A couple of weeks ago it was Kids Clothes Week. You may have seen the fairytale trousers I upcycled for my toddler. I really pleased with them; I haven’t actually altered them at all (I thought I would have to make the rise longer but it turns out that they fit better than they did the first time we tried them!)
Next I wanted to make two simple skirts for my daughters, like this:
[Unfortunately that’s not my skirt – it’s the one in Alison Smith’s The Sewing Book]
I’m ashamed to admit: these simple skirts defeated me. I can hardly believe that I struggled to make something so simple!
Using some skirts that fit my daughters, I cut out the pieces from a pink duvet cover that my granny gave me to use as fabric. I thought I would be all clever working like a little production line; I French seamed both skirts in turn…
… and hand stitched an invisible hem on both. (These photos are of the bigger skirt.) So I was left with two bands to work with.
Then I started the decorative work on the smallest skirt. I made the adorable tucks, which are pressed up and down in turn – I love the effect.
Then I hand embroidered the flowers.
And then I had a sudden moment of realisation. Have you noticed my mistake? I had not taken into account the fact that I should have cut the fabric longer to accommodate the tucks. So the skirt had lost a lot of it’s length. My daughter is nearly 2, not newborn. What a stupid mistake!! I just wasn’t thinking! I must have been tired on the cutting-out evening. Lesson learned!
I didn’t even take photos because I was so distraught! But I can tell you that the new skirt was not as high in length as the ready-made one I was using as a guide. And of course I wanted to add an elasticated waistband, I would have needed another inch or so at the top. It was a good few inches to short!
So I cut out another few inches of fabric (luckily I had PLENTY) and stitched it on the top. Then I folded it over and sewed to make the waistband. This is where I’m at now, and I’ve shoved it to the side, along with the other “skirt” – or rather, a band with pretty embroidery a neat hem. The skirt still came up to short. I was fed up, I rushed it, and it all went wrong.
I wasted so much time doing the tucks and embroidery – which, typically, was all so neat!!
Well, I’m going to forget about that, now.
I’ve moved on to something else. Actually – two things, to be precise.
You may have seen in my Sunday Sevens post at the weekend I started the needlework purse that I was given for my birthday.
And I have started making a ‘Sew Simple’ Ruby Dress – the one that came free with Love Sewing magazine a few months ago. I’m making it in this fabulous spotty cotton.
I hope to complete it by this weekend so that I can wear it out on my first child-free night away for some time!
Wish me luck and no stupid mistakes with this one…
Beth x
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The skirt looks lovely, My daughter is quite tall and she often falls in love with skirts that are too short so we just add wide cotton lace or a fabric band. Aren’t those silly mistakes just so annoying. I’m afraid I’m often guilty of rushing and making mistakes! I’m sure the skirts will look lovely when finished. X
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Thank you, I hope you are right and they look lovely in the end. I might do something like you said 🙂 x
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Looking forward to seeing your Ruby Dress. Whilst I love the patterns in Love Sewing. I sometimes think they could be photographed better. They never look as though they quite fit right. Maybe they are using a different model to the one it was fitted on. The reader’s garment always look better fitted.
Make sure you send your photo in of your completed dress to Love Sewing. It always tickle me when I see mine in print.
Enjoy your night off!
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I’ve almost finished the dress now, I’ve just got to hem it!
I totally agree with you there, I think it’s the wiggle dress that I think looks particularly awful in the magazine! And I think it’s the last issue that has a denim skirt in that looks horrendous!!
My Brigitte dress was printed in Issue 2 which took me by surprise, it was a rubbish photo though! I will hopefully send a good one of my Ruby if it turns out well 🙂 Thank you!
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Oh dear, I hope your rescue plans work out – such pretty embroidery too:)
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I hope so too…. Thanks, hopefully it won’t go to waste 🙂
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Oh that is too bad! And the skirts look so lovely too. I’m glad you shared this because I’ve been having a couple project fails of my own and it’s good to know that sometimes other people’s projects don’t go the way they planned either 🙂
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There must be something in the air 🙂 It’s pretty embarrassing to make such silly mistakes but we will learn from them I guess! Well, I hope!
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The needle work purse really appeals to me. I love squares of colour. So enticing. Well done (helps one forget the pin tuck error, which I have made before).
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I think it’s going to be so beautiful. I’m glad I’m not the only one in the world to make that mistake!!
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Oh dear – your embroidery is so lovely too! Can you save the mistakes and turn them into something else?
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Thanks… Yeah I hope I can use it for something else like some clever sewing bloggers have suggested 🙂 In theory the ideas are good but it’ll depend if I’m in a good sewing mood and things work out for me or not…
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Very pretty embroidery detail!
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Thank you – I hope I can do something with it so that it wasn’t a total waste of time!
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Happens to the best of us 😉 Such a shame when your tucks and pleats were so pretty… Hope you can rescue it into something else. Lovely spotty fabric, looking forward to seeing your Ruby dress 🙂
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A big shame 😦 thanks, I haven’t got much more to do now but my children know that I’ve got plans this evening if you know what I mean!!
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Love how we’ve all trained our children not to interrupt when it’s sewing time 🙂
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Oh well the little one was up til 9pm, the little tinker, so I’m up late trying to get it finished!! Back seam and hem to do, it’s looking great!! 😀
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Poor you! Looking forward to seeing finished results though 🙂
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You are having a productive week! I’m really looking forward to seeing the finished purse and Ruby dress!
Have you got any floral fabric you could add to the bottom of skirt maybe? Or a wide cotton lace trim perhaps? I think it looks really pretty, especially with your hand embroidered flowers!
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Oh, I really love the idea of adding a floral band to the skirt! If you have something that would work, that would be really cute.
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That’s a great idea, it hadn’t occurred to me that I could add something to the bottom. I will have a rummage when I’m in the right mood to tackle it! Thank you!!
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Beth I am so excited about your ruby it will be beautiful such gorgeous fabric. The skirt is so pretty such a shame it is still too short, could you adapt it and make a kind of 20’s drop waist dress? Seems a shame that you made all that effort and it looks soo pretty to be too short!
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It’s going OK so far so fingers crossed it turns out as gorgeous as it should be!
That is an amazing idea, I very well may do that once I calm down about it haha! X
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