New 'DIY' Skirt!

Hey, I'm back!

Sorry I have been MIA for the last little while. For those of you that don't know, I have been VERY busy working on helping my parents move, and getting ready to open a photography studio/retail store. Pretty exciting stuff coming in the near future, but lots of long nights moving furniture and painting so I have been incredibly exhausted. I started a little side project and was able to finish it though so I wanted to make a post really quick and share it with you guys, but stay tuned for studio posts, as I will be doing one of those in the next week or so as we get everything ready to open!

I have to say I should not be allowed in Hobby Lobby because I am terrible when it comes to walking through the fabric section. I went for a zipper, just a zipper, and ended up leaving with a whole bundle of fabric for a new skirt. I was putting it off with the studio keeping me plenty busy getting everything ready, but then I thought to myself, no. I need to finish this skirt because it is a summer weight cotton, and a summer print and I would look awfully silly wearing it in the middle of the winter. Anyway, here is the fabric I ended up taking home:

Isn't it adorable!?

I couldn't resist, and Hobby Lobby always has a coupon on their mobile app, so I got it on sale, and then discounted with my coupon. Talk about a good deal.

Gathering my supplies.

So here we are, with my supplies all gathered, plus my husband just scored this adorable little pink swan pin cushion that I was dying to stab my pins into, so all the more reason to sew right? Basically what I did is made a template from a lovely Winco Foods paper bag, really anything will work, cardboard, card stock paper, paper bag etc. just as long as you can pin through it. Now I am a crafty person, but I am horrible when it comes to sewing. Well, no I shouldn't say that... I have success when sewing, but not always. I'm not about to go sell my creations on Etsy, so don't get any ideas. I have made two skirts for myself before, so I had a pattern sort of worked out as to what I needed it to be. For the life of me I cannot seem to be able to figure out those package patterns you can get at Walmart, or craft stores. All the add this then subtract that and then multiply this, just really irritates me. I don't have time for all that extra work so I made my template for one panel, and I know that if I put 14 of them together it makes the top of my skirt exactly 26" (after hem) which is exactly where it needs to be. The end of it can really be as big or as little as you want. I like really full circle skirts, hence why it requires 14 panels. Basically what I did was laid my fabric out on the floor and guesstimated about how many panels I could fit going horizontally across the fabric. I can fit 3 with about 4" to spare, which is great for hem allowance and bad cut jobs. So after I cut all of the panels out into rectangles I laid the pattern down on each strip and cut the panel out again. Mind you I could have probably skipped the first portion of this step and saved myself from cutting them into rectangles first but since the pattern is directional it made the most sense to me that everything lined up reasonably close.

  

After I got all of the triangles cut out I lined them up and pinned the FACE sides together, and sewed two panels together at a time until they were all sewn in pairs, then I sewed them together, all but one hem so my circle was still open to add a zipper. Now my other two skirts I made I allowed for pockets, but since the cotton is so thin on this skirt, you would be able to see the material through it if I added pockets, and I didn't want to line it as it is a summer skirt so I decided to skip that step.

Forgive me for the horrible light on these, my sewing desk is against the window in my office so I have my desk lamp to work by. Anyway, here I am holding it together behind my back, as it is still open but you can see all of the panels are sewn together, but I left the tops of the waist open about an inch to allow for my hem on the waistband.

The waistband on this one was tricky because I wanted you to be able to see the bus and camper, not just wheels and the tops, so I measured it and folded it so you could see it. Then I tucked the tabs inside the folded section and sewed my hem there. As you can see on the photo on the right, the tabs are all tucked inside and the you can see the bus right in the center of the waistband. Next I added the zipper, and boy do I hate zippers, but I managed. Nothing fancy here, just a standard zipper all pinned in and ready to be sewn.

