Good afternoon, all!  I’ve been sewing up a storm.  My creative spark has returned, at least to help liven up my summer wardrobe.  Just when I think I’ve got the sewing bug out of my system, I’m onto another project.  Today I’m just going to share this latest one, a super easy wrap skirt, because it’s on theme for our 4th of July weekend that’s just around the corner.

The pattern I used is the Audrey Wrap Skirt by Fig Tree & Co.:

Like I said before, this was super easy to make.  But as always I made some modifications to suit me better.

Instead of commenting about how much I need a tan, and that I’m 2 minutes away from getting up from my chair to drive to the nearest Rite Aid to buy some self-tanner, let’s just get into the skirt details, OK?

This skirt pattern needs to be traced which my lazy self usually does not like to do but since modifications were imminent it worked out for the best.

Fabric: The main fabric is a lightweight dark denim that I used, inside out.  I think the wrong side has a nice, summery linen-like look to it.  The homemade bias tape is red, white and blue feedsack-inspired fabric from DS Quilts (available at Joann’s) that I got on sale.  This skirt is intended to be reversible but since I was using denim, albeit a thin one, I didn’t want the skirt to be too heavy or stick out too much.  (This is where the idea of using bias tape on the edges came in.)

Size: the pattern is one size fits all, sizes 8-14.  As a petite person I knew this didn’t apply to me even though I usually wear an 8 (or maybe even a 6) in modern patterns.  With mods of course.  I had to take out a few inches in order for me to wrap this skirt around my waist without too much overlap (a wrap skirt that is too big would not allow me to wrap the waist snugly enough).  In addition to that, I decreased the flare of the skirt panels (quite a bit actually) so that the finished piece would be in proportion to my petite frame. (Since petite-ifying patterns is not just about making them smaller!)

Length: The knee-length version was way long, more like mid-calf on me.  And according to this calculator (via Extra Petite), the ideal skirt length for me is 2″ above the knee.  So there you go.

Bias tape: I trimmed the 1/2″  seam allowances I added from the waist, 2 outer skirt edges and the hem.  I also rounded the edges of the lower corners to avoid mitering the bias tape (which so happens to look cute as well).  I didn’t calculate how much bias tape I needed even though this calculator is very handy…so I have a bunch leftover!  The tape starts off 2″ wide and is double-folded resulting in 1/2″ wide bias tape-y goodness.

When sewing on the bias tape I pinned like crazy.  Maybe not everyone needs to do this but I’d prefer to avoid missing the underside of the bias tape edge and having to re-sew it.  This is one of those times where I’ll pin parallel to–or with–the sewing direction rather than perpendicularly.  This ensures both edges of the bias tape (the outside and inside) will be sewn together.

I took this out for a test drive and even when the wind blew I was well-covered, yay!  So far I have 3 such wrap skirts and am in the process of making another.  I know, crazy!  I’ve also made a blouse and a summer blanket (the latter consisted primarily of sewing 2 large pieces of white quilted fabric together and edging it with some homemade bias tape).

OK, off to buy self-tanner!  Heehee, OK, not really.  (OK, yes but not now–later.)

If you live in the States (or are patriotic ex-pats), do you have fun plans for this holiday weekend?  Either way, I hope you all have a ball!

A quick little post about a mini project I did yesterday.  (Nope, the ’20s dress hasn’t been made yet as I’m still figuring out grading the bodice.)  I recently bought a new pair of sunglasses.  Normally I wear these designer ginormous ones, not so much to make a fashion statement but to provide full coverage in terms of UV protection.  But I’ve been looking at getting another pair for a while, something light and fun for spring/summer.  Something not quite as huge.

Cute, right?  I stumbled upon these peachy keen sunglasses at Target!  I love the translucent frames and tawny lenses.  And surprisingly they don’t pinch my face or slide off my nose.  (The one drawback to having a petite [half-]Asian nose is that finding glasses to fit can be a pain.)  But, like your typical inexpensive sunglasses, these did not come with a case.  I’m not fanatical about protecting my sunglasses but I would prefer that they don’t get scratched.  (Weird, I know.)  I considered hunting down a vintage one but who knows how long that would take and most new cases are pretty boring or ugly.  So, I decided to make a case (naturally!).

