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04/24/2007: "strawberries skirt"
I got this book - Sew What Skirts by Francesca DenHartog - last weekend after reading about it on a blog (sorry don't remember where). I love it. The strawberry skirt is my first attempt at a pattern from this book and I think it is great!
This is my annual garage sale skirt. I always get a piece of fabric from our annual fundraiser garage sale at the Textile Center and make a skirt. One year it was vintage hawaiian floral, last year it was a peasant skirt from a floral with metallic threads and some indian cotton prints, and this year these fabulous strawberries. (Four people stopped me today and said "I love your skirt"!)
I think the book is great! It has instructions for making your own patterns (rather than paper patterns) - very simple pattern drafting. I like all of the designs in the book (very unusual for me) and there are lots of them. I chose the fitted waist a-line pattern. For the next one I will adjust the waist just a little - I felt like this was a little snug in the hips and a little loose in the waist, but I think a little adjustment of the angle of the side seams will make that better. For this one, rather than do a bunch of alterations, I just inserted a little narrow elastic in my waistband and drew up the little bit of extra. It lays beautifully now.
I had just 1 yd of this 50 in fabric, so I made a back zipper - splitting the back piece in to two so I could get everything cut out. Skirts are really the only thing I have time to make for myself as far as clothing goes, but I love them, so I am thrilled to have this book. Although the book has several clever uses for bias tape, it did not include two of my favorites, so I have put together a tutorial (!) on my favorite uses for bias tape and hems. (post to follow!)