School Skirt 1

I'm making my daughter some skirts for school. This is School Skirt 1. It's a simple gathered skirt with a black elastic waistband.

Notes to self:
I used 1m fabric. If I want to add a tier of ruffles, I will need more fabric.
Skirt length from waistband to hem is 15 inches
Width all round is about 50 inches. If using softer fabric, width can be retained. If fabric is stiffer, width can be decreased a little so that it doesn't pouf out so much.
The elastic waistband is 24 inches, one inch more than her waist

This elastic is super soft, not the usual type. It was a lucky find. I had enough leftover fabric after cutting out 2 panels for the skirt, so I made hidden pockets. Is that what they are called? I like pockets on skirts, so that one can wear them with a bit of attitude if one wishes.

I sewed the elastic on top of the right side of the skirt using the zig zag stitch. The 7cm deep hem is hand sewed. I like deep hems. They give a more finished look even though they can't really be seen.

And guess what? Oops, I forgot to sew on the lining! Fortunately the cotton seems thick enough to do without a lining. Anyway, I can tell that my daughter likes the skirt. She wore it out two days in a row :)

Tshirt Skirt

My kids went to camp, my husband went for a meeting, and I ended up with a free Saturday afternoon. So I took a pair of scissors and cut up my Tshirt. It's a very big Tshirt and had enough width for a re-fashion project I've had in my mind for a long time.

There was enough fabric from each sleeve to make one pocket. I used the sleeve hem for the slant edge so I didn't have to finish the edge.

I folded down the raw edge at the top and sewed a channel for a waistband and inserted elastic. I added extra wide belt loops over the waistband. I didn't know how to machine sew them on without sewing onto 2 layers, so I hand sewed the loops to the front of the fabric with slipstitches. The front belt loops are sewn with the fabric wrong side out. I'm good at doing things like that :) But I'm too lazy to unpick, so it stays as part of the charm of my hand sewing.

It was my first time sewing a knit fabric. It wasn't all that different from sewing with cotton, except that I had to be careful not to stretch the fabric. After this, I'm going to be more adventourous and start sewing with my stash of knit fabrics.

This skirt is for my daughter. By the way, I love her red checked shoes. Got them from one of the little shops opposite Bugis Junction for $15!

Every Day Tank

I sewed a simple tank top for myself from the Every Day book. It's the second top I've sewed from this book. The first one was the halter top I sewed for my daughter last year.

I'm between a size 11 and a 13. After comparing the pattern measurements with one of my tops, I chose size 11. And wowee gozalee, there's nothing like taking one's measurements to face the fact that one is not quite the same size as one thought!

Pattern: No 12 from Every Day Book
size: 11

My first attempt at gathering the front ended up with a neckline that was way too low. I unpicked the binding and gathered more of the fabric with smaller stitches and thank goodness it resulted in a wearable neckline. But I overdid it. As you can see, the gathers pull to the left and right.

I like the fit. The armholes are comfortable and there's just the right amount of ease in the body. If I sew this design again, I will make it longer, to tunic length.