Monday, August 23, 2010

Funky Fabric = Funky Skirt

I recently brought home a funky fabric from Fabrix. This piece is a rather heavy, crinkled, stretch cotton, black-and-grey, plaid. The plaid has a silver metallic thread shot through. On one side of the plaid, the fabric has been overprinted with a sort of faux-camouflage design. The kinda-sorta camo print is dark gray and cream and, where present, makes the fabric difficult to pin.

Plain plaid on the left, reverse side of fabric (with the kinda-sorta camouflage overprint) on the right.

The kinda-sorta camo print seemed odd to me, but I liked the reverse side of the fabric, even though I am not a big fan of metallic in my plaids. You see, I remember all too well back when I worked retail in the early 80s and I wore those oversized plaid shirts with metallic threads shot through - it was quite the fashion - you would roll the sleeves up and then hold them in place with a button tab. I had to shake off the memory - I decided that the fabric was neat enough that I could live with the silver thread. :)

But what to do with this fabric? I couldn't see it as a top. I couldn't see it as pants. I couldn't see it as a jacket. I washed it and tossed it onto my bed, where I keep other fabrics with which I am communing...

Then, one night I had horrible insomnia and during those hours of trying to sleep it came to me. The fabric wanted to be a funky skirt! It might have occurred to me sooner, except I haven't been wearing skirts for the last several months. For me, skirts are more of a fall/winter garment, worn with boots, or tights/leggings.

This skirt is inspired by a RTW skirt I saw about a year ago. I was lucky that I had bought 3.5 yards of this fabric (it's fairly wide) because I had requested 3 yards and was asked by the clerk if I wanted the last half yard. Good thing I said yes, because this skirt used pretty much all of it.

Self-Stitched-September is getting very close, so I really need to buckle down and make those jeans I have planned. Do I have enough discipline? We shall see. I don't actually wear jeans all that much anyway, so I guess it isn't the end of the world if I don't get them made. ;)