After finishing the zipper so the waistband is complete, I got to hemming the bottom of the skirt. My template makes it 30" long after hem, but I decided to go a little shorter with this one and measured it out to 26" so it sits right at knee level. I measure from the top of the waistband to the hem then roll the fabric under so it does not fray. When I finished the hem I sewed along the top of the rolled section and again at the bottom of the rolled section, basically at the bottom of the skirt so it would not unroll or pucker after washing. There is nothing quite as annoying as your hem rolling on you.


Be sure to check out my outfit post for tomorrow, as I will be wearing my fabulous new skirt to go out shopping with Tara and her husband in the afternoon. I would have captured a picture of me wearing it tonight, but I have not bothered to get myself ready as I'm about to go move some playground equipment, and I really didn't want to get my new skirt, or any of my skirts dirty while doing that.


I should probably also add, this is not a 'legit' tutorial on how to make a skirt, this is just how I make mine, in what little spare time I do have. If you have an easier way of doing things, I would love to hear how you do it. When I first made my first skirt I had no idea how many yards of fabric I would need, so I went online and found a whole bunch of mathematical equations on how to determine the amount of fabric you will need. After fussing with my calculator for about 20 minutes I finally just decided to say forget it, and got 6 yards. I ended up only needing about 4 yards for a full circle, so just something to keep in mind. If you're better at math, or have the patience for it, I'm sure you would be able to figure out the conversion just fine. Again, this isn't a tutorial for how to do it, just how I do mine. 

These are the other two skirts I have made thus far:

 

The cat fabric I picked up at my local IKEA, I love cats, and my husband loves the color orange so it was just meant to be. The waistband on it is actually a row of cats, but I chose a belt to wear here to bring the black up from my shoes.

With the black one I decided to go with a more steep triangle, meaning the hem on the top was a lot wider than the other one I did, so the fabric is gathered more at the top to make my hips look wider.


Now that things are getting set up and starting to go a little smoother with the studio I should hopefully be back to posting more regularly, so like I said, be sure to check out tomorrows post, as I will wear my new Camp Site skirt, and talk about our shopping adventures!


Until next time!

XOXO

Outfit of the Day

Today was date night for the hubby and me. I chose the following outfit:



























First of all, I want to give a special shout to fellow pin-up gal and blogger, Christina Lynn. This entire outfit, minus the belt, is courtesy of her. She found the dress at the thrift store, gave me the shoes because they were too big, and sold me the purse!

Dress: Shabby Apple Sometimes I love them, sometimes I don't. Their clothes tend to be modest--nothing at all wrong with that--but sometimes very..well, shabby, frumpy, plain. Not so this dress! I felt like a total bombshell in this one. It's a size 6, fits me like a glove. Remember, 36, 29/30, 41. You can't see it well in these photos, but it has a peplum. Very 40s. The belt is my own addition. It seemed to suit it.The dress is very good for summer, very light and breathable.

A note here about for UT shoppers. They have a store in Farmington's Station Park. (140 N Union Ave, Farmington.) It's now called Artichoke Crate. (I don't know why?) But they still sell Shabby Apple dresses and skirts and stuff. They are really expensive, but you can watch for a sale if that's a deterrent. You can also buy their clothing online.

Shoes: Madden Girl

Belt: Thrift Store Find. Brand Unknown.

Purse: True Vintage

Outfit of the Day

Past time for an OOTD post!

Today I was helping out in the antique store and there was a lot to do! But that didn't deter me from wearing one of my fave dresses!

























Dress: Bernie Dexter. I LOVE her dresses. She has the most amazing prints and flattering designs, but size wise, they are weird for me. I one time bought a medium and it fit like a glove, but other styles in medium do not work for me and require seams to come out a bit in the waist area. So I began ordering larges, but then had to dart them in the bust, which I had to do on this one. I also modified it a bit and took the attached belt off, choosing to wear a traditional belt instead. I then turned that cloth belt (that matches the dress perfectly) into a headtie.

Shoes: B.A.I.T. This is the Robbie shoe in gold.

Crinoline: Ebay some time ago. Their heels fit true to size and oddly I find them more comfortable than their flats.

