sewing fo: not-a-gum-drop skirt

Because this summer is a dreadfully slow making summer, I waited til my last few weeks at home to finish a skirt. Even though I've had the fabric since December. Even though it's basically the most beginner of beginner skirts. It's like page one of the how to sew clothes book. Makes me a little ashamed of myself because I've been sewing for years. I want to be making fantastic wonderful creations, but that's not really what I'm making, apparently.

All this simplicity really does let that gorgeous fabric shine. After all, it's the star here!. It was a Christmas gift from a very good friend, and it's some of the most beautiful fabric I've ever laid my hands on. It's beautifully soft and fluid with this deep, rich color and that border! So elegant. And it is that beautiful, not-to-be-harmed border that led to the gathered skirt. That and a lot of Call the Midwife making me desperate for a longer, very full skirt. Almost a dirndl skirt, right?

I wanted it very full, so I gathered this enormous swath of fabric into the waistband, which is the only advanced part of the skirt. I made what is, according to my mom's sewing book, a couture waistband, with three layers: the actual fabric with interfacing, the lining with interfacing, and then the lining by itself to cover up this whole mess. That soft, drapey main fabric would have led to a very rolly waistband without some major stabilizing and all the interfacing and layering that the couture waistband required really gave the support it needed.

Actually, I've been terrified of gathered skirts for years, which really is stupid. It's not really a fear of gathering or something; I'm just worried about them looking funny on me, either like My First Skirt! or as if my lower body from the waist down was shaped like a gum drop. Looking at the pictures now and having worn it a few times, I know how not gum drop-y this skirt is, but while making it I kept asking my mom and sisters what they thought about it.

Honestly the only time it looks gum drop-like is when twirling. But how many times do I do that on a daily basis? (Answer: regularly. But I'll just deal.) On the whole, it's a really lovely skirt, though one trip through the wash, and it's starting to pill a little, so I'll have to be super careful to avoid another episode of ruin-the-thing-I-just-made.

Anyway, off to get ready for the first day of school tomorrow!

end of summer things

Even though I'm eagerly awaiting autumn and those gorgeous trees, realistically, early August is hardly the end of summer. We still have half of the true season. But with my plane ride back to the land of schoolbooks and independent living rapidly approaching, it feels like the end of summer. Earlier, I talked here about Call the Midwife, chocolate, DIY, and my tendency to read blogs like magazines as my newfound summer obsessions. This is a little bit more of what I've been up to and into recently.

• This summer I've really been loving a clean, minimalist-meets-feminine aesthetic, like Shop Ruche or Lovely Friend. I did a little bit of redecorating around here, and it was largely inspired by reading these truly elegant blogs!
• Digital housecleaning: I've been going through my little online corners to tidy up what's there, especially my Pinterest boards. If it's not an inspiration anymore, why is it there?
• I really want to try my hand at pattern drafting! This guide by Madalynne really seems like it's going to be a big help.
• Watching Doctor Who on Netflix with my little brother - I love Clara!
•  I love the new Under Armor ad with Misty Copeland. She's such a beautiful dancer, she almost makes me cry.
• In the search for good small space/apartment/I-don't-have-a-dresser-anymore DIYs, I found this tutorial on Spoonflower for how to make hanging closet shelves. Maybe I should collect some of my favorite tutorials here?

I hope you're having a fantastic end of summer! Have you found anything inspiring or intriguing recently, either in the real world or in your Internet perusals?