Summer Skirts

The weather is heating up in Melbourne, so it's time to refine my summer skirt making skills. Usually with winter skirts, I make a half wrap on a diagonal and then sew it down (see table runner skirt for reference). But I needed a different design for a cotton skirt, so I used an op-shop skirt (bought in South Australia) which fits (but is a bit ugly) to draft the pattern.

For this trial project I used a $4 a metre material bought on sale from Spotlight in an Alice-in-Wonderland key design. It will be worn with my necklaces made from antique house keys and clock keys.

Rear view.

The pattern worked really well and I was on a roll, so I made another one using the same design with Lions! Material also on sale, but actually from the kids section. Big kids like lions too..

 But, I was also super fancy and drafted some big comfy pockets to sit just below the waistband. I had in the back of my mind a skirt I used to own from 'Quick Brown Fox' in this style before it (ahem) shrank in the wash.

Pockets!

Bird Badge and Skirt

Years ago I saw a beautiful silk skirt in an op shop which (alas) was too small. I was stoked to find this lovely thing at the Lost and Found Market on Smith St in Collingwood. It feels beautifully light, as though you could fly away...

Because it was too long, I decided to harvest a bit of the length to make a badge. Originally I had decided to make a flower, but once I'd hemmed and over-locked the skirt, there were only scraps left. So I sewed them together in a sort of patchwork with a piece of vinyl and some buttons for eyes.

The finished one has a maroon button for an eye. Y'all will have to use your imagination...