BOOK REVIEW: Sew What! Skirts

from sarah the sewist

A few months back, I had tendonitis in my right index finger and basically couldn’t do a whole lot involving my hands---including sewing, knitting, opening doors, that sort of thing. Around that time, to compensate for the fact
that I was totally and completely bored, I went on a book-buying binge. One of those books has been some fun inspiration and helped me indulge my love of oh-too-cute cotton prints.

That book is Sew What! Skirts, which is, as the title indicates, a book of skirt styles that you can create using different techniques that result in a unique set of 16 skirt “patterns.” The authors utilize two basic formulas---one for a straight skirt, one for an A-line---and offer lots of different combinations for fastenings, waistlines and embellishments to make the styles even more unique. In the book, they’ve used really unusual fabric combinations, such as a satiny quilted fabric combine with a super-short Asian-print overlay. Or Barbie-pink silk with a reverse apron that’s in even pinker organza. Or maybe boucle is more your style? They’ve created a unique wrap skirt closed using snap tape, with the hem left raw.

I have made three skirts utilizing the book so far.

First, inspired by the "Asian Dream" skirt:



This skirt utilized an aqua and brown fabric from Michael Miller called "Cute Diamonds." To create this skirt, I used the top of a straight skirt to create a yoke. I inserted a back zipper and utilized a brown bias tape waistband. The rest of the skirt was created by making a large single pleat in both the front and back of the skirt and two small pleats on the sides. I thought the skirt was complete, and tried it on for Josh. He commented on how nice the bias tape waistband looks, and then said, "What don't you trim the hem in the same stuff?" Josh was, of course, correct. The brown bias tape hem really takes the skirt from being pretty cute, to one that get complements each time I wear it.

The next was the one that actually fits me better than just about anything I own. (The Cute Diamonds skirt's a little too big.)This fabric is one that I picked up from Bolt's remnant basket (seriously, the best two square feet of fabric deals anywhere), and I'm not sure of the manufacturer.

This is the most basic A-line with a bias tape waistband and a side zip. I used a blind hem to finish it off.

And, finally, my banana bike skirt:



This was inspired by "Country Charm" with a little "Chinese Takeout" thrown in for good measure. This skirt, of course, has a story. We went to Fabric Depot during one of their many 30% off sales. Saw the Free Spirit/Heather Ross fabric from the "Lightning Bugs" collection that is not only pink, not only the softest cotton poplin ever, but has bikes on it that look just like the super-awesome banana seat bike I had as a kid (yes, it was pink). It had to be a skirt. Unfortunately, it's also very see-through. So, I located some snazzy eyelet for an underlayer. Unfortunately, the eyelet was very ill-behaved, and caused me all kinds of problems when sewing. So, I ended up calling in reinforcements in the form of lace trim to disguise my funky-looking hemming and called it a day. I think my banana bike skirt's awesome. I get a lot of comments on it, but it's very pink, which seems to be a little off-putting to people who aren't into color. Just an observation.

After sewing three skirts from Sew What! Skirts, I really do think it's a fantastic book. It's not going to challenge your sewing skills, unless you're a fairly novice sewer-sewist, but the authors have done two things very, very well. First, they've really provided anyone, regardless of experience and skill level, with the basics to make a fun, useful skirt wardrobe. The possibilities really are endless with just the two basic styles. Second, and the thing I appreciate the most, is that the book encourages you to experience with fabric combinations, layering, embellishments and various closures and finishes. Sometimes, all you need is a little inspiration. Those two things alone make it worth the $16.95 price tag.

The SewER

from josh the sewer

Here is a little bit about me and my sewing (I don't have, at the moment, any great projects to share):

1. I can use the sewing machine well and even sew straight
2. I suck at pinning
3. Patterns still don't make much sense to me, I can make a garment but I need my co-host to help me figure out "what's next?"
4. I have a problem cutting the seams to close, this has resulted in having to re-sew the seams on the raglan shirt I am working on and a hole in my pants (errrrrrr)
5. I like cotton "chillin' shirts"
6. I once (not too long ago) "incredible hulked" a shirt I was working on; I thought the sewing was wrong, but turns out the cutting was bad. It was a muslin, so not a huge loss
7. I am not very good with scissors
8. I have 8 yards of double knit polyester in the garage, but I hate it
9. My goal is to make a really nice "throwback" baseball jersey and to use scissors well; one is possible, the other, maybe not
10. I really like texture
11. I am obsessed with piping (but I like to call it pipping (soft "i").

