June | 2013 | Flossie FT

Wow oh wow did I make some stuff!!! After doing one class last year I decided to go the whole hog this year and book in the weekend. It was a bit of a juggling act to get to all the classes I wanted to, but I was happy with the balance I got to. I collated all my materials with all fabric required coming from my stash and only had to buy supplies for my stamp making class and a kimono to repurpose. Since I have taken so long to post this it will be just the pictures…my brain can’t type today but I am feeling generous at the end.

First was my braided rug which I am using as a shower mat.

My next class was one of my favourites – making a Macaron Pouch

Which opens up

Then I re-worked a Kimono into a skirt… it needs a little re-work

Then I made a Zakka Style Travelling Sewing kit

The next day I went back for more and did some Screen Printing

I listen to Rosemary McLeod talk about history we can learn from the rag bag and got plenty of inspiration.

Then I made a doorstop

Finally I had a great time making hand carved stamps – robots and abtracts.

At the end I was exhausted but pleased that I had completed so many things and I can see myself making more.

As a reward for you coming on this pictorial journey with me I have a give away… a different creation that I have finally completed…

A sock monkey coin purse (one of those pictured above) which is big enough to hold eftpos cards but small enough to fit in your pocket. Just comment below and I will annouce a winner next Wednesday.

At christmas when shopping in Palmerston North I picked up this cute green cord. It reminds me of the bad christmas sweaters that you see on American tv shows. I instantly pictured a simple straight skirt in a similar style to a jean skirt and it was only $8 a metre.

I used Simplicity 7142 that I used for my square skirt. This time I omitted the waistband and made an interfaced cotton facing. I remembered to insert pockets in the side seams using green cotton napkins that I have been saving for this kind of thing. When it came to putting in the zipper I had a bunch of skirt length zips but to be different I decided to go with an exposed black metal zip. I don’t really like the trend of exposed zips but I think it is growing on me especially as they are really easy to put in this way.

Pockets, waistband, zip

In my cutting out I carefully lined up the stripes in the pieces and to my relief when I sewed it up they matched. If I used this pattern again…and I’m sure I will… I need to remove about 5cms off the length of the skirt as I have had to remove it off both skirts made so far.

Since it is winter I also got another piece of cord from the Salvation Army for about $6. This has a wider wale than the green and I managed to eek out a skirt by making the pockets and waistband from different material. I chose a different skirt pattern – Simplicity 9104. I like the square pocket tops and the yoke at the back which I think gets a little lost on this fabric.

I shortened the skirt to knee length and did a cut and slash on the pattern to fit my measurements – which worked quite nicely.
I decided to have a little fun since this is a boring brown cord skirt so I made pockets and waistband facing from the red cotton with green mushrooms that I used on my obi.

Cheeky mushrooms

I also finished the insides with hong kong seams using ladybird bias binding from Made on Marion.

Cute seams

I managed to do a covered zip fly and another buttonhole to finished the waistband. Overall this is a very comfy skirt that I have worn to work and around about at weekends… and I have finally got around to taking a photo with me in it!