Singing in the Rain

Well I have been busy… very busy…I’ve been stitchin’ up a storm and have several dresses and skirts to show for it. However rather than just flood the blog right now I will blog about them over time… plus it gives me time to possibly take some respectable pictures! As interesting as my lounge room wall is, and as professional as the fuzzy photos taken by my girls on the iPhone – I think I can do better.

So first up is the skirt I have nicknamed THE TARDIS. What can I say but – I LOVE THIS SKIRT.

Hello Vogue 1247. Verdict: Sew Cute.

OK the photo is not great but the weather is not helping. Believe it or not I live in Port Macquarie, which the CSIRO once said had the best climate in Australia (they might have said it years and years ago but us locals are still clinging to that). It’s been raining forever. Well not forever, but it feels like that.

I love everything about this skirt. It looks so simple but it’s like the Tardis.

I was a massive Dr Who fan as a kid. It was perhaps the one thing that inspired me to chomp my way through mashed potato (a pet hate) and whiz through the drying up. I was terrified of Davros but that’s another post… I love this skirt as much as I loved Dr Who as a kid – and that’s saying something!

Why is this skirt The Tardis? Well it’s blue. It looks like a simple, practical, functional object… but it’s actually whiz-bang cool inside. And it’s transported me to another universe of joy and satisfaction (happy hand clapping).

It has enormous pockets! TWO enormous pockets! psssst…. I lined them with sew-cute polka dot fabric.

And it has the most adorable finishes, all hidden inside but I think that just adds to the satisfaction… it’s mine… all mine… evil chuckle. It’s my little secret (and now yours – no pressure).

If you don’t believe me – check out the hem below… and that’s just the Hong Kong finish and there is so much more on Flickr…

The entire world should own a skirt like this. It’s just too good not to own. Trust me. Although there are plenty of posts on Pattern Review about this skirt, including this one by the talented and inspiring Carolyn, I think I will contribute another. It’s just too good not to blather on about endlessly.

I know there are a billions things I could have done better, should have spent more time. Coulda, shoulda, didn’t. I was so ‘loved up’ with this project I just had to have the finished product asap. And I’m sure I will make it again at some point so perfection can wait ’til then. This was all about satisfaction.

I have not sewn clothing since I was 18… and that was errrr…. a while ago. I was lucky enough to have a Mum who is an amazing craftsperson. My Mum made me everything when I was a kid. Everything and oh how I longed for a ‘shop bought’ dress when I was a little tacker (ha that’s funny!). While I might not have appreciated it then, I love her for it now. She taught me how to sew, knit and more – and she is teaching my daughters! I’d love to think I could be as good as her one day but she’s super fastidious. Me not so much, I’m more of a fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants kinda gal. Despite our stitching differences, it’s rather nice to sit with my Mum and hand stitch over a cuppa tea (although she’s probably secretly fretting about my imperfect stitch length).

So I’m back at stitching after a prolonged hiatus and this skirt was such a rewarding project to kick-start a new sewing binge. It might have tipped me over the edge into addiction… (lots of happy hand clapping)