Vintage Gathered Skirt Tutorial

I don’t think this post needs much of an introduction. I wanted a new skirt, I had this great fabric (from budulina), I was inspired one evening - I sat down and made it.

I made an attempt to make a skirt a few months back, and it was great until I had to install the zipper. I made a crucial mistake somewhere along the road and the zipper wouldn’t close! It wasn’t my first zipper, so I’m not sure exactly what went wrong, but I was not about to make the same mistake on this skirt, and I must say I’m very proud of the result. I don't have a serger, so I decided to go with french seams for a perfect finish.

This skirt is relatively easy to make, and apart from the zipper (which can be intimidating) and the button hole (which can be annoying) it’s all sewing in straight lines - no fuss no bother. The design is classic and sweet and can be used for little girls as well as grown ups. Choose fun and unique fabrics to get that wow effect!

If you follow my tutorials you may have seen this before - where possible I make my instructions to your size. Simply enter your waist measurement and the desired length (top of the waist band to the edge of the skirt) and I will calculate the fabric pieces you need. Go ahead, try it yourself!

Waist measurement:
cm

Final length:
cm

GO

Materials

• 2 fabric rectangles 88cm X 48cm for main skirt pieces. Make sure the pattern matches on both pieces, it will be quite obvious if they don't.
• 1 long fabric strip 95cm X 10cm for waist band
• 1 long interfacing strip 93cm X 4cm for waist band
• 1 18 cm zipper
• 1 button
• Basic sewing notions

Instructions

1. Iron your interfacing on to the waist band fabric, 1 cm from each edge for seam allowance (it will be 5 cm from the opposite long edge). Fold over short edges 1cm and press. Fold over the long edge without interfacing 1 cm and press.
   
   
   
2. Place your main fabric pieces together wrong sides facing (yes, wrong sides - remember, we’re doing french seams here). Align the top of the zipper (including the allowance past the zipper pull) with the top of the skirt. Mark the edge of the zipper, and pin from that point to the bottom. Pin along the other short edge (all the way from top to bottom). Sew pinned edges 1/2 cm from the edge. Remove the pins, turn inside out. Fold over the edges where the zipper will go to match the seam you sewed and press all seams flat.
   
3. Repin the seams, same as in step 2 (this time the right sides will be facing). Sew 1 cm from the edge (to ensure that the raw edges are incased in the second seam). Same as before, fold over the edges where the zipper will go to match the seam you sewed and press all seams flat.
   
   
   
   This is where the zipper will go:
   
   
   
4. Turn the skirt right side out. Pin the zipper into place behind one of the folded edges. Using the zipper foot, carefully edge stitch the fabric to the zipper, moving the pull out of the way as you sew. Do the same for the second edge. Sew across the bottom edge of the gap to secure the zipper bottom to the skirt. Turn skirt inside out. See how the raw edge of the fabric is under the zipper?
   
   
   
   Zig zag stitch the zipper and the folded fabric together for a clean finish.
   [By the time I got to this step it was very late and I stopped taking pictures… sorry]
   
5. Hem the bottom edge of the skirt (fold over 1 cm, press, fold over 1 cm again, press, sew around). Turn skirt right side out.
   
6. Prepare gathers: Set your sewing machine on the longest straight stitch it has and sew around the top of the skirt. Do not backstitch at the start and end! Pull the bottom thread gently to create gathers. Distribute them evenly around the skirt, using the waist band as a guide for the final width. Note that the waist band includes 7cm extra for the button tab and seam allowance.
   
7. Align the folded short edge of the waist band with the zipper edge and the long interfaced edge with the gathered skirt top, right sides facing. Pin into place and sew around the skirt 1cm from the edge (stopping at the other side of the zipper). Fold waist band upwards along sewn seam, fold over the button tab to match and press.
   
8. Fold the waist band down over to the wrong side of the skirt top, so that the raw edges are sandwiched between the folded long edges. Pin into place, making sure that the folded edge on the wrong side is slightly lower than the sewn edge on the right side. This way, you are sure to catch the inside edge when you sew from the outside. Make sure the button tab and short edges are nicely aligned and that the zipper raw edges are hidden inside. With the skirt right side out, top stitch as close to the edge as possible, starting from the bottom of the waist band, continuing on the button tab and ending back where you started.
   
