Soliciting Opinions

I wanted to scratch that itch to make a skirt, so I pulled my stuff out tonight to do it. I'd prefer to practice before messing up my better fabric, so I tackled the skirt I started two years ago. I ironed and measured for the difference. The ruler is the new line - see all that fabric to the right that's going bye bye?

It's always a good idea to try something like this on, so I did. This is what the end product is supposed to be like:

However, look how small the waist really is. I could trim it off to fit at the waist, but I kind of like the high waist. I could add a band so it'll stay up. It could even be used as a halter dress because of the way it fits.

But I also thought about sewing a top to it. All that fabric that I trimmed off could be put to use. The idea was to make a sort of criss-cross top - a dress with an empire waist.


Now, here's your part - tell me which one you'd vote for.

Trimming the Fat

Sometimes it takes a visual reminder to show how far you've really come. After participating in a Young Woman's mutual this last week in which the girls were attempting to make under-skirts using an A-Line pattern, I got a bee in my bonnet to revisit this project on my own. When I was losing weight with WW two years ago I attempted to make a skirt to help supplement my wardrobe until I was able to lose enough to warrant clothes shopping. I cut the skirt and sewed the edges and got stuck at the waistline. At this point the skirt has too much fabric and I just spent an hour trying to figure out how to best salvage the project. It's going to require trimming the sides a total of 5 1/2 inches. whoop! But, this was not the really amazing thing to me.

I was digging through my fabric stash to see what I might want to use to make a new skirt out of and came across a blouse that I started eons ago - like around 2002. For a Relief Society Enrichment night we had the opportunity to sew an article of clothing. I picked out a pattern for a blouse that would go with a skirt I loved at the time. Apparently I got stuck where I always get stuck - hemming. I discovered the only thing left to finish it would be to hem ONE of the slits. I love the fabric and it was so close to being done! Anyway, on to the story...

Here's the pattern
- notice the size? I was closer to 24 at the time. I tried it on for the heck of it and it fits like a sack of potatoes!!
Now the amazing part - I could trim the sleeves off the blouse and convert it to a skirt easy! The neckline may even be perfect for the waistline.I'd have to add a zipper because there's no give otherwise to make it over my shoulders, but wow! How did I let myself get so big to begin with?! It almost made me cry to see that visual. It's easy to be proud of myself for shrinking so much, but I should never have had to come so far. The neckline is my waistline?! Ridiculous!

On a side note, the leftover fabric for this blouse has enough material that I could make me another skirt too! YAY!