Put a Little Swish In Your Day

To start the week off, I am preempting the post that I had intended to do as I had promised this post, and was reminded that I had yet to post it :/ 

I actually made this skirt 7 years ago, YIKES!!! But, I still love it, and I still wear it. Such a fun skirt. I called it the Faux Ruffles Skirt as it looks like there are ruffles around the bottom of the skirt...but there aren't!

In the video you can see how the skirt moves when I walk. It's just super fun!!!

The skirt is nothing but rectangles. The faux ruffles are created with long rectangular strips. Sewing all the strips takes a bit of time, but the prize at the end is worth it.

Each row is a little longer than the previous row. One thing to keep in mind is that this is best out of a knit fabric. The edges of the strips are not finished. Since each row is a little longer than the previous row, the bottom actually forms a bit of a circle which gives the skirt that super swish when you walk.

If you would like to make a skirt for yourself, all of the instructions can be found HERE.

It's always fun to have a little swish in your day ;)

BTW, my peppers that I made last night turned out to be lovely. I used bulgar which is a cracked wheat for the base of my stuffing. While I thought they were quite good, I like THIS recipe for stuffed peppers that I did a while back. It's just a little heartier than the peppers I made last night. While I like what I did, I don't think the recipe is worth posting. But, new recipes are coming down the pike ;) 

Rhonda

A Recipe and Some Rectangles

Happy Sunday to anyone who happens by :)

I am truly trying to get myself back on track. I have been cooking, and I have been sewing, just not posting. Although I do post everyday on Instagram. Hoping for a good, back on track week this week. Fingers crossed :)

Sunday's are special to me, and I always try and make something good for breakfast. This morning it was my Spinach and Rice Cakes. This is such a versatile recipe. Great for breakfast with poached eggs, and great for dinner with a mushroom sauce. The patties freeze well, so make up a batch, cook what you want, and freeze the rest for another meal. You can find the recipe HERE. When I originally posted them, so many wrote to me and told me how much they love the recipe. Like I said, a favorite of mine too!

I've posted a couple of garments on Instagram that a number of people have found interesting. Both were done for my Fabulous Free Pattern Friday series.

First up is a skirt that I wore yesterday. Such an easy piece to make, and it's so comfortable to wear.

I called this piece the Sweeping Rectangles Skirt as the lower portion of the skirt is 2 rectangles that sweep around the body. You can find the instructions for the skirt, as well as the top I made using this idea HERE. 

The second piece is a fun top. It looks complicated, but it is anything but. I called this piece The Rolling Rectangle Top, as it's really just a rectangle that rolls to the side.

Here the top is laying flat. You'll have to look closely, but it all begins with a rectangle. The neckline is on the left side. Like I said, it looks complicated, but it is not. You can find all the info on making 1 for yourself HERE.

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I'm rather excited as I had an idea for a somewhat new version of vegetarian stuffed bell peppers. When the weather begins to change, I so long for warm, abundantly flavorful food. And anything that requires the oven, all the better! If it's as good as I think it will be, the recipe will be up tomorrow.

I'm off to do a little cooking, and I hope, a little sewing. I've been having the best time with my 1 year challenge. I plan to catch you up on that as well this week.

Happy Sunday!

Hope you have a great day :)

Rhonda

Fabulous Free Pattern Friday/A Recap

When I was growing up, and would visit my grandmother who had NO air conditioning, there were nights that I thought I would literally melt. I would complain. She would answer my complaint with, "just lay still, you'll cool off." Oh yea, right!!!(Note the sarcasm ;) A number of years ago, before we installed central air in our home, my husband had been out of town, and the temps were ungodly. We had yet to put the window units, and I wasn't going to do it alone. My husband arrived home late that night, came upstairs where I had the ceiling fan as well as floor fans going. But, when it's so hot, they are just whipping around hot air. He got ready for bed laid down and complained about how hot is was. I said, "just lay still, you'll cool off." :) With that, he got up, went to the basement and came up with an air conditioner. I'll admit, I was grateful.  

