kcw spring 2011: day three

May 11th, 2011

tiered skirt

I forget it’s not always making the clothes that’s hard, because sometimes the sewing goes swimmingly, but it’s the taking a picture that is the trying part. Oh if you could see my daughter’s crabby face in this picture, well actually better you can’t.  How are my children going to turn out, growing up thinking it’s normal to take pictures of pants (and feet, and cupcakes, and anything else random and bloggy)?

stripey skirt

Anyway, the skirt. I wanted to do it in a dark shirting fabric (sort of like my dress), but the fabric store was cleaned out when I went. So I used this cotton seersuckery stripe. The pattern is from another Japanese pattern book I love, Everyday Bottoms.

secret shorts

I added the secret shorts. Figuring out which sides should face each other when I was sewing the two together made my brain break out into a sweat, but it worked out in the end. After I was done I remembered Ellen has a quick little tutorial on a skirt with built in shorts (a skort?). So no brain sweat for you. Turns out the skirt is actually a little long to require shorts underneath, but hey, now I know how to do it. And it’s not hard!

kcwc day three montage

1.leah tunic 2. strong-man 3. elephant pants 4. top and trousers

Look at the amazing stuff that you are making! Check out the flickr group for even more good stuff. I have to admit the laundry is starting to take over the house, but I have plans for more pants and short and I traced a button up shirt pattern, which I think might be going a little too far. How about you? Are you still going strong ?

24 Responses to kcw spring 2011: day three

  1. erin says:

    just traced shorts that were such a p.i.t.a. to manage…and drafted an a-line skirt. hoping to cut something and sew tonight.

  2. Anneliese says:

    Sometimes I wonder if I’m going too far with the picture taking too! I pull out the camera and my five-year-old just rolls her eyes! I agree it’s the most difficult part of the project! I love your skirt and am impressed at yoru stamina. I thought I’d just pull an all-nighter last night to finish a dress for my daugther but it turns out I’m not up for it! I did make some good progress however after combing a couple vintage patterns and tracing to create my own. This dress has a dickey! A first for me. Anyway, hope to be sharing it today or tomorrow when it’s finished!

  3. k a t y says:

    look at it this way: you won’t need to do laundry if you keep sewing new clothes! ;)

    all I’ve done is a swimsuit.

  4. hayley l. says:

    secret shorts = rad.

  5. Great skirt, I love that you made the lines alternate directions.

    I’m still daydreaming strong but not sewing as much as I’d like (of course). Loving all the amazingness in blogland, flickr and pinterest!

  6. Carla says:

    The only thing harder that taking my little one’s picture in the clothes I make is getting him to hold still long enough to check the fit mid-project.

  7. Doris says:

    I am finally getting some done here! cold is gone, banished. I will post pics tonight and blog about it later, too. My photography isn’t that bad, I don’t have kids here to model for me, so most of my outfits are photographed on the back of the couch with the north light coming in a window. Love seeing everyone else’s photos!!!

  8. I have taken to doing a lot of photographing on hangers :)

    Managed to sew the best part of a t-shirt today, which means I’ve completed almost half of the things I REALLY wanted to get done this week. Fingers crossed for plenty of sewing time over the next few days!

  9. I had to drop out of the challenge :-( my machine won’t wind my bobbin at all. I think something is wrong with it so I need to get it fixed.

  10. Svenna says:

    I have replaced part of my sleep with sewing time. :) So now, I have finished all the items on my rather modest three-project-list that I had realistically prepared for this week, and spent the evening going through patterns and books. Wait and see what’s up next…

  11. I love secret shorts! I think they are a necessity for little girls! I really like the way this skirt turned out with the stripes alternating. Very cute.
    Also- I think about all the weird things I take pictures of for the bloggy too and how my kids think it’s normal. “Hold this beet…NO! like THIS!!!” Ridiculous!

  12. Celina says:

    Cute skirt and I loved those pants yesterday! I failed miserably today… but I haven’t given up! I wont bore you with the details (It’s all on my blog…)! However, I will do a mini photo shoot on sunday and post everything on the flikr group sunday… Wish me luck!!!!!

  13. Ann says:

    I need to check out the link about how to make shorts under skirts. Thanks for including that in your post. The skort is adorable!

    I bought fabric and a pattern on Monday. Washed and ironed the fabric on Tuesday. Cut out the pattern pieces for a skirt (for my oldest daughter) and kuspuk (for my youngest daughter – it’s a Native Alaskan dress that can be used on its own or worn over clothes to protect them) on Wednesday (today). It’s taking a lot longer than I anticipated…but hopefully by the end of the challenge, I’ll have at least two items sewn.

  14. Holly says:

    one day….one day, I tell you, I am going to join in the fun…

  15. Kimberly says:

    Strong man shirt! Oh man that is cute, as is the secret shorts skirt – nice fabric choice. The laundry is piling up big time, but I finished a pair of pants and a t-shirt, my first knit attempt, today. I’m hoping for a bit of sun to take photos, but the forecast does not look promising.

  16. Belinda says:

    I love that little strong man shirt! Too cute. Stil in the challenge.
    Here is todays blog post: http://jbcnphills.blogspot.com/2011/05/kcwc-spring-2011-day-3.html
    I am thinking I will have to pop on over and have a closer look at the skort tutorial for my two youngest. Thanks for sharing!!!

  17. Jo says:

    Well FINALLY I have finished something for KCWC! With 3 sick children it’s been hard to get the time, as they say “the best laid plans…” :-)

  18. heleen says:

    That’s a great skirt! I really like that you changed the direction of the stripes for the middle panel. And to attach a pants to it is my Eureka! of the day, my daughters teacher told me that my girl was showing her undies when she is wearing a dress (she’s 4 years old, so no problem for me).

  19. Tatum says:

    Loving everything you have been sewing this week! I am starting to miss my sewing machine terribly after 2 weeks away…and it’s still another 4 weeks until I get back to it.

    My KCWC posts have been scheduled this week…but this is the first chance I’ve had to pop in and say hi! I really had such a great time sewing and was pretty proud of my effort, ending up with 10 finished pieces….I kinda want to do it again…right now lol :)

    Looking forward to seeing what others have been busy sewing!

    Tatum xx

  20. Jenny says:

    I love that (those Japanese pattern books really are great). I’d wear it! And I don’t think it’s too long for shorts underneath at all. At least not in my little girl’s bar-hanging world.

    I’m amazed at how productive everyone is this week. I’m still trying to complete one dress. Would have been finished were it not for a pattern error, which required lots of late-at-night unpicking.

  21. Roser says:

    Uau! I want make a skirt very similar to this just for me! I saw in a magazine a skirt with the same colours and I though: This is for me :)

  22. anna says:

    love the skirt! and thanks for including emily’s shirt. :)

  23. Emily says:

    I LOVE the stripes in different directions! What fun character. The secret shorts are awesome too. :)