So far

I know I've been a little absent from this blog lately. The truth is, I've been spending as much time as possible outside and enjoying the few days of Spring we've had. Also, I'm starting a new job today (yay!) which has been a very welcome distraction for the past few weeks. That doesn't mean that others haven't been sewing. April is my month to send out fabrics for the Pieced Together Quilting Bee that I'm a part of. I want to make a quilt for my living room sofa, so I decided on blues and greens (and polka dots of course). Here are the blocks I've received back so far:


Isn't it pretty!?

Sometimes...

...sewing projects just don't work out. I haven't yet decided if this one has or not.

It's Butterick 4978. I still need to hem the dress and reattach the neck binding, but I'm not sure I will because I'm not sure I like this dress. Don't get me wrong, I think the fit is good, and I like the style. I'm not crazy about the fabric. I used a satin backed crepe, when I should have used chiffon. The crepe feels, um, a little cheap to me. It's also a little too thick for all those gathers. Of course, I could just have mixed feelings right now because of that bias skirt which gave me more of a headache than it should have (lesson: staystitch staystitch staystitch!). We'll see if this dress ever gets finished or worn. I'll give myself a little time away from it to decide.

Let it be known

I was named Bo first.

Asymmetrical Fold Skirt

A few months ago I picked up the inaugural issue of Stitch magazine. The main reason I bought it was because of the Asymmetrical Fold skirt, though it's filled with many other lovely patterns. I made the skirt right away. However, it's been hibernating in my closet waiting for warmer weather. I'm fully aware that I could rock this skirt with some boots, but for some reason I just didn't feel much like wearing skirts or dresses this winter. Now that Spring is here, I present to you my Asymmetrical Skirt.

I used a light weight dark denim and some Farmer's Market cotton for the facing. I love the contrast of the yellow with the dark denim. I had a few problems with the construction of the skirt, but I think that's more user error than pattern error. First, I cut out a wider back panel and added a few darts since the original back panel was too tight (I should have measured this first!). Then I had a little trouble with the buttonholes. When I measured the length of the buttonholes, I didn't take into account the many layers of fabric that I would have to sew and push the button through. So I ended up having to make them a little bigger than I normally would. Also, instead of using the button markings as called for on the pattern, I tried it on and marked where I thought the buttons should be placed. Other than that, I thought the pattern and instructions were clear and simple.

ETA: Caity reminded me that there are a few corrections for the pattern on the web: http://www.quiltingarts.com/STITCH/corrections/winter08.html. These were easy corrections to fix. Just read them before you make this skirt.

Pattern: Asymmetrical Fold Skirt from Stitch magazine
Fabric: Dark denim and Farmer's Market cotton
Conclusion: I think I'll wear this skirt a lot this spring and summer!