Sometimes It's Just...

…Not right.

I have been trying to do some stash busting this year.  I wanted more space in my closet for things like clothes, and less space taken up by things like half finished sewing projects from my high school years.  I used these drawers for most of my quilting fabrics/notions, and now that a lot of the crafting supplies I actually use aren't in the closet anymore I'm ready to get some of those 3+ year old projects gone!

Most of the projects I no longer care for and don't see a need to complete as intended.  Why bother finishing a vintage dress I will never wear?  So when one of the fashion bloggers I follow - M Loves M - posted this outfit:

http://www.mlovesmblog.com/2014/01/a-sunny-new-year.html

...I thought "why don't I turn that bright blue dress that I don't want into a beautiful, bright colored, pleated skirt?"

I took the skirt pieces, did a little cutting and a lot of measuring, and stitched it together.  Then I held it up to me...

Yep, I just posted a mirror selfie.  Feel free to judge.  :P

Maybe the fabric is too heavy.  Maybe I'm terrible at making up patterns (yep).  Whatever the reason, I'm not planning to finish this project.  Another learning adventure!  Planning and sewing are fun, but they don't always turn out as we intend...

Pencil Skirt Failure

One of my first sewing projects was a 50's circle skirt that didn't turn out.  The waistband was wonky, and it hung strangely.  I wore it around the house a few times and then threw it in my closet thinking someday I might try to use the fabric for some other project.

Well, that day finally came when I decided to try to make it into a pencil skirt.  I based the shape on a skirt I already had and set to work.  And when I finished...  I realized I would never wear this skirt.

It's not absolutely egregious, but it hangs a little funny and is kinda tight at the top.  The fabric was cheap to begin with, so I'm not sure there was anything I could have done to make this turn into a nice skirt.  But at least I tried!

As you can tell, I didn't even bother to hem it.  But I did get the fabric out of my closet, so yay for stash-busting!

Speaking of stash-busting, one of my goals this year is to try to complete at least one stash-bust project a month.  I'm hoping to have the "stash" in my closet pretty much gone by the end of the year!  Then I can fill it with new fabric/projects.  ;)

Be Bold, Be Bright

Recently I've done a lot of Pinterest searches for "bright skirts", "bright, full skirt", "brightly colored skirt", and so on.  This may or may not be related to a sewing project I'm working on...  But you'll see that when it's finished.  For right now I'm here to share some of the inspiration I've discovered.

http://www.asos.com/ASOS/ASOS-Belted-Full-Midi-Skirt/Prod/pgeproduct.aspx?iid=2340309&cid=13632&sh=0&pge=4&pgesize=20&sort=-1&clr=Bright+pink&r=2

http://www.simplyboldblog.com/2012/01/do-you-subscribe-to-nordstroms-catalog.html

I love each and every one of these.  Bright colors are just so fun!

http://www.merricksart.com/2013/05/sunshine.html

http://www.simplyboldblog.com/2012/01/do-you-subscribe-to-nordstroms-catalog.html

And I rediscovered one of my favorite photo shoots of Jennifer Lawrence.  This yellow skirt is serving as current inspiration, but the whole photo shoot is great.  Her hair and clothes are simply perfect!

ppsl-05-jennifer-lawrence-cov.jpg

What's inspiring you this week?

Pink Ruffles

Ruffles are so delightfully adorable that every girl should have several ruffled pieces in their closet, right?

Having seen a few online, I started daydreaming about making a ruffled skirt.  Then it occurred to me that a pink fabric I'd been given a few years ago would be perfect - I'd get a new skirt and stash bust!

I looked up a few tutorials (most helpful being here and here), but liked the look of the larger ruffles on this skirt:

http://allnewfashions.com/archives/5105

I used Simplicity 5462 which is a pretty basic straight skirt and just added ruffles (approximately 6" width) to each skirt piece before attaching them.  It worked pretty well, and - besides a weird zipper snafu - everything went rather smoothly.

I don't know what kind of fabric this is, but it ravels quite easily.  After I cut out each piece I zigzagged all the edges, and didn't do any hemming.  I rather like the look of the unfinished ruffles.  :)

Ruffles are just so feminine, and this made the perfect girly addition to my wardrobe!

Grey Pleats

For about two years now I've had this image in my mind of a skirt...  a grey pleated skirt.  Oh, how cute it would look with colored tights!  Or that new sweater I just bought.  Or those boots...

Then someone gave a us a huge amount of grey...  I don't know what kind of fabric.  But now my skirt would be practically free!

So when I needed some cute skirt outfits to wear to a conference last month it was time to actually make the skirt!  My sister had used New Look 6566 (I can't find it on Simplicity's website...  sorry!) to make a couple of pleated skirts that turned out really nicely, so that was the pattern I used.

Making the pleats was a little time consuming, but not difficult.  The only thing that has caused me trouble at all is getting the pleats to stay ironed in...  But I think I'm starting to figure it out.  Just use lots of heat.  :)

I love this skirt!  It's such a perfect neutral color that goes with so many things!

(Oh, and we had a lot of fun with this book photo shoot!  Though getting our cat Schubert to stay on the book pile was quite a chore...  haha)