Belt: Gift.

Till next time!

Saturday Shopping with My Girls...

Hello ladies!

I went shopping today with my daughter, Hunter, and her friend, Rose. It was soooo much fun. We started at the Ogden Farmers Market were I found this wonderful little basket that I just love! I have several big ones I use for shopping, but his was just so adorable I couldn't resist.

Then we went to Endless Indulgence where the girls tried on many dresses and had wonderful time. Carrie, the owner, was awesome and helped Hunter find lots of dresses in her size. Love Carrie!!!

This evening, we went to Savers in Layton. It wasn't as nice as the one in Draper, but we did find several items for Rose and I found 2 scarves and 2 purses.

At first I was looking at this basket purse, while cute... I didn't just have to have it.

When I put the basket back, we found this awesome coreset purse. I couldn't stand it, I squealed "MINE!"... And for $5 it came home with me.

Then we found a little velvetty circle wrist purse for $2, which of course also followed me home.

I also found this beautiful fun silk scarf with big circles pattern, I just love it!!! $2. AND then, hidden on the return to the shelf rack was the red scarf with the black roses, that will go fabulous many of dresses.

My Savers haul was $11.71. I am very happy with it because I will be using all 4 items frequently.

 

Outfit of the Day

Today I helped Christina in the antique shop so I wore a true vintage dress that I picked up at the Acorn Mother's Day Antique Show earlier this year.

Dress: True vintage
Heels: B.A.I.T Footwear This particular style is no longer available but there are others like them in the same color.
Belt: Wet Seal
Sunglasses: Bora Cat Eye, EBay, specifically MJ Boutique. (Really can't seem to find this style and color anywhere else. It's actually leopard on top, pink/purple on bottom.)
Crinoline: Amazon

But here's the best part, and you can't really see it in these photos so I took a closeup:

My little pug brooch, handmade in England. I found it on Etsy. The shop is called TheMysticalPug and you can find your own lovely little brooch here. It's small, smaller than I expected--a quarter?, but cute as all get out. Being a pug mom it is perfect for me.

OH! The Size Differences (Plus Size Conversion Charts)

Hello ladies!

As a lady with bonus curves, aka plus size, I have a hard time finding dresses and most of my shopping is done online. As a US size 20, most retro and antique stores do not carry my size and a majority of what I find at the thift stores isn't our style or even cute. In addition, most of the retro designer dresses only go up to a US size 16. So online it is! One of the main things I have learned from my online shopping experience is that US, UK, EU, and Asian sizing are all different. Below I am going to show multiple size charts to help show the difference. Since my waist measures 41", I have highlighted that size as an example. I am a US 2 XL, a UK 4XL, and Asian 6XL.

My recommendation: Always look up the brand name's size guide on their specific site to verify that you are looking at the correct size for your "measurements".

Note: Don't forget to check all the measurements listed or you could get something that fits the waist but not the bust or hips. If your measurements for the 3 areas differ from the chart, you may need to go to a skirt and shirt to get the right fit.

Another note: Most size charts don't provide arm measurements. I have started going with sleeveless because none of the "sleeved" dresses I have purchased, or tried on in the stores, have fit my arms to the point that I can't zip up the dress.

Sizing Charts Below

• Women's plus sizes clothing conversion (from eToolsAge.com) Plus sizes are for larger sized women, in U.S. and Canada, plus size garments are considered to be size 14 and upward, and plus size for clothing often designated by a W after the number such as 14W-24W.

