Weekends are wonderful

After fretting last week about so much to do and so little time, I had a most lovely weekend!

Saturday was spent anchoring out on the north side of Kelley's Island. There is a fantastic public beach set in a lovely little cove. The day was spent enjoying the sunshine and blue sky with friends and family.

Beyond the relaxing, I accomplished sew much! Forgive the pun, but it really is true.

Remember the Sew, Mama, Sew Summer Skirt Sew-Along? The skirt now has side seams! And it gets better. I got to test drive the Sewing Advisor on my Husqvarna Viking Topaz 30. It rocked. No dials, no playing around with the tension, I literally with the press of a button told the machine what kind of fabric I was using and my stitch length, tension, everything - set for me!




The Buttercup Bag, from Made by Rae? Pattern printed, cut out and fabric selected! I rummaged through my stash and found two coordinating prints that have more than a fat quarter a piece.



And the fun doesn't stop there. The other item on my to-do list, the Pool Robe? Towel located with coordinating scrap fabric for the bias tape and sash!



The fun doesn't stop there. I even whipped up some earrings for myself to start the week off with some sparkle. A little sterling silver chain, two odd pearls and a pair of amethyst briolettes and I have a little present for me!



Now I have three projects going at once, but I'm not as worried about Summer slipping by!

Skirt Sew-Along: Scissors in Action!

I get to cross something off this week's list!

The skirt pieces are cut for the Sew, Mama, Sew! Summer Skirt Sew-Along. The waist piece still needs cut, but shhhh. I am bathing in the joy of accomplishing something.

On a not so happy note, the pieces look huge. So even though I measured, re-measured and triple checked before I cut - something could be wrong.

But that is OK. This skirt is the prototype for many a perfect A Line summer skirt to come. That is why the crazy fabric and adhering to the summer deadline.

In my imagination I have a little army of perfect A Line skirts in my closet. Dark denim, chocolate brown, camel ... all just waiting to be part of a wardrobe I made myself.

Summer Skirt Sew-Along: Taking measurements

I have wanted to make a skirt all summer long, so the sew along is perfect.

I need to start by taking some basic measurements, but I keep procrastinating. How can I make a skirt without a pattern? Yes, I know this is the premise of the book. Yes, I know I have done it for years with Halloween costumes and other miscellaneous projects. But - can I make something worth wearing out of the house without a pattern?

It seems completely logical.

Waist = 36" + 2" seam allowance + 2 " ease = 40" divided by 4 = A
A = 10"

Hips = 48" + 2" seam allowance + 4" ease = 54" divided by 4 = B
B = 13.5"

Waist to hips = 8" + 2" seam allowance = C
C = 10"

Desired length = 19" + 1" hem + 2" seam allowance = D
D = 22"

Some project notes at this point:

- My desired length makes the skirt to my knees. Once the skirt is together I can try it on and see based on the shape if top of knee, knee cap or just below is best.

- I'm a little concerned about the waist measurement. I'm not sure based on my shape if an A starting at my natural waist is a good choice or if it would be better sitting on the top of my hips. Again, worth trying on the skirt and adjusting as necessary.

- Some of the measurements are divided by 4 because the front and back is cut separately, how should I work with the fabric pattern and how careful do I need to be with the seams?

- Based on the fabric I selected for the trial run, does a lining of some sort make sense?

Machine notes:

- There are some machine features I want to use as I work through this skirt.

- The FIX function in sewing mode replaces the need to backstitch (wow).

- The Sewing Advisor "... automatically sets the best stitch, stitch length, stitch width, thread tension, sewing speed and sensor foot pressure for your project. The stitch is displayed on screen with presser foot and needle recommendations."

Next

The next step is to mark out my measurements on the fabric and follow the instructions ....

Summer Skirt Sew-Along Started .... sort of

Can you say you have started a project if you have only selected the fabric and pattern? Does that count?

For the Summer Skirt Sew-Along over at Sew, Mama, Sew! I have already picked out the pattern from the Sew What Skirts Book. There is a classic A-Line with an Elastic Waist on page 19. It looks super simple, all you need are some basic measurements (waist, hips, waist to hips, and desired length) to complete the skirt.

I finally found fabric! It was the end of a bolt, so it was totally affordable. And it has black and camel which means it will fit into my wardrobe very nicely. I really want to make a skirt out of the new Joel Dewberry Antler Damask, but only after I perfect the pattern and sewing technique.

Here is the fabric I ended up ...

Skirt Sew Along

There is a summer skirt sew along happening over at Sew, Mama, Sew!

I must confess that I have had the book Sew What! SKIRTS since March anticipating a lovely summer wardrobe full of skirts I have made myself.

Want to guess how many I have made so far? So I am joining the Sew Along in hopes of getting at least one skirt finished before it snows!