9. Make the button hole on the waist band (about 1-2cm from the edge). Attach the button to the button tab.
   
10. Enjoy!

[This pattern is for personal use only. Items made with this pattern may not be sold without my explicit permission]

365 Project: Day 352-365

I know it’s almost the end… And I was planning to give it a real push and take a picture every day for the last two weeks. But - no. And that’s that. It’s over.

Day 352-354: oops.

Day 355 - dieting (those are the pieces of bread I didn’t eat):

Day 356:

Day 357: oops.

Day 358:

Day 359:

Day 360:

Day 361:

Day 362:

Day 363: oops.

Day 364: abstract.

Day 365:

How to: Upholster Bar Stools in a Jiffy

Nowadays everybody has an work island in their kitchen, or if you’re a carefree bachelor - a bar. With these pieces comes a great responsibility: bar stools. If you’re anything like me, by the time you’ve got to picking out bar stools you’re at the stage where your budget has run out and you’re looking for the cheapest option available. For me that means IKEA. Unfortunately, the simple stools are boring, and not easy on my aching tail bone either. So if IKEA it is, IKEA hack is coming up (in fact, even the fabric I used was from IKEA)!

We’ve had these bar stools for a while, and I’ve already posted their upholstered pictures when I posted about my home makeover. However, they’re so easy, cheap and fast to make - I decided that I must share.

The upholstery can be done with or without a sewing machine. If you do choose to use a sewing machine, you will get a cleaner look, and can even add piping for a more professional finish. But, if you just want to get it over with - go ahead with the no sew version.

Materials:

• Staple gun and staples
• Fabric marker
• Scissors
• About 1/2 meter of fabric for each stool
• Foam (enough to cover the seat)
• Batting (optional, it will soften the edges of the seat)
• A baby sitter for the kids (if you have them. Working with a staple gun when there are children around is a bad idea)
• Sewing machine and notions if you plan to make the sewn version.

Instructions:

1. Spread the fabric on the floor and place the batting over it. Place the chair seat upside down on the fabric. Mark a circle around the seat. Do the same with the foam.
   
   
   
2. Cut the foam on the circle mark you made in step 1. If you don’t have a good craft knife, use scissors. They cut foam well, and any uneven edges will be hidden by the fabric.
3. Mark a second circle around the first circle on the fabric and the batting, still together: If you are planning to make the sewn version, make the second circle about 1.5 cm larger than the first. Otherwise, make it about 10 cm larger (it should be long enough to cover the foam, seat and overlap enough to staple onto the seat bottom). Cut around the larger of the two circles.
4. If you are sewing: Measure the diameter of the seat. Cut a strip of fabric and batting 4 times that length by 12 cm wide (make sure that it will be enough to cover the foam and seat etc.). With fabric and batting held together, fold over one short edge 2 cm and pin.
   If you want to add piping, sew in on to the strip now, stitching very close to the long edge of the strip.
   Pin the strip to the circle, right sides together (batting on wrong sides…), starting with the folded edge. When you complete the circle, pin your raw edge behind the folded edge and cut the excess fabric and batting.
   Sew all around the circle. When you are done, edge stitch the folded edge of the strip to finish it nicely (any raw edges will be on the inside). Cut excess fabric and turn right side out.
5. Place fabric with batting on the floor. Place foam in the center of the circle. Place chair upside down on the foam. Fold over one side of the fabric and staple in place. Do the same on the opposite edge. Do the same in the center of both other edges. Start stapling around the entire seat, the closer the staples are to each other - the better the upholstery will hold, and the less loose ends will show.
   
   
   
6. Trim excess fabric.
7. Turn over and enjoy!

You could use easy to clean vinyl fabric for the upholstery, but I figure these are so easy to make, if they get dirty - I’ll just replace it with a new fabric!

Purpose the Purple Purse: Design Decisions

I’ve been absolutely-head-over-heels in love with this purse from GUNAS for a while ago. I set out to make a purse inspired by this design over a year ago, but - as always, just never got around to it. There are always more pressing issues. Anyway, the link is broken, so I guess they’re not selling it anymore, which makes me feel even better about making my own. Not that I was actually considering buying this purse for $275… Way out of my budget.

When I design a bag of any type, I spend a lot of time thinking about what I actually need. What kind of handles, which internal end external pockets I need and any extra touches of convenience that will make the bag just right.

