The Evolution of the Swirly Skirt

Gosh, it's been awhile since I added to my blog. I've been working on my swirly skirt. I just love it. This is a slightly morphed version that I turned into a sundress. I like how the striped fabric starts out vertical and ends horizontal at the skirt hem all in one piece because of the way I cut that pattern piece. This one is going up on ebay in the next day or so, I have to finish the hair clip to match, it's going to be made up of those pretty little green fabric flowers.

The Swirly Twirly Skirt

This is a tester, i'm working on. It needs some final tweaks, but other than that I love how it came out. It's very twirly and swirly, hence the name, lol. I'll post more pics after I've tweaked it to include some spiral ruffles.

Here are two boutique-y outfits I just finished for eBay and put up yesterday. I call the polka dot one - Lotsa Dots, lol. Stupid I know, but I like it. And the other one is some of the famous Amy Butler fabrics from the Charm line called "chocolate mint" so it's appropriately titled Pink Chocolate. I thought the action shot was kinda cool, it shows the wonderful twirliness of the skirt.

I love making boutique-y stuff, it's so fun....sigh. I wish adults could wear whimsical stuff like that, lol.

I made a Vogue pattern

WoW! I'm so impressed with myself. So a confession about me, I loathe patterns, especially tissue patterns. I hate them, I hate them, I hate them. I generally make up my own patterns. But dd needed a "chinese" costume. This is international week at school and Friday is the big day for first graders to present their projects complete with a costume and food, if they want. And it's perfect timing to show off a gorgeous mommy made outfit, lol! Her outfit is done with asian fabrics covered in cherry blossoms - which symbolize feminine beauty. I was trying to find a print with dragons, I read dragons are popular on chlidren's clothing in Asian cultures to ward off evil spirits, but I think dd likes the cherry blossoms symbolizing beauty better than the dragon thing, lol. I'm going to have her bring spring rolls for her food - they're eaten during chinese new year to symbolize "wealth" because their shape is like a gold bar. Man, I'm starving for spring rolls now, lol.

So I picked up this Vogue pattern and decided to do View A - the pants and top version. Truth be told, I was kinda scared of it, lol. I have this secret feeling that I'm not a "real" seamstress and Vogue patterns must be for people who know what they're doing. But I really don't know why I think that way, I've been sewing since I was 12 and I've been designing my own things for the past 5-6 years. I am dying to go to fashion design school, I think when and if I'm able to get my degree in fashion design, then I'll feel like a "real" seamstress, lol.

She eventually loved it. She wore it all day to school for the end of "international week" at school.

Deconstructing to create a pattern

So I found this awesome t-shirt and I loved it so much, I went and bought another one to rip apart and use as the pattern, lol. Is this weird? I dunno...Anyway, I'm going to do a little sew along with pictures for informational purposes. I figured a t-shirt for $6.50 to rip apart was about the same price as a pattern, and it would save time instead of having to trace a RTW t-shirt and then do a couple of run throughs. Anyway, be on the lookout for my deconstruction sewalong coming veddy, veddy soon.

Amy Butler fabric for CHEAP - Part II

So I went back after the sale to Hancocks and I found more Amy Butler fabric. And guess what? The regular price of flatfold wovens is $1.99/yd, so I still got it for $1.99/yd and I found even more stuff. I found Michael Miller prints and a gorgeous border print, I can't remember the designer. And even more Playa Sur prints. Anyway, so check your Hancock's. I think Free Spirit must be getting rid of AB fabrics since she's jumping to a new fabric company, though I can't remember the name, lol, so that's probably why they are turning up for cheap.