Another ruffly tiered skirt

One of the issues with having two daughters is that if you make a pretty skirt for one, you have to make it for the other! So I did. This time I used contrasting fabrics, and I didn't use my buttonhole stitch for the top of the tiers, just a simple hem. It worked just as well. I realise now that this photo only really shows the bottom two tiers, the third is the same fabric as the bottom tier. Oh, and the photo also shows a Milo face! Oops.

A ruffly tiered skirt

We own quite a few skirts in this house, even excluding the handmade ones, and my favourite of the store bought ones are those with an exposed seam. I'm not sure what the technical term is, but the ones that are gathered with the top of the bottom tier sitting on the outside.

So I thought I'd have a go at that, and I'm really impressed with the results. The top of the tier acts as a little ruffle and looks so frilly and girly. I love it. Lizzie does too, despite her reluctance to be photographed!

The fabric is from Spotlight, and I love the mix of colours - it will pretty much go with most of Lizzie's Tshirts.

A bit more info. I hemmed the top of the tier using my buttonhole stitch, and hemmed the bottom just with a straight stitch. I guess it takes a bit of time, but is very simple. One of Louisa's store bought skirts uses a bias binding in a contrasting fabric for the top of the tier. I'd like to try that soon too. Just to add to the girls' skirt collection!!

More sewing!

Quite a bit of sewing to report. Maybe its a warmer weather thing. Here's a couple of things I've done lately.
Firstly, a twirly skirt, which will be part of a present for Louisa's friend, Ava. The fabric was from a local discount fabric store, where I've often uncovered some gems. Their quilting fabrics are only $6, so perfect if you don't mind that the fabrics aren't the latest current favourites. This is apparently is an old Michael Miller. It's very pink, but I think the recipient will like it very much.Secondly, Lizzie was after a nightie. Louisa has a satin cheapy from Coles of all places. She adores it (it's pink with fairies - what's not to love?) as does Lizzie. I raided my stash one night to make her one and discovered this lovely thin knit fabric I'd squirreled away, with plans for a light hoodie which never eventuated. I vaguely traced the pattern from Louisa's, so consequently it's a little big, but Lizzie doesn't mind and at least it will last her a while!

Finally, non-sewing related, but Louisa completed her very first Highland Dancing exam on Saturday. She did very well and was very impressed with her medal - and with this mock magazine cover we put together:

Some sewing at last.

I've finally done a little sewing. Excuse the poor photos but my dear husband has my camera so I'm stuck with the old one.
I made a very simple two tiered skirt for Lizzie, made with this orange star fabric which she just loves. She's a bit of a star gazer like her dad, and orange seems to be a colour she connects with for some reason.
I appliques this cute spare of fabric onto a Target T. I found the sqaure already cut out amongst the high school magazines and old assignments Mum brought up when she visited at Christmas. I can't remember where I got it from or what I was planning to do with it, but this is one time I'm glad my mum is a bit of a hoarder.

Tiered skirt

Here's a quick tiered skirt I made for Elizabeth to wear yesterday. We had our first ever professional photos for the girls organised and I wanted something she could wear when Louisa wore her twirly skirt. So rummaged through my stash to find this love heart fabric. I don't remember where or when I got it to be honest, but the colours blended nicely with Louisa's skirt, both worn with white tops.

My sister's new skirt

My sister needed a new skirt so I offered to make her one. This is quite a simple skirt, but I think the ruffle makes it quite pretty. It has an elastic waistband, but I also added a drawstring so that she could tighten it up if she needed to.
(Photography courtesy of Louisa)

The last twirly skirt

I promise I won't bore you with many more of these, but I do love them. I especially love the potential for mixing fabrics. This one was made using that fabric: also used here, here and here.
And here's Louisa modelling it's 'twirling' properties:

A cherry on top! (Well actually it's on the bottom)

Another twirly skirt, made for a mums group friend who likes to twirl! I'm loving these skirts.

(Not loving my photography at the moment. Not great at the best of times but we're having dull grey weather and my husband has taken the better camera on a motocross adventure!)

This skirt has a bit of a thirties feel to me, or is it just that it's something my late Grandma would have liked? Sad to part with it, but happy that the party girl will enjoy it.

A twirly skirt

I made this beautiful skirt for Louisa. The photos simply do not do it justice.

I knew as soon as I found this fabric that I wanted to make a twirly skirt, but where to find a pattern? Andrea from our EB sewing thread gave us this link. Suddenly twirly skirts were everywhere: here, here , here, here and here- and I'm sure I've seen other great examples. It did take me awhile to finally finish it, but now I have and realise how quick they are, I'm determined to make two more before the weekend's round of birthday parties!

My fabric stash

Everyone talks about their 'fabric stash', and going through the plastic tub that holds my sewing stuff, I realise I now have one. I thought I may as well catalogue it all, if only to get it clear in my own mind what I'll use it for:

Top left: a navy satin, and a Hello Kitty flannelette, both destined to become PJs eventually, and both bought on clearance at Spotlight.

Top Middle: my latest purchases at SL, the first too are quilting cottons, then some pink and red poplin and pink drill. The first one (which was half price!) is very pretty, not sure what I'll use that for. The ladybug one is going in the 'when I get brave enought to start a quilt for Louisa' pile. The others - maybe some pants?

Top Right: Mum has given up on sewing long ago (she was never really very keen), and this is some fabric she had lying around. It's not really my style and I have no idea what to use it for. Any ideas?

Middle left: Another quilting cotton bought on clearance, but I'm considering a dress or skirt for myself

Middle middle: Some purple cord(again from Mum), and two lots of drill. I'm considering some pinafore dresses for Elizabeth when the weather cools down, and as well as pants for both of the girls.

Middle right: Stretch knit - maybe pants and shorts for the girls

Bottom left: Just a close up of the Hello Kitty - so cute!
Bottom middle: Two summery cottons that I'll probably do something with eventually, but I'm a bit 'over them' for some reason.

Bottom right: Gingham! My grandma used to make these funny crossstitch apron things (I'll try to dig one up for a photo) They raised a lot of money sold on stalls for her two favourite charities: Guide Dogs for the Blind, and the local old people's home. So some has come from that, and some bought on clearance.

So there you go, that should keep me busy. I'm going to try and avoid buying more fabric until most of this is used, but I'm hopeless when I see 'clearance', 'sale' , 'bargain' etc.

On the sewing front, here's Louisa's plain white skirt. Not too exciting, but it will go with pretty much everything, and I may add some trim later. But for now, it'll do. It's made with a shirred cotton, which pretty much gathered itself, and my third time I've made the skirt so I found it easy, even french seams everywhere.