A-Team Skirts Live Again

I've got a couple of things to show you, if you'll permit me. Remember the skirt above (the creation of which I documented here)? Well, in the excitement of planning, fabric and fabulousness, I pushed to the back of my mind the niggling feeling that the lace panels wouldn't hold up too well to laundering. I tried to convince myself everything would be fine if I handwashed it when laundering time came. It didn't get that far. The lace sections started to rip just through WEARING the damn thing. But still I continued to wear it until they got so raggedly that my boy basically suggested I shouldn't go out the house looking like that! THAT'S how much I loved that skirt.

Well, I eventually unpicked the lace, recustomised it and it lives again!:

This reincarnation features leather bird silhouettes hand-appliquéd on a ribbon 'wire'. I developed this decorative effect when my obsession with bird images was still in it's infancy. I made a grey and red version, both of which have miraculously ended up in my best friend's wardrobe. Strangely enough I never had a version myself until now.


Here's another cheeky twill A-line skirt I whipped up a month or so ago:

Last Spring we went on the miniest of breaks to Girona and chanced upon a Marimekko shop. I sated my desire for their squillion-euros-a-metre fabrics by buying a few little sample pieces that were €1 each. I decided to utilise one of them by creating these 'bubbles' which I machine-appliquéd on the front and back panels. Rare 'work in progress' pap:

I'm trying to come up with interesting ways to add contrast pattern to otherwise plain garments. I think this technique would work well for refashioning and enlivening existing garments, as well as for new creations. I'm going to leave skirts alone for a while now and focus my attentions elsewhere. Keep posted....