A few days ago, a delivery truck came down our back alley and tore out our cable line, leaving us without a television. Well, a television with cable anyway. I told my husband that it would be fine. We have a television in our bedroom that doesn't have cable. I usually only turn it on for the news. With that, he went down to my studio and got my little television, along with the antenna, and mounted it up on top of our television cabinet. It's really quite the funny sight :) But, I have admit that even I miss the cable. The repairman is coming today! Hallelujah!!! 

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Last Sunday, my outfit of the day was this Shibori dyed skirt and top. A friend gave me the fabric. You may not believe this, but this was the first piece of fabric that I have ever been apprehensive about cutting into. It just felt so special.  

I originally posted the skirt in 2012 :/ Wow, 8 years ago!!! You can find all of the instructions on how to create it HERE. It's really quite simple, 2 rectangles in the front, and 2 rectangles in the back.

In the video, you can see how the rectangular extensions on the top panel causes a drape.  

My top was made with the scraps I had leftover. Fortunately, I had pieces that I was actually able to match the pattern, and look like it was always meant to be.

You can see with the top laying flat that it is literally 2 rectangles in the front, and 2 in the back. So super easy to do. 

I just ordered a devise that will make making videos so much easier. As soon as it arrives...look out!!! I have a lot of tutorials that I have been wanting to do. A number of you asked me to do a tutorial on the asymmetrical knit dress that I recently posted. I know the top pictured above is very basic, but I think it would be a good tutorial to do as it's a confidence builder.

A number of you have sent notes telling me that I have inspired you with my daily outfits. That brings me so much joy. Believe it or not, I get up each morning actually looking forward to what I am going to wear, whether I have some place to go or not. This is the first time in my life that I feel I am really enjoying my wardrobe. Who would have thought that a virus named COVID would make that happen!

Have a wonderful day, and pull on something that you've made :)

 Rhonda      

Shimmy Skirt Fabric and How To/Fabulous Free Pattern Friday

It's a rainy day in Chicago, but I am grateful. My grass looks wonderful, and gardens all around are a joy to see. I had hoped to fly today, but...another day.

I posted this skirt on Instagram yesterday and a number of people asked about the fabric and how it was done. Beyond simple!!! I didn't think about it, but it actually qualifies as a Fabulous Free Pattern Friday (remember those?) piece as it's just 2 rectangles. 

I did this super short video to show how the skirt moves when I walk. It's a little exaggerated as do not shake like that when I walk. At least I hope not ;) 

Below is the exact same type of fabric. You've seen it a million times I'm sure. I've placed it on the form just as you would see it on a bolt in a store. The grainline is running vertically. Sewn vertically, it's cute, can make a fun little dress, skirt or top.  

But, when it's turned so that the crosswise grain is vertical, it takes on a completely different look. The skirt I am wearing in the video has ruffles that are a gradation of white to dark gray, so a little more interesting than just the dark gray and the black of the fabric below. This works as the fabric has the same stretch on the straight of grain as well as the crosswise grain.

To make the skirt, I purchased just enough to fit across the front of my body, I think I bought about 5/8 of a yard. The fabric was cut in half, giving me a front and a back. I used the two selvedge edges for the hems, so no need to finish off a hem. All in all, the skirt took no more than an hour to put together. 

Rather than roll the top edge for an elastic casing, which would have been bulky around the waist, I used a 2" wide decorative elastic. I really like this elastic as it has a small ruffled edge.

I have no idea why this picture came out so fuzzy, but I think you can see what it is. I had a small piece of this ruffled fabric leftover from a project. Not enough to do much with, but rather than pitch it, I added it to the bottom of a t-shirt. I didn't have enough of the solid blue to make a t-shirt that would be the length that I would like, but the 2 combined, SCORE!!! I love wearing this with white pants. The pattern that I used for the t-shirt is the Molly Tee from Pattern Union. There was absolutely no fabric left for sleeves, so I just made a binding, and called it a day.    

