Traveling The World In Skirts

I love the series of skirts I have made involving travel.  Many (many) moons ago (ahem, about 10 years ago), I vividly remember seeing this woman in Chapel Street (in Melbourne) wearing this gorgeous A-Line skirt which was covered in 'Dublin Doors'.  

(Thanks to Google Images)

(I'm always on the hunt for the same fabric so if anyone knows where I can purchase some, point me in the right direction can you?)  When I wear my 'London' skirt I think of the skirt that initially inspired me. 

I love wearing my 'I Love Paris' skirt.  It reminds me of the times we have visited previously.

I am yet to wear this skirt, 'New York, New York'.  I love it too, but I haven't ventured to that city (yet) and feel a little hypicritical if I was to wear it.

I too love this following skirt, but as I haven't visited NY, I feel I can't wear it.  Silly, I know, but I might actually make myself one in this fabric because it is striking.  (And I love anything a little different.)

I do wear this one, 'Return to Sender'.  I love me a bit of blue. =)

Mini Melody...

...in a biglittlesister skirt creation.

I wonder if you recognise (or remember) the skirt?

As my 'Bird in a cage' skirt was one of the original ones I had made, I found that the length was a little too short (instead of it being a hip number, it was always a bit of a waist number).

Monet has been banging on for weeks (and weeks) that she wanted me to make her a skirt after seeing me producing dozens of skirts for 'ladies', not little girls.  So with scissors and pins in hand I cut and pinned then sewed and you see the final result.  She was rapt!  I have made Monet a pattern now so any spare material can be made into a skirt for her.  She's already gained another, so I have another happy customer on the books.  =)

Ceramics in Barcelona Lane Ways...

Many moons ago I studied Ceramic Design and never, ever thought I would get myself over to Barcelona - a city famous for it's ceramics. Twenty years, one husband and two daughters later, I got there.  Besides all the ceramic architecture from Antoni Gaudi, there were bits of ceramic artwork dotted throughout the city, especially in the Barri Gotic area.  I have to say, it was lovely to be able to share a passion I once held, with Monet.  It was great to have her see it all first hand.

In the little backstreets and lane ways of Barri Gotic (that's another post!), we came across a fabulous ceramic shop.  And of course we had to go in and see all the work in there.  Some of the work was magnificent, others, not so magnificent, but it was still pretty awesome to come across a store loaded with ceramics.

The store, Art Escudellers, ships worldwide (for our future reference).

Just out of no where, you would see beautiful hand painted tiles plastered onto the walls - showing where a particular place was or explaining something (in Spanish).  I loved spying them...

Ceramics isn't for everybody, nor hand painted tiles for that matter, but for me, I loved seeing that side of Barcelona.

Abu Dhabi Skirt

After my so-called success on the Eiffel Tower skirt, my mind overflowed with ideas of what I could sew onto skirts. I've got many ideas but I got excited by the thought of perhaps designing something that represents where I live.  And when people think of Abu Dhabi they think desert, and when people think desert they think camels.  (At least, I do!)

Then when I spotted this colour fabric I thought 'perfect', so I have whipped up a couple of skirts that now look like this; Introducing my Abu Dhabi Skirt.

I'm hoping I'm onto something with this design.  What do you think?  I know a lot of my Facebook friends gave me the thumbs up.  *Love* encouragement.

Production Line

It was 'production-line' central here today. Just a pity my two girls are too young to give mum a helping hand in putting the skirts together, but truth be told, I actually really enjoyed sewing, sewing, sewing.  It is a bit of 'me' time and a good outlet for me.

I whipped up three skirts, all in the same fabric, two size Large, one size Small (though still need to make myself a Medium size pattern, but all in due time!)

I actually found it easy to do the three skirts all in a row - doing side after side, zip after zip, hem after hem.  Very satisfying and did not take me as long as one might expect.  Here is one (of the three) finished skirts, now waiting for an owner.

MrL deemed it 'bright', so did Monet, but I love it.  Just as well one of the skirts were for me. *wink wink*

Tweeting a T

I had some material lying around the place and also a spare white t-shirt.  (The past two t-shirts I have acquired from H&M came with plain white t-shirts and since I don't wear white tops in general, best to do something with them!)

So I laid a big strip of the spare patterned material down the center of the t-shirt.

I pressed the material in place using some 'magic tape' I had purchased from IKEA about 6 months ago.

I then did a straight black stitch along the material edge, a double stitch just to be sure, and here is the final product.   Pretty sure it'll go nicely with my green skirt and actually positive that my mum will love it.  (Not that it is for her, it is mine after all!)

What do you think?  Personally, I think I'm getting a bit too clever. *heehee*

A Bit of Black Goes a Long Way

A few weeks back now, I sewed this skirt;

After I sewed it and wore it, I deemed it was lacking something - probably because it is a pretty bright 'be safe, be seen' kind of blue.

