kcwc spring 2012: day one
April 22nd, 2012
Welcome to the first day of the Kids Clothes Week Challenge! I am so happy you are sewing along with me and 550 others. If you are new here I want you to know that even though the challenge is to sew for one hour a day, each day, for a week, not everyone sticks exactly to the plan. There are some that work a little bit on one garment all week and others who try to finish a garment every day! It doesn’t matter how many successful garments come out of this week; all that matters is that you sewed, or cut fabric, or traced patterns a little bit every day.
I try to use the challenge to have something finished to show you each day. That means of course I’ve been sewing for a few weeks (and I’m not nearly done). Don’t think I’m some magically motivated blogger who just sews happily into the night. No, I was very much dragging my feet at the beginning, but slowly I started getting more excited about what I was sewing and then started to think up new things I could make. And in the end I cut out way more patterns than I could ever finish. That’s the beauty of kcwc: just a little bit each day and suddenly this creative energy comes out of nowhere.
Okay enough already, what about the skirt up there?
the pattern: ayasha skirt pattern by Figgys
the fabric: I used an old linen curtain from ikea that I dyed gray. I dyed it about a year ago meaning to use it to make a summer skirt for me, but I couldn’t resist making matching spring clothes for my kids (the boys got pants). As I was finishing up the skirt, we put on our Sound of Music record just to make the curtain-clothes-making-ridiculousness complete.
the sewing: The pattern was the just right amount of challenge for me. There were pleats, pockets, a waistband, a button placket, and buttonholes–pretty involved for a little skirt! The instructions were clear and very concise, sometimes a little too concise. There were steps I had to read 8 or 10 times to understand exactly what I need to do, but now I know how to put on a button placket! Funny, the button placket is probably the most poorly sewn bit on the skirt, but it’s the bit I’m most proud of. Everything else turned out great. Miraculously, the buttonholes even came out perfect! I didn’t really change much, except I put a bit of purple in the pockets and used buttonhole elastic in the back. The skirt fits her just right and looks like it will until the fall (if she doesn’t grow too too much).
There are a few eager beavers the have some beautifully finished garments in the flickr pool already:
2. kcwc day one
4. birdwing top
What are you doing on the computer anyway? Go sew!
That’s a lovely skirt you made! Love the linnen and the idea of reusing (curtain) fabric. So nice to see Mila’s dress on your blog, now I’m off to the sewing machine to make an other dress…
you can count on me again!!! Thanks for doing this, it’s always so much fun ;)
I found you thanks to Me sew crazy and I’m in love with this chanllenge of yours. How can I step in? Should I send you pictures or posts links?
It’s so exciting…
Thanks
Federica
Federica, it’s super easy! just add your name to this list of comments on this post: http://www.elsiemarley.com/kids-clothes-week-spring-2012.html#comments
then sew along with all of us!
Beautiful skirt! Love the reused, redyed fabric. Somehow I was convinced KCWC started yesterday. Guess I’m hung up on a Sunday-Saturday kind of week, not a blogging week, he he;) Anyways, an extra day thrown in there never hurts right?
That skirt is lovely! I love how natural it feels :)
I’ve started a spring coat a month ago, and now I’m still waiting on buttons… So I’ll have to wip out some other things to enter for this week! Hopefully the buttons will turn up (from china) soon!
http://demilunes.co/?p=1853 there for the spring jacket!
So adorable! I’ve got two of these cut out to hopefully make this week. I love the idea of re-using, hand dyed fabric, so awesome!
I love your skirt!
Great skirt!
I’m just uploading my photos from day one to flickr :o)
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I love that skirt and I am so excited! I plan to pace myself this time around, but then seeing all the great stuff everyone creates, well it always adds to the list of to-sews! Hooray for creative energy!
It looks like a girl version of the Wiksten Tulip skirt. Very very nice, especially that fabric mmm!
I thought the same thing!
WHoops! What am I doing still browsing! Gotta go sew……
Thanks for sharing my pants with round pockets! I feel honoured. Tonight I finished pyjama’s , they were laying around for nearly a year now ….
Great idea to reuse the linen curtains! Love the buttons and pleats!
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