U.S. and Canada	1X		2X		3X		4X		5X
	14W     16W		18W     20W		22W     24W		26W     30W		32W
	44	46	48	50	52	54	56	58	60
U.K.	16	18	20	22	24	26	28	30	32
Japan	17	19	21	23	25	27	29	31	33
Australia	18	20	22	24	26	28	30	32	34
Bust(Inch)	41.5-43	42.5-45	44.5-47	46.5-49	48.5-51	50.5-53	52.5-55	55.5-57	57.5-59
Waist(Inch)	33.5-35	34.5-37	36.5-39	38.5-41.5	40.5-44	42.5-46.5	44.5-49	49.5-51.5	52-54
Hip(Inch)	44-45.5	45-47.5	47-49.5	49-51.5	51-53.5	53-55.5	55-57.5	58-59.5	60-61.5

Plus Size conversion chart from eToolsAge.com

• Here is Lindy Bop's size chart, which you can see by mearements is in UK sizing:

ACTUAL GARMENT MEASUREMENTS
LINDY BOP SIZE	XS	S	M	L	XL	2XL	3XL	4XL	5XL	6XL
Garment Bust (inches)	30.3	32.3	34.3	36.2	38.2	40.6	42.9	45.3	47.6	49.6
Garment Waist (inches)	26.4	28.3	30.3	32.3	33.9	36.6	39	41.3	43.7	46.1
Garment Length (inches)	33.9	34.3	34.6	35	35.2	35.4	35.8	36	36.2	37

Lindy Bop Size Chart

 

 

• This is the Amazon size guide for a Lindy Bop dress. Note that this chart does not match the Lindy Bop size chart. Therefore, if I had bought this dress using the Amazon size guide, it would be too small for me. VERY frustrating, I can tell you from experience; I currently have several dresses in my closet that I ordered before I figured this out...

 

General Size	US Clothing Size	Chest/Bust Measurement (in inches)	Waist Measurement (in inches)	Hips (8" from waist)
0X	12W	40	33	42
1X	14W 16W	42 44	35 37	44 46
2X	18W 20W	46 48	39 41	48 50
3X	22W 24W	50 52	43 45	52 54
4X	26W 28W	54 56	47 49	56 58
5X	30W 32W	58 60	51 53	60 62

Amazon Plus Size Guide

 

 

I hope this is helpful to you in your future shopping endeavors.

 



OH the Size Difference!!! (Sizing Conversions)

Hello ladies!

As a lady with bonus curves, aka plus size, I have a hard time finding dresses and most of my shopping it done online. As a US size 20, most retro and antique stores do not carry my size and a majority of what I find at the thift store isn't our style or even cute. In addition, most of the retro designer dresses only go up to a US size 16. So online it is! One of the main things I have learned from my online shopping experience is that US, UK, EU, and Asian sizing are all different. Below I am going to show multiple size charts to help show the difference. Since I am a waist size 41, I have highlighted that size to show the difference. I am a US 2 XL, a UK 4XL, and Asian 6XL.

My recommendation: Always look up the brand name's size guide on their specific site to verify that you are looking at the correct size for your "measurements".

Another note: most size charts don't provide arm measurements. I have started going with sleeveless because none of the "sleeved" dresses I have purchased, or tried on in the stores, have fit my arms to the point that I can't zip up the dress.
• Women's plus sizes clothing conversion Plus sizes are for larger sized women, in U.S. and Canada, plus size garments are considered to be size 14 and upward, and plus size for clothing often designated by a W after the number such as 14W-24W.

U.S. and Canada	1X		2X		3X		4X		5X
	14W	16W	18W	20W	22W	24W	26WE	28WE	32WE
Europe	44	46	48	50	52	54	56	58	60
U.K.	16	18	20	22	24	26	28	30	32
Japan	17	19	21	23	25	27	29	31	33
Australia	18	20	22	24	26	28	30	32	34
Bust(Inch)	41.5-43	42.5-45	44.5-47	46.5-49	48.5-51	50.5-53	52.5-55	55.5-57	57.5-59
Waist(Inch)	33.5-35	34.5-37	36.5-39	38.5-41.5	40.5-44	42.5-46.5	44.5-49	49.5-51.5	52-54
Hip(Inch)	44-45.5	45-47.5	47-49.5	49-51.5	51-53.5	53-55.5	55-57.5	58-59.5	60-61.5

plus size conversion chart from eToolsAge.com