Sunshine and clouds outfit

The yellow skirt fabric just looked so summery and fun to me in May that I just had to get it.  I quickly self-drafted a pattern using a RTW Maxi skirt I bought when I was pregnant.  I used the pockets from the Sewaholic Hollyburn skirt pattern to add pockets.

 I started making the grey top the same weekend and I just finished it this past weekend in August.  Oops.  It just wasn't doing anything for me when I finished it. The pattern is a free pattern from Spitups and Stilettos, the Harper Blouse.  It's supposed to be tunic length and it's not.  It just didn't look flattering.

So I left in a my UFO basket for awhile.  I couldn't get out of my head this grey sleevelss blouse with this skirt. So I dug it back out.  Ripped out the side seams.  Did an SBA (small-bust adjustment) to the pattern and modified the side shaping on the pattern to be more similiar to the Sewaholic Granville pattern.  (Do you see a trend here?  I like Sewaholic patterns . .. the only one that I struggled with was the Thurlow trousers, I have an un-blogged pair) I re-sewed the darts and side seams and followed the directions for the armhole edging from the Made-by-Rae Josephine Top pattern. For a free pattern the Harper blouse is good.  I like the half collar look.  It took some fitting and pattern changing but now I've got a nice sleeveless top pattern that looks quite great!

Patterns:

• Skirt - self-drafted with pocket assistance from Hollyburn skirt pattern
• Top - Harper Blouse by Spitups and Stilettos (free pattern), with assistance from the  Granville pattern.

Now I have a great outfit for when school starts again in two weeks!! AHHH  Bring on the Kindergarten kids!

Weekend Rambler Skirt

Even though I am home right now on an extended maternity leave with my children I do sometimes think about when I return to work.  One of the things I have been thinking about is developing a better work wardrobe.  I'm a teacher and when I return I will be teaching kindergarten to 4 and 5 year olds.  The past couple of years when I've been working I've gotten really casual with my wardrobe and have been known to wear jeans to work!  I would do that if I could all the time but we have a new principal at my school who is wonderful . . . .but I don't think I can come in wearing jeans and get away with it now so I am on a mission to develop a professional, yet comfortable, wardrobe that I can wear while teaching kindergarten.

The Weekend Rambler Skirt by Snapdragon Studios was the one of the first garments to catch my eye that I thought would really work for me to wear to work because it has POCKETS!  I have now seen lots of other skirts and dresses that have pockets and I am now never again making a skirt or dress without pockets.  I purchased the pattern from the Indie Sew website.
I love the details of this skirt.  I think it gives it some nice definition without being too dressy. 

For the skirt I used a mid-weight cotton fabric that I bought on my shopping expedition in Toronto this summer.

I also made another Julia Cardigan in a white sweater knit with a jersey band.  It's a great layering piece with this Skirt  . . . or jeans! 

Nice and warm for fall and winter. I wore this outfit all day while playing with my kids.  Functional yet professional for wearing to work! 

Now after finishing the  skirt I was really disappointed with the front pockets.  They are a really funny shape, long on one side and short on the other.  I couldn't fit my phone into the pockets so I ended up adding back patch pockets to put my phone in.  The front pockets sit really nicely and otherwise I love this skirt pattern so for the next version I'm going to lengthen the pocket lining to make it symmetrical and large enough to be functional.

Front Pocket -Closeup

Need a pocket for my phone (what the skirt looks like after being with my kids all day)

Front of Skirt

Back of Skirt with patch pockets added and belt loops.

Overall I do love this pattern.  I have the fabric cut for another one already, a brown corduroy and I'd like a grey one as well.

Over the next while I will be talking about building a capsule wardrobe for myself.  It's something I have been thinking about myself but I've been motivated by Zoe of the Tadpegs blog.  She's started a Capsule Wardrobe Community, which I've joined. So I will be posting about how my sewing/knitting plans work into building my Winter CapsuleWardrobe. 

Thanks for reading!

Christa