I'd Like to Thank the Academy...

And most especially HeathersSphere at SEWspicious Minds and Linda at Seams Well who both nominated me for the Sisterhood Award.

The rules of this award are:

1. Put the logo on your blog or post.
2. Nominate at least 10 blogs which show great Attitude and/or Gratitude!
3. Be sure to link to your nominees within your post.
4. Let them know that they have received this award by commenting on their blog.
5. Share the love and link to the person from whom you received your award.

There are so many awesome sewists out there...but the sewing community, even online, isn't huge; so most of the ones I know have already been nominated!!

So I will nominate some non-sewers, but who also have great Attitude and Gratitude! But I can't think of 10, so I will do 5. Someone else can have my other 5. Go crazy! Nominate 15!!

1. Lore at The Red Planet
2. Li'l Cherry Bomb, even though she hasn't written anything in FOREVER.
3. Tee at Makin' Trouble and Baked Goods
4. Grace at Funemployment
5. Shmorg at Further Weavings

In other news, I finished McCall's 5591, View A; a pleated skirt with contrast band around the bottom:


Continuing on my quest to make the insides of my garments look nicer, I have been selecting simpler patterns so that I can focus on thinking through how to deal with seam finishes. As such, I utilized the contrast fabric to make bias strips for hong kong seams and binding around the pocket exterior.


The only seam that is not finished is the seam that is underneath the pocket, where the pocket joins the front of the skirt. I didn't bind that seam, because there were already a lot of layers of fabric there and I didn't want to add additional bulk.

Speaking of pockets, the jury is still out in terms of whether or not I like the pockets. On one hand, the pattern instructions are great, the pieces just fall together, and the strip along the front gives it a nice finish. On the other hand, I have a round belly, and pockets tend to pull open.


The round belly is the same reason that I stitched down the pleats rather than basting and then removing the threads later. Other than that, I did not make significant changes, and followed the pattern instructions fairly closely. I did find that the waist is slightly large in this pattern, and in the next version I will cut it down to a 16. Overall, though, I am really happy with the way this pattern turned out:


I already have my fabric for the next version, and now that it is warming up, I am starting to think about making spring clothes:


One of the great things about this pattern is that it offers an opportunity to use some of those great quilting cottons that I always want to buy but can never think what I would make with it! This way you can use some really off-the-wall patterns, but pair it with a solid, or even confine it to the contrast band. There are a number of other fabrics that I think would be great in this skirt:



Oh, the possibilities!!!