Category Archives: skirts

Sep 26 3 comments
Garden, Illustration, Sewing, bathroom, home, skirts

Sewing, Tiling, Digging, Drawing

Wow, it’s been a while since I posted around this here blog. What have I been up to? Let’s see….

1. Crazy MAJOR progress on the pencil skirt. This is a close up of the fabric and lining around the zipper. Just a few finishing touches and she’ll be done and ready to wear. Just as soon as I get new shoes, and figure out a top to wear with it. Neglecting your wardrobe for years leads to gaping holes that are expensive to fill.

2. Getting ready to plant some garlic! I am so excited about this. I’ve dug a trench, but it still needs a little more working and also some compost in order to get ready for glorious cloves. Oh. I need to procure some garlic as well. Minor detail.

3. I have FINISHED [cue Angels chorus] tiling the glass in the tub surround which includes the small fiddly cuts in the corners. I just need to resume with the subway tile up to the ceiling and then – grouting! Huzzah! I am still trying to find cabinet knobs, need to tile the floor, install the new lighting, shelves, buy accessories, new towels…still much to do.

4. I have been trying to get back into the illustration groove and have been experimenting a little with making custom brushes in Photoshop. It’s been a hard battle, as I have not been sure if illustration was something that I want to move forward with, but I can’t seem to get away from it. We’ll see.

Aug 29 4 comments
Sewing, skirts

Pencil Skirt Sew Along

I am currently participating in the Pencil Skirt Sew Along hosted by the lovely Cupcake Goddess and I spent a good portion of last weekend clearing out my messy office to make room for the sewing machine. Now the office is even messier than it was before (how did that happen?) as I have magazine clippings and files strung out every which way to Sunday in the effort to get organized. In the midst of this chaos, I found a bunch of pencil skirt inspirations I have been saving for this exact moment. See? It works! Keeping all of this shit actually has a purpose! I LOVE it when things come full circle.

I am going to use Burda’s Jenny Skirt pattern and I am thinking that I will need to adjust the waistband, or remove it entirely as I am extremely short waisted and don’t want to end up looking like a stump. I pretty much have everything I need to get started, except perhaps the time, but that can be rectified by extricating my butt from off of the couch. I hear this is how people get things done.

Who knew? The only thing I have left to finalize is the fabric. As this is going to be my very first pencil skirt, I probably need to start with basic black. Anyone who knows me will be having a heart attack of NOT SURPRISED by this color choice, but hey…gotta start somewhere, right? I picked up a beautiful, thick weave Italian linen at Canvas Works here in Olympia, and I already have the most gorg-e-o-so red lining fabric in my stash ready to be put to use. It’s time to get crackin’ with step one! Here I go! Off to print and piece together the pattern.

I think I just might have to buy myself a congratulatory pair of awesome shoes when the skirt is completed. I think this donkey has found her carrot – I might finally get an actual garment made if I reward myself with a pair of shoes afterwards. Why didn’t I think of this before!?

So, today, I will have the muslin sewn. There is a flickr group for the sew along if anyone want’s to join! I’ll be posting my progress there just as soon as I have anything worthy to post.

Pencil Skirt Inspirations

(clockwise l-r)
I so love the odd color – wierd yellow. So not me!
LOVE the button front
Funky pockets? I quite like those
I really like the dropped waist and the belt
I am drawn to button on waistbands
I SO love the the ruffle – and the color of this skirt.
Mure waistband buttons and an funky orange.