From my stash: stripey denim (like the kind train engineers wear, or at least the ones in my imagination do), medium-heavy weight interfacing and a feedsack scrap.

Nothing very precise about the making process.  I wanted the case to be snug enough so that the glasses would not slip out but not so tight I couldn’t remove them easily.  (I knew in advance I wouldn’t be making a closure–that’s extra work and I wouldn’t use it anyway!)  Basically I wrapped the fabric around the glasses and kind of guessed at the measurements.  So then I cut 3 rectangles of the same size.  Took the denim and sewed up the side and bottom creating a little bag.  Basted the interfacing to the feedsack piece and sewed it up like the denim (except I made sure to leave an opening at the bottom).  Sewed the 2 pieces, right sides together, around the open end, flipped them right sides out (through the opening) and closed the opening with a slip stitch.  Originally the feedsack was going to be the lining so that’s why I put the bottom opening there.  Then I came to realize the fabric was too pretty to hide on the inside!  To finish it off I scootched out some of the denim around the opening to create a decorative “trim,” sort of like piping.  I did not use an iron, not once.  Ha!

OK peeps,  have a glorious weekend!  I’m going to be sporting my new sunglasses as it’s supposed to be quite sunny these next few days.

I’m so glad to be finished with another dress – it seemed like ages since I made one, haha!  This one is made from 2 matching feedsacks, probably from the 1930s.  Luckily I had enough fabric (just enough, really).  When I acquired the feedsacks, I didn’t know I would use them to make something to wear; this type of feedsack fabric is thicker and more loosely woven than calico.  As a dress, I thought I might literally look like I was wearing a sack but the print was too pretty to languish in my stash for much longer so I went for it.  And in my own small way, I was paying homage to all the women back in the ’30s who really had no choice but to use their feedsacks to clothes themselves and their families.  (It’s amazing the pretty and eco-friendly frocks they created with similar sacks.)

The pattern I used is New Look 6889.  I decided on a simple, modern pattern because I didn’t want to spend a lot of time fitting the little pieces together that one often finds in vintage patterns, plus I knew this dress had to be 2 things: easy to put on without a closure and quick to make.

This pattern fit the bill although I laugh and laugh at their “2 hour” claim!  I must be the slowest sewist EVER because it took much longer than 2 hours.  (Even if you exclude the time it took me to make the ruffle and the belt.)  Thankfully, the fitting of this dress was fairly uneventful and not difficult to do.  Based on the given garment measurements I cut out the pattern 1 size smaller than my own.  I also took in the center front an extra 1/2″ (total 1″) and the center back 1/2″ (total 1″) at the neckline because it pooched out (extra width, I suppose, to allow for slipping it over one’s head).  I added some back darts to reduce the tent-like shapelessness which really helped.

To give it a ’30s vibe, one of the things I added is a ruffle around the neck made up of cotton/silk voile (my favorite fabric) that I edged with green thread using a zig-zag stitch.  A little green velvet bow tops it off.

I added elastic to the waist, the same way I did to my Built by Wendy dress.  Much to my surprise I had enough to make a belt!  At first I thought I might go with a vintage red bakelite buckle but opted for this sweet mother of pearl one instead.

Then I added some decorative mother of pearl buttons to the pockets.

(Don’t you love this print?!)

I really like how this dress is so comfortable and, as it turns out, the extra weight of the fabric has its advantages; it feels more substantial that quilt-weight fabric and probably holds up better on breezy days.  (Or should I say holds down better?)

What do you think – would you mistake this for a ’30s dress if you didn’t know I made it from a modern pattern?

Anyway dears, I hope your week is going nicely so far!  We got some rain which really makes me glad.  I just love listening to it.

New prints in le shop.

A lady and her gentleman caller, decorated with scattered flowers inspired by one of my favorite things: 1930s feedsack prints.  Pretty rose-mauve color with cream flowers.  Available in 8″x10″ and 5″x7″.

This one keeps me company and reminds me of the spring to come!