I’ve been using a hand bag for a while now, and while I like the style, it often happens that I really need a shoulder strap. For instance, if I have a child with me or I’ve done some serious shopping and my hands are all tied up. Also, and while this may seem silly, it is very true, I’ve switched jobs and my new job doesn’t have an employee card. Which means that when I go to lunch and I don’t have pockets (usually…) I don’t have a place to put my lunch money card. To solve that, I’m planning to make a small matching insert with room for my cell phone and a few flat essentials.

Another serious issue is that I must have a place for documents and other pieces of paper hanging around my purse and a water bottle holder. Since documents and water bottles tend to clash (and I don’t want the water bottle on the outside, because that would give the bag a sporty look, and I’m not going there), I decided the document holder must be waterproof. I have my requirements, and now all I have to do is design it…

I am actually so bad at sketching, that creating the design on the computer is actually easier. Nowadays there’s probably some fancy name or acronym for not being able to draw, but I survived up until now, I’m sure I can manage a few more years.

Anyway, the purple is the fabric I’m planning to use (the pattern is actually much smaller, but for the picture it was easier to use the zoomed in version). The bright green part is my planned piping, only - I can’t decide on the fabric I want to use… I’m planning on using the same fabric for the piping and the lining. It just so happens that I have 4(!) different fabrics (interestingly enough, and absolutely not on purpose - all from Michael Miller…) which match nicely.

Help me pick one!

365 Project: Day 345-351

As always, lately, the day after I post a whole bunch of 365 project pictures is an oops (345, then 347 too).

Day 346: 

Day 348:

Day 349:

Day 350:

Day 351:

365 Project: Day 341-344

Day 341:

Technically, I took several pictures on Day 342. But they were all bad. So bad that I decided to go with an oops for the day, one more won’t matter.

Day 343: I call this one “kindergarten cat”.

Day 344:

365 Project: Day 327-340

Day 327-328: Oops again.

I don’t know if this counts as an excuse, but I’ve started a new job and I’m getting serious about opening my crafts business (what exactly I’m planning is still secret…), so the 365 project has really taken a back seat. Lucky for me, I’ve been cooking and baking a lot, so I have pictures for most days because of that…

Day 329:

Day 330:

Day 331: oops.

Day 332:

Day 333-336: major oops.

Day 337:

Day 338: Diamond Jubilee celebration. I was invited…

Day 339: The good luck bamboo is finally showing some signs of life.

Day 340:

Partly Cloudy: Crochet Pillows for Kids Tutorial

I’m never sure when we can officially declare “summer is here”. Even though I’ve been carelessly sunburned twice already (I should really be more careful), there have been many days when it was quite cloudy, or even worse - sand stormy (yuck!). Given that the weather hasn’t stabilized yet on “hot, humid and unbearable”, I have to check what the weather will be every day, so I can decide if it’s long pants or shorts for the kids. And there it was that inspiration struck me and I HAD to make a partly cloudy set of pillows.

As usual, I started with no specific recipient in mind, and my children took them over as soon as they possibly could. So I guess we’ll have another set of pillows to fill the kids’ beds (as if we don’t have enough junk dolls in there already).

In order to make the partly cloudy set you will need basic crochet-in-a-circle skills, so while making all the pieces might take a while, it shouldn’t be very difficult.

365 Project: Day 324-326

365 Project: Day 316-323

Day 316: I got me one of those magic bun things for my hair, I’m very happy with the result (yes, I took the picture myself, it definitely counts).

Day 317: oops.

Day 318: my pasta plate just turned out so nice.

Day 319: oops.

Day 320:

Day 321 & 322: oops

Day 323: This is what happens when your daughter paints all over the table and you wipe it up. A blue hand print.

365 Project: Day 315

I spent the day walking from bank to bank in the center of town. No one managed to actually help me, but I got a nice long walk, and quite a few nice pictures out of it.

Hey, look - they named a store after me… I do love shoes…

There’s lots of urban renewal going on in Netanya right now. For some reason, there were a lot of complaints about the flower pots for trees design concept, but I’m not sure why. I happen to like it.

This building is a British building from the 20s or 30s (I think…), and it’s been beautifully restored! I love the paint colors and the geraniums add so much color…

And here’s another cute touch - a mosaic border for the trees on the side walk.

And last but not least - R.I.P. Maurice Sendak.