My Bloomers Skirt

I wore my skirt from the moment I finished it on Thursday until I went to bed that night.

I got up on Friday morning and put it back on.  Don't worry - Saturday it went in the laundry.

I've had the Alabama Stitch Book since it came out - I think that was a year and half ago.  And from the moment it came in the mail, I have loved looking at it.  It oozes inspiration.  I was pretty sure it would join the collection of craft books that I love love love to own because they are so beautiful and inspiring, not because I want to make any of the projects.  Truth be told, I didn't want to attempt anything in the book.  Stenciling, hand sewing and knits?  Um, not for me, thank you.

But the more I looked at it, the more it grew on me.  I began seeing projects that other people had made.  Then I was truly inspired.  Maybe I could do this too.

 

I started gathering the supplies.  The fabric came from Mood in NYC - I bought that last November while shopping with Kristin.  The paint I picked up sometime in January or February.  I cut the skirt out in March, thinking I would get it finished for summer.  It didn't happen.  While in San Francisco this July, I found FOE in brown at Britex.  It was like a sign.  I came home, I stenciled and I started stitching.

Six weeks later, I have my skirt.  And if fits.  This is a big, huge deal, you all.  I know that the sizing on this pattern is different - it's based on waist size, not hip size so it was a guessing game as to what size to actually cut.  Both Blair and Melissa told me to go a size bigger than I thought.  I did.  I think that made all the difference.  I left the knots on the wrong side of the fabric because, as cool as they look on the outside, I'm just too tailored for that.  I also stitched the seams by machine instead of by hand mostly because I was impatient.  I made huge mistakes on the stenciling that almost made me drop the project.  But now that the stitching is finished, I'd have a hard time pointing them out.  Talk about forgiving.  It is also incredibly comfortable - hello knit!

I love it so much that I am already plotting another skirt.  With beads (oh my!).  I'm also trying not to get too excited about Alabama Studio Style.  Six months and counting....