Thursday 12 July 2007

Italian Cotton

I am rather lucky to have at a location quite handy to where I live a rather wonderful fabric shop. My problem is that she stocks some truly beautiful fabrics but I just wish I could justify the price more often.

On the remnants rack (she hangs her remnants on pants hangers) I found this beautiful soft 100% Italian cotton hounds tooth, I thought about it for a while and left it there, reluctantly. I had to go a buy a zipper and some other odds and ends a while later and it was still there. I looked at the length and decided that there would be just enough for a straight skirt so $18 for the piece and I came home with some beautiful fabric.


I have an odd problem for a sewer, I am terrified of cutting my fabric. I really have to work up the courage to put the scissors to the fabric in abject terror that I will botch things up before I even start and I will have wasted all that wonderful fabric. Stupid, I know, but that's just how I am. After procrastinating for a few weeks I decided that my McCall's skirt was the right pattern for the fabric. I lined it with black cotton and this is how it looks.
The length is the length the remnant was, ideally I would have liked it to be a little longer, but that's all I had. I hits me just on the knee, so it'll be a winter skirt to wear with opaque tights and boots.

I am slightly disappointed with the back because for some reason I have managed to stretch the fabric beside the zipper on one side so the print in out of alignment. The fabric is very soft and very prone to unravel so didn't want to unpick and redo the zip. I ended up thinking that I can't see my own backside so I wouldn't worry too much.

Over all I am quite happy because for about $25 I have a skirt which would have cost over $100 for something fully lined and of a similar quality fabric.

4 comments:

Unknown said...

Cat - The skirt looks great! With the houndstooth design, no one will ever notice that the back isn't perfectly lined up. I'm also afraid of cutting into fabric, too, as silly as it is. I need to get past it and just get sewing. You always have such beautiful results -- you shouldn't worry!

Stephanie said...

I do love that skirt, and Im not a skirt girl. good job!

MeganAnne said...

Just wanted to let you know I've got that same problem of being terrified to cut into my new fabrics. I think it's 'cause I spend forever picking the right ones and then convincing myself that I need to buy them. You do beautiful work and I'm enjoying your blog.

Vindi said...

Looked pretty hard at the picture and it is my opinion that the skirt still looks like a professional job! Good on you!

Lovely skirt!

I also have anxiety taking sissors to any fabric. I fear I will mess up and all will be scrap! I also spend a great deal of time thinking about the garment I wish to make. I even have anxiety making my cat jackets...I am afraid that the new owners of the Ragamuffin cats will not like what I made for their new kittens.

C'es La Vie!

Have a Quality Day!