The Snappy Skirt I Made

Many, many years ago, back when I was in high school, my mom did something extraordinary for me - she paid a local tailor to teach me how to make clothes. I spent a year going to this tailor's storefront and working in the back, making summer dresses, flowing skirts, bustiers (hello, it was the late 80s, people), even a dress for a holiday dance. I even designed my own dress for my high school graduation - though I didn't quite trust myself to make it and we hired someone else to make it.

I had a love/hate relationship with sewing back then. I loved looking at patterns and fabric, and imagining what I could create if I paired a certain pattern with one fabric or another. I loved the idea of it all, the creativity of it. But in practice, I fought with my sewing machine, spent hours untangling the serger, sewed sleeves in backwards (if you know me, this is not unsurprising, as when I build IKEA furniture, I also have a penchant for putting one piece in backwards in virtually every item I build), couldn't get a seam sewed straight to save my life...and cutting on the bias...I still don't know what that means.

I both loved and hated sewing, and so it was understandably bittersweet when I went to college, where I had neither the space nor the time to continue making my own clothes.

It's been twenty years since I last picked up a pattern. And the only reason I did so was because I  was working on a birthday present for my sister that involved decoupage and in searching out ways to make the decoupage process less messy (in case you're wondering, you can forget about it - it can't be done), I happened upon some really interesting web sites. I found sites that showed you how to make "plarn" ("yarn" made from plastic grocery bags - I'm experimenting with this weirdo project so look for a future post on this topic), how to repurpose stuff in your home into something cool, and how to make clothes out of stuff you already own, like bedsheets, pillowcases, and other clothes. It was really interesting, and it sparked my dormant love for making clothes...or trying.

Cutest Skull Fabric Ever!

So I headed out to the craft store and bought an easy pattern and was standing in line to buy a fabric that was on sale (listen, if you mess up at sewing as much as I do, you want a cheap fabric to experiment with),  when I happened into a conversation with the girl in line behind me, who had the cutest little skull fabric. While she and I both agreed that we were not "skull people," the fabric was irresistible, so once she took her yardage, I added whatever was left to my bundle and headed home to start my big project.

I swear, the hem only LOOKS weird.
That's not the mistake I made. LOL

Several hours and only one major mistake later (for at least twenty minutes, I panicked over why I didn't have enough fabric, only to realize I'd cut out the wrong pattern pieces), I had a cute, snappy new skirt, which I wore to my birthday dinner. It's far from perfect (actually, though in the photo, the hem looks a little odd, it's really not - it's the ruffles that gave me a little trouble), but it's much better than I expected, given how long it's been since I made anything. I have a few more projects planned, including a pair of pants and an "infinity scarf," which I'm dying to include in my travel wardrobe, so look for more sewing-related posts in the future.