the best laid plans

all of a sudden the weather has cooled off considerably and i've got nothing to wear! i started a wardrobe plan for this season, but after rummaging through the shops i've decided i need a better one. most of the clothes i sew end up being too dressy, too office. what i need are cosy, everyday clothes with an emphasis on casual; the sort to wear to walk the dog, go to the park or the farmers market or to ride my bike on the weekend. so, to my favourite procrastination activity, wardrobe planning!

getting inspiration

collecting fabrics

tracing patterns

when i think casual, my first thought is denim, the only problem is i don't like the fit of commercially produced denim jeans and skirts. knipmode magazine always makes cool casual skirts, so naturally i found the pattern i wanted there. i used a supple viscose denim from my local textile traders and pattern #21 from knipmode August 2008.

cool denim skirt

i really like the way this turned out, the details are interesting enough and the red topstitching adds a bit of designer appeal. the fit is great, i just needed to take in the waist a little, and i managed to bumble my way through the dutch instructions by studying the photos in the magazine very closely! it does help to be a bit of a "dutchie" myself; although i've never learnt any dutch i think it must be inbuilt.

waistband closeup

it's a bit of a signature of mine to use a contrasting fabric for pockets and waistbands in skirts and pants. its a secret that's just for the wearer, what could be better? this was a patchwork cotton printed with the Scouts emblem and the stars and stripes. because of this i've named my skirt (another weird trait) "the campfire skirt". i'll be wearing it with coloured tights and clogs! marshmallows are optional.