Hot Pink With a Ruffle

I finished my first project for the Summer of No Pants! It took MUCH longer than I had hoped.  Here's why:

My first mistake?  Cutting one of the pieces too short.  Then, of course, I had to cut them all shorter to match, so the knee-length skirt I had hoped for turned out to be above the knee. 

Mistake #2:  thinking my ruffle attachment would work on this very thick, almost like denim fabric.  Ugh!  That ruffle took me forever.

On to mistake #3...forgetting that my hips are narrower than average.  I made sure the skirt fit at the waist, but didn't consider the hips so much.  So, when I tried it on AFTER it was finished, it was way too wide!  With this heavy duty fabric, it stuck out and looked ridiculous. I had a very nicely constructed skirt that did not fit.  So I did a lot of fitting, pinning, and basting until I got it to fit a little better.  It's kind of cute now, and it has pockets, which I love.

On a slightly different note: soon I will be a little better with making things that actually fit me; last week I ordered a dress form.  After looking at the ones at the fabric store, I decided that they weren't worth the money.  They seemed a little cheaply made, and I know they wouldn't come close to having my figure, even if the measurements were the same.  So, I did some research to see what other dress forms were available at a reasonable price, and I found the Uniquely You brand.  I ordered one, and I am so excited!  The form itself is made of high-density foam.  They send you a cover with it, which you (and some lucky person who gets to assist you) alter to fit tightly to your own body.  You then squeeze the cover onto the form, zip it up, and you have a dress form that looks just like you!  You can stick pins in it too, which will be nice.  Mine should be arriving in a few days.  I can't wait to get it!  Now...we'll see who I can get to help me with this.  Hopefully I won't have to bribe anyone :)