I've not posted my thoughts on this year's Me Made May journey, or a little dream that I have, hint, hint ;) More on both in an upcoming post. But I will say this, maybe it's because we've all been couped up, not really sure, but what really came forward for me this year is that I want to truly enjoy what I choose to wear each and everyday. The shimmy skirt, and the ruffle edged top both fit that criteria, at least for me :)
  
Pull something fun out of your closet and celebrate the day!
Rhonda  

Fabulous Free Pattern Friday

Happy Friday Everyone! As promised, here are the instructions for drafting the 

Sweeping Rectangles Skirt

As a review, you can take a look at the instructions I posted for the t-shirt version here.

The principle is exactly the same.

To make the skirt version, you will need,
1. Your hip measurement
2. Your desired length

I did not add ease to my skirt as I wanted a closer fit, but you can add ease to your hip measurement, a maximum of 2" should be fine.
Divide your hip measurement in half and draw a rectangle that is half your hip measurement in width and the length will be the desired length of your skirt. Remember to add a little extra to the length for your elastic waist.

Decide how long you would like the upper back rectangle of the skirt to be. Mine finishes just below my my bottom,

the measurement should be approximately 12". If you are shorter the measurement will be a little less and taller, a little more. But remember, the upper back rectangle can be any length you like. I am just giving you a guide. Draw out your upper back rectangle, the width is half of your hip measurement and the length you have just determined.
Now that you have the upper back rectangle determined, we need to draw in the angled lines on the front of the skirt. The angled line on the front will begin where the upper back rectangle ends.

 The final pattern for the front will look like this.

The 2 rectangles that form the bottom of the skirt are next. The width of the first rectangle is really your choice. Mine is 8" wide. The length will be the measurement from the hem of the angled front up to where the front meets the back, across the back and then down the other side.
For the width of the last rectangle, measure from the bottom of the first rectangle that was attached to the upper back rectangle and then measure down to the hem of the front of the skirt.
The length of this rectangle will be the measurement from one end of the first rectangle to the other end.
And that's all it takes!!
Since this skirt is made out of knit fabric, you can eliminated most of the fullness around the waist. Once the skirt is together, try it on and pinch out the fullness at the waist prior to sewing in the elastic.  This will give you a nice flat finish over your stomach and hips. Check out this post for a tutorial on pinching out the waist and adding the elastic.
I want to do this once more as a dress, so there will be one more addition to the Sweeping Rectangles chapter.
Good luck. Be sure to ask if you have any questions. The skirt is so easy to make. It literally took me an hour from start to finish. Not couture by any means, but lots of fun!
Enjoy!

Fabulous Free Pattern Friday

It has been quite some time since I've done a geometric project for Friday. About time right?!!
This could not be easier, just 2 rectangles with ties. I used coordinating fabrics, not a border print to create the skirt.

Look closely at the above picture and you will see buttons on either side of my waist. In the picture below, I have turned the button to the center of my waistline.

Simply pinch the skirt it on either side of your waist. Sew in a buttonhole on one side and a button on the other. On either side of the rectangle at the waistline, I stitched on a tie.  

 The skirt can be worn tied in the center, the back or to the side as I have it below. I like it tied to the side the best.

You will need your hip measurement and your desired length to create the rectangle. For the width of the rectangle, divide your hip measurement in half, add 5" on either side of the rectangle. So if your hip measurement is 40", divide that measurement in half which will be 20". Add a total of 10" to 20 and the result will be 30". Cut 2 rectangles,one for the front and one for the back.
As I said earlier in the post, the border is actually a coordinating fabric. The picture below is the back side of my skirt. The seam is where I sewed the border to the coordinating fabric. I cut a 2" wide strip of the contrasting fabric, pressed it under on both sides and then stitched it over the seam where the 2 fabrics were sewn together.

For the hem and the waistline, I also cut a strip of fabric 2" wide. One side was sewn to the edge of the skirt and then pressed over and stitched in place. I did press over the edge on one side before I sewed the strip to the skirt.

Once the skirt is sewn together, you can then determine the length that the ties will need to be. For the ties, I made tubes, turned them to the right side and then topstitched them to the side of the skirt at the waistline as I showed you above.

This skirt is perfect for summer wear. It's easy to sew, you really can't make a mistake. It's easy to wear and it will pack well too.
Good luck if you decide to give it a try!
Rhonda