was Huge.  I felt like I was hemming for days.  It was definitely worth it.  

I gathered the front and back separately to avoid the thread breaking and having to start over.  I love this Look and how flowy it is.  

Progress Report 

Fall Sewing Plan:  Do you remember my goal?  30 projects in 90 days.  If not, then check out my post here. With all of the chaos from Hurricane Irma I have fallen behind schedule.  This is my first project.  I am not going to give up.  I am crossing off one skirt from my list.

29 more projects in 78 days

5 tops

3 skirts 2 more skirts

1 pair of pants or a jumpsuit (first time for everything 

8  dresses

1 cape

2 tops for my tween

2 shorts for my son

1 romper for my 3 year old

1 dress for my 3 year old 

2 dresses for my 6 year old 

2 rompers for my toddler

1 dress for my mom

And something for DH.

No Sewing

I was off yesterday!  You're thinking that's great!  It wasn't.  Usually on my days off, I get one project done and make progress on my month long project.  I started off with Simplicity 1382. I haven't made much progress on it and I wanted to complete the bodice. 5 minutes in my infant started crying.  I tried to calm her down and return to my sewing machine. She was not having that! She made me fall asleep with her.  Yes she MADE me fall asleep.  With force!  Hehehe. She must of known that I was exhausted so instead of me calming her down she calmed me down.
By the time we woke up it was time to pick up the kids from school.  After that, I spent the rest of the night running around.  I guest it wasn't meant to be.

Last night I attended Museum Night at my kids school. They were docents and presented their projects. #ProudMom.

I decided to wear my MimiG flutter top with a self-draft skirt I made last year.

I love wearing this outfit.  It makes me feel so girly.

 

Review

Pattern Description:

Knit Pencil Skirt

 

Pattern Sizing:

I took my hip and waist measurements and divided measurement by two.  I cut the length 23 inches long.  The finish length measurement is 21 inches

 

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it?

This is a self-draft skirt

 

Were the instructions easy to follow?

I did not have any instructions to follow.  I looked at some of my Ready to Wear (RTW) skirts to kind of guide me with the process.

 

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?

Nothing to dislike.

 

Fabric Used:

Floral print ITY found at my local fabric store.

 

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:

None

 

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?

I will sew this pattern again because it came out cuter than I thought it would.

 

Conclusion:

I made this skirt in the beginning of my sewing adventure.  I found it in my closet the other day and knew it would look cute with my Mimi G Flutter top.  I will make this top again.  Maybe in a solid fabric.

Zipper Back Pencil Skirt

😐

After making my Company Holiday Party Dress, I had a little over a yard and a half of fabric left. I do not believe in wasting fabric and I use my resources wisely (I am a Girl Scout).

 

 I do not own a pencil skirt that hugs my figure.  For some odd reason I can never find a decent pencil skirt.  If you find a RTW plus size pencil size that will flatter my figure please let me know!

 

I could not find a simple pencil skirt pattern for stretch fabrics.  I achieved this look with Mimi G's Simplicity pattern #1283.  I cut the skirt back and the lining front to make this skirt.  Yes, that's what I said, the lining front.  I had to refer back to my tips for working with Velvet.  Thank goodness for taking good notes.

 

This skirt was less than a yard to make. I knew it would be hella cute with a zipper back.  

Front Dart woohoo!!!!

 

The hem of my skirt is actually the salvage of my fashion fabric.  I love the salvage so much that I wanted to show it.  And there it is!

 

 

The hardest part was the zipper. After three tries, I was finally able to install the zipper without the fabric bunching up.  I am in love with this skirt.  It is not a perfect fit .  This pattern still needs some tweaking.  But, I am happy with the end result and will definitely make another pencil skirt.

I am losing weight Yeah!!!!  Woohoo! Unfortunately, I am losing my butt boooooo! 

 

Next on the cutting board:

Simplicity 1382
We're approaching the end of the school year and my oldest daughter has a few events coming up.  I  ordered two dresses online but, I decided that I should make her a dress as well.   Before diving into this pattern I had a figure out some things first.  This pattern stops at a size 16.  My daughter is a size 18.  I figured that I would grade this pattern up to a size 20.  I don't remember where I heard this, but you can only grade a pattern two sizes up before the sizing gets distorted.

Then I made a muslin.  I hate making muslins but this dress needs to fit perfectly.

 

 

This is the front bodice which should be cut on the fold but like an idiot I was not paying attention and I cut two.  Follow directions!!!

I had to sew my the bodice in the center.  That's definitely going to screw up my front bodice. 

I have lost my mind.  This is my first time grading up a pattern.  I've made a mistake some where.  My front and back side seams do not line up.  I am going crazy!