Today I was busy sewing two skirts to put into my pile of skirts to sell. Then it hit me as I sewed a red Eiffel Tower onto a black skirt (like mine here) - how about a black Tower sewed onto the bright blue skirt?.... So that's exactly what I did.

I'm wearing it now and don't feel so "look at me, look at me" in it.  Somehow the black has drawn away from the brightness of the blue.  Worn with a white t with thin blue stripes, I'm pretty sure I will wear it more and I may just make some skirts similar to this to sell.

Get an 'Eiffel' of these Skirts....

I was a bit busy last week to do a lot of sewing but I did manage to make two. *phew* hey?

The first one I made was with fabric from my local IKEA (of course) and I was quite happy with the outcome.  I'm going to make a couple of skirts in this fabric in a couple of different sizes.  Nice too for me to be wearing a different coloured tshirt rather than black (it's grey).  I hope too, that you like my baby model whilst I took a photo of my bee hind. ;P

During the week I had an idea of jazzing up plain skirts, after me trying with this skirt last week.  I got my hands on some different black fabric from a little seller in Abu Dhabi, the same guy I purchase my zips from.  It's a heavier but comfortable black fabric, though I had to buy the stuff by the yard (soooo old school).

Back at home I made a quick template of the Eiffel Tower, copying a photo I had taken of the tower back in 2000.  I dug out some red fabric and cut out, then sewed on the 'tower' via a small zig-zag stitch onto the black skirt....

I have more ideas flowing around in my brain in regards to cutting out shapes, adding stuff etc., so I hope that they turn out as well as I imagine in my head.  Lol.  Today I wore this skirt with a white with thin black horizontal striped t.  I felt very 'french'.  Ooo la la. 


Stay tuned for more, but only of course if they're successful outcomes.

Same-Same But Different

I sewed a simple black skirt last week and when I wore I felt like I should be going to work at Myers.  It felt kinda wrong.

So *ding ding* went something in my brain...  I dug out some material I had previously used to make a skirt, cut out a couple little birdies, set my sewing machine to tight zig-zag and off I went.

Not sure if I pulled it off or not but I have to say, I will feel a lot more comfortable wearing the same skirt with the birds on it than them not being on it.  The only thing about sewing something on a plain skirt is that it limits the tops you can wear.  Sure you can wear a plain coloured top but definitely not something patterned.  In my opinion anyway.

I have now made myself a pattern (*about time*), cut out of calico.  As I have made a few skirts for a couple of other women now and both women are of similar sizing, so I have made a pattern in the size of my friends.  I'm pretty sure I can cut out a size in between the two I have now so I can get my little skirt business organised a little better.  I have a few ideas in my head that will pan out in the next couple of months with a bit of luck.

Watch this space.

Oh My Gourd

So I found that without the Internet last week I found that I *ahem* had a lot of free time after cleaning/tidying/sprucing the house. I sewed, what seemed like, a mountain of skirts. Not quite Mount Everest, more like ummm...a small hill.

I had an order from a friend for two skirts and I have a few other orders slowly coming in.  I'm way pleased.

Anyway, here is a sample of a few skirts I made for myself last week.

The first I quite like, though I do have to run it in a touch as it is a bit too roomy on my waist.  But this skirt was the first one where I have incorporated a side hand pocket, sewn on the inside.  It was much easier than I first imagined, as I do remember sewing pockets into shorts way back in high school when I was learning to sew.

Left, front ; Right, back

I'm still not too sure about the blue skirt below- a touch bright perhaps.  Still, it only cost me 10 dirham to make, so I not complain.  I do love my 'Oh My Gourd' skirt though, on the right.  Well, I think they're gourds - the jury is still out on that.  I'm sure my mum will like that one.

I also sewed myself a simple black skirt too.  I am beginning to not have them as flair-y as the the first one I made.  They're dead simple to make now and my sewing is getting neater and the zips are easy to put in.

With 11 weeks of school holidays on my doorstep at the end of next week, my plan is to start making them in allocated sizes. (Though actually finding what correct sizes are, are seriously anyones guess.  And guessing I will be! Lol.)

Fun, fun.

Rejuvenate

Many years ago, about 9 years ago to be precise, I bought a tee shirt I loved to death. Literally. I have posted about it before, which you can read about HERE. My Shem tee-shirt. A Melbourne designer, located in Chapel Street.  Anyway, after many years, wears and washes, she was looking a little...haggard I guess is the word.  But I couldn't part with that tee.  Nup.  It's the oldest single piece of clothing in my wardrobe.  Which never gets worn.  And sits there looking all sad with it's ripped and holey collar and not the colour it originally was.

Until now.

