fixing what one doesn't finish

i've been entirely too fascinated with the internet lately. but sometimes i come across an answer to something i've been stuck on. i haven't been completely satisfied with the linen skirt i made awhile ago; it just didn't feel finished. so, i ripped out half of the elastic, pleated the waistband in front, and dragged my box of embellishments out. what caused this sudden activity? why, the work of christine mayer as seen in selvedge.

i loved the label prints which are so characteristic of old linen, and felt inspired to applique a vibrant chartreuse silk no. 5 to the side. the back was so plain in contrast to the front, so i also sewed some mina perhonen embroidered fabric circles and grey sequins. then, the front was missing some glam, so three rhinestones were added to the embroidered monogram, and some clear sequins scattered amongst the pleats.

i definitely feel better about it now, and love that i was able to incorporate some of my prized mina perhonen fabric. which leads me to my second fascination, acquiring the particle of mina perhonen book. ah, love. i desperately want this book. and some more scraps from kyoto.

repurpose

yes, another skirt. why never pants, you ask? too hard, i don't like them, and when i do they're jeans. but skirts, now those i adore! all the colors, prints, materials, details, lengths, waist band types, pockets, so many delicious things that make up a skirt.

i tried my hand at an elastic waist this time, and it is super comfy, and luckily a little easier to adjust with weight fluctuations. it's making me more aware of tucking in my shirt. and also realizing that most of my shirts are not the tucking in type. somehow i've been buying only loose fitting and flowy tops.

the nice thing about making ones own skirts is that you can add pockets. yum, nice deep pockets. and pockets that hide a fun print. also that you can make a-line and full skirts; especially because pear shapes look so marvelous in them. (it draws attention to the narrower waist, hides heavier hips and thighs, and shows the smaller part of the leg to advantage.)

i added a little button and ribbon detail to the back of the waistband, the color ties into the teal polka dot pockets. because this skirt is not lined i sewed the pockets with a french seam so there won't be any fraying.

in case any of you were wondering where the pretty grey linen material came from, it is apparently an antique crib blanket, with the initials j and a. though, looking at it, the j could be an f or a t. the openwork embroidery on the bottom is what drew my eye, along with the really beautiful silvery color of the linen. i'm really thrilled to be able to use this textile in a new way and to really appreciate the handwork of it as i wear it.

a skirt for mary

while visiting with my friend in michigan we decided to try out a fabric store that i had come across in the pages of thread magazine, the material girls. what a wonderful assortment of fabrics! the owner even had several rolls of nani iro cloth. i was very excited! i purchased a quarter yard of one of her linen prints, fredonner un chanson in rose, as i could use each different color area in my pincushions. another print that i purchased was a lovely medium blue print with gold dots by a textile designer hinemosu notari. it's more of an upholstery weight material.

i talked my friend into getting a yard of the double gauze nani iro coururiere in shades of olive and indigo and with it i would make her a skirt. on previous viewings online i wasn't really thrilled with this print, but upon viewing it in real life i am very enchanted with it. there is such lovely details of pattern and gold embellishing, and the olive hue really has a nice lustre to it. i had also assumed that it was green and black, which is a shade that i don't care for at all. i was happily corrected of my assumption. my friend plans on wearing the skirt to a wedding in the fall.

a skirt with pockets

've been on a nani iro fabric collecting rampage. two yards of each one i love. that would be enough to make something such as a shirt or skirt or tunic. i hope.
one in particular i've been eyeing is the saaaa saaa in pink from the basic line. alas, but my hopes of having two yards were dashed against the boulders of procrastination; there was only one yard remaining for sale. but it would be enough for a skirt, so i went ahead and bought that last lonely yard.
it's strange what you miss when you don't have, and only to come to this realization when presented with what it is. pockets in skirts is one of these things. you live your life for years wearing skirts and then one day you purchase one with pockets; and suddenly you know that this is one luxury you can't do without.
so i used the selvedge from one side of the width for the waistband, reinforcing it with a narrow grosgrain ribbon, created pockets, attached the lining, and installed the zipper. which took longer to attach properly then the time that was used to sew the rest of the skirt. one day zipper, one day i will conquer the likes of you! and in the end i have a light and airy new skirt to wear in the coming toasty months. one with pockets.

creation

in order to maintain creative goodness to last through the upcoming holidays i have been making a list of stuff to create, adding to it as i go. in the last two weeks i've done:

knitted gauntlets
painted new miniature chair
boil felted wool
embellished purse
created a new shirt out of an old one
made a new skirt from nani iro fabric
sewn a cover for euro sham
made a small sketchbook portfolio containing loose paper

here's a sampling of photos of some of the above things. and a photo of my desk during the creative process. it becomes a wreak of strewn things from books, to sketches of ideas, and receipts.



absolutely love this yarn, it was a dream to work with. it didn't unravel even though i had to pull out my stitches at least three times, the softness is similar to organic cotton and the dye lot is amazing. i want three more skeins of it.