Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Skirts

There has been a definite drought of crafts around here. There is so much going on, that even the essentials are being left alone. However, I cut fabric for some skirts for Joy two months ago, so I finally decided to get them done. The inspiration for these came from a skirt I got for Joy at Kohl's last year that she wears all the time. It has a top of denim and then cotton skirt in rings below. So, I copied the idea. The first one I did had to be just taken out - not enough gather. But, this is the second.
These were really easy. For the top three rows were two strips of fabric 5" wide the width of the fabric (a total of 88"). The bottom row was three fabric widths (a total of 132"). I just sewed the top three rows together and then gathered at the top to go match the waist of the denim. Oh yes, I went garage sailing and found several pairs of size 6 jeans. I cut them off just below the zipper to make the top of the skirt. So, for the last row, I gathered the 132" to match the 88" strip. This gives a bit more gather on the bottom and adds a little more ruffle. Worked pretty well.
Then, I had in mind a rainbow one in mind, and I decided that downward stripes would be fun. However, what to do about the bottom row? This was the result.

Hmm, definitely one of my favorites! At some point, if I get a whole bunch of extra time, I will do a tutorial. But, let me just show you the last skirt. It is a little fuller, has strips of varying widths, and adds a couple of extra colors in the bottom ruffle. And, it is dang cute.

Want to try? So easy and fun. The color combinations are endless, and I am thinking about making them a basis for Joy's wardrobe. She loves skirts, and these are long enough to be very modest. I just need a few more garage sales.