Back to the Rose City Textiles Sale

Columbus Crew Major League Soccer team jersey fabric. White on white.

Need we said more?

Bag Lady

from sarah the sewist

I've been on a mild bag-making spree, and Josh is proving to be a very valuable adviser in creating extremely cool messenger bags, one for me and one for my mom for her birthday.

First, my Will the Wolf Survive? messenger bag:

Now maybe the fabric designer wasn't inspired by the Los Lobos song, but it's been on Josh's playlist (you know, the one in his head that he sings out loud since we're the last Gen-Xers in America that don't have an iPod) ever since I bought this fabric.This is one of the the most wonderful fabrics ever, designed by Japanese artist Etsuku Furuya, made by Enchino.

I have been carrying this bag every day since it was completed and got the ultimate compliment when Josh and I were grocery shopping the other night. Our cashier first asked me where I got my bag, and after I told her that I made it myself, she asked me if I'd considering making one for her. This was a wild experience, and I can't get over it. I really don't like the idea of someone else having "my bag," though, so for now, it's just something to inflate my ego about to sewing skills and funky aesthetic sensibilities.

The second, the This Thing is So Wildly Over-the-Top that My Mom's Bound to Love It Bag:



The fabric is from the new Amy Butler "Nigella" line, and it's really my mom's style... And really not mine.

There's a special message for my mom hidden on the inside of the strap:




It's not any fancy-schmancy machine embroidery (and you know I didn't do it by hand, due to my strict no hand-sewing policy), our little Kenmore's monogramming feature didn't do half bad.

Josh has a theory that pretty much everything can be improved if you add piping, and I think that my mom's bag kind of proves his point. The piping really does put the bag in the realm of over-the-top that's just right for our purposes.

Sporty Fabric Haul

In our ongoing quest to identify and procure the perfect vintage-style baseball flannel (more on that later), we visited Rose City Textiles deep in the heart of Portland's Northwest Industrial District this weekend. We'd read that they sold fabrics mostly for active wear, and thought they may sell the perfect stretchy wool flannel. They didn't. But it was an experience nonetheless.

We walked in, and were greeted with, "Are you here for the sale?"

Looking at each other, "Uhhh, okay."

We were led through the store (Sarah was momentarily distracted en route but some interesting-looking bamboo knit) to the back, which was an enormous warehouse with rolls of fabric of all colors, textures and types piled on shelves. Our friendly guide to the store then said, gesturing at the piles,

"All this back here is a buck a yard."

We stood there and watched him walked away. It was a heady, overwhelming experience, because this place sells fabric that's from all of the big active wear retailers: Nike, Adidas, Columbia and lots of the designers and boutiques. Literally, there were piles of stuff that we civilians can't normally buy.

Sifting through the piles and piles of huge bolts of fabrics, we found some gems. Josh discovered what's probably the coolest fabric in the haul---a strechy fabric for basketball uniforms from Nike that was the fabric worn by the USA Men's Basketball Team. Does it get any better than fabric AND basketball? Josh also found some interesting red and white soccer jersey fabric and felt the need to purchase quite a bit of red ribbing---and they through in the trimmings from the ribbing as well, so we now have a big pile of red ribbing sitting on the sewing room floor. Sarah found great high-end raincoat material in both brown and blue (the cool satiny stuff) and then went a little crazy and bought who-knows-how-much smoky-purple organic cotton knit that was the EXACT same as her favorite hoodie from JJill. Because you really need lots and lots of purple hoodies. Oh, yeah, and we won't even talk about the hottest of hot pink knit that made its way home with us as well.

All and all, it was pretty awesome. Thirty-eight dollars (and at least 50 yards of fabric---they threw in extras), we loaded the loot into the MINI Cooper---which was a story in and of itself---and headed home, high on the excitement of scoring the weirdest lot of random fabric ever...