I had a sudden brain wave the other day, of a need to rejuvenate that tee.  I visited my local H&M store, tried on like a zillion white tee shirts of about a dozen different sizes (how can one store have such a difference in clothing sizes is beyond me!) but I finally found a comfortable, fitting, not see-through white tee.

Back at home I set about cutting out the figure on my old stained, holey tee....

And there she is, the Queen-like silhouette on my dining table.   And the back end of the original tee which reads 'Let God Save Her'....

I placed the silhouette on the new tee, ready to be sewed on.  I set my sewing machine on a 'tight' zig-zag and sewed around the outskirts of the face...

...to get to the final result.  One I am rapt with.

My rejuvenated favourite tee shirt, which I wore with pride today. =)

First Order

I'm not sure if really I should call this my first order, due to the fact that my friend Lisa probably thought I was nagging her and I got her to buy the material.  But I took her measurements and she specified what part of the fabric she'd rather at the front etc., and I did the sewing (and zip-putting-in)....  I was rather pleased with the final product.  What do you think?

Top - front
Bottom - back

I'm hoping to get some 'word of mouth' in regards to Lisa parading around in such a lovely (!) 'biglittlesister' creation and I am hoping she's happy with what I've made.

I thought I better practise doing a skirt in checks.  I love checks.  I've made a couple of skirts before in check material (remember this one and this one?) - but this one is much larger in size.  I gained an extra model in this snapshot. ;P

Free Birdie

Meanwhile, back in the house of biglittlesister, in the maid's quarters (a teeny tiny room), I've been busy sewing, sewing, sewing, in between the cooking, cleaning, blogging, looking after a 1 year year old and school drop off and pick ups of a certain 6 year old.

My latest skirt looks like this;

Top - front; Bottom - back

I can just about do sew them with my eyes closed but for fear of sewing across a finger, I don't.

Think I better start taking orders before I end up with a wardrobe overflowing with skirts of different colours and patterns....

Third World Problems. Not.

I love the fact that I can now 'whip up' a skirt that I know is original, fits properly and hopefully last a few seasons. I'm getting there slowly with the 'zip thing' and my latest skirt seems a hell of a lot neater than my previous attempts.

I'm a bit proud of the latest number.

My only problem with this skirt is 'what colour top should I be wearing with such a bold print?'

I'm open to suggestions.

Another Day, Another Skirt

Hasn't happened in a looonnnnggggg time but I'm pretty sure I have a bug.

A sewing bug!

Yesterday I 'whipped' up this A-Line skirt, with. a. zip. I actually found my sewing machine's zipper foot. (I've had my machine for 11 years now and had about a dozen moves, including a country swap! so I'm rather impressed I still have all the numerous sewing machine 'feet'!)

I actually bought a bit of a ghastly, retro green material from IKEA - a whole 10 dirham for a metre of the stuff.  Even though I think the colour is a little ghastly, I still like it.  It actually reminds me of my mum's old kitchen laminate bench tops, back in the 80's.  Anyway, thought it might look okay with a different t-shirt, rather than black.

Agree?

Next on the cards is a red skirt and I've also got some printed pattern material.  You know I'll post the finished product here....stay tuned. ;P

I've Been Sewing Again

And this time I've sewed a skirt in white (patterned). As as a rule, I rarely wear white. The odd tee shirt or two, but I've never had a white skirt.

...Until I was pregnant with Lily and the only maternity gear I found that I liked, was a white skirt in Mothercare. Then last summer I bought a pair of linen three quarter pants, in white, which I have now thrown out, due to the large stain of Butter Chicken on the leg. (Don't ask!)...

So after making my other skirt a few weeks back, which was zipless, I felt inspired to sew another. A couple of mums at school pointed me in the direction of a little shop not that far away, which sells zips, buttons, cottons, wools, nick-nacks for sewing (everything bar the kitchen sink and sewing patterns! boo!). I was most pleased that he had an assortment of zip colours, in the right size and cost a whole One Dirham each (todays market, currently about 25 aussie cents!)

So yesterday I set about making another skirt - another patternless one, but this time with a zip, which I did a very dodgy job of putting in (I can't remember how to do it!). But the zip works and it does the job it is meant to do. And you can't really see it, which is a bonus.

So here is the grand unveiling....

And of course I just had to model it for all you biglittlesister fans out there. Lol.

Ooo I can't wait to make another. =)

(And I really ought to buy a full-length stand alone mirror, don'tchathink?)

Mookah Skirt

You may remember a few weeks back that I made my own skirt? Well at the same time, I ordered via the net a skirt made by my long time (school) friend, Leisa of Mookah fame, which is a business run by her and sister Nicole.

Anyway, yesterday my skirt arrived on my doorstep and I love it.

(I'm getting good at taking my own pics of skirts - NOT.)

The skirt is perfect for our current climate here in the UAE - made from a light grey fabric with a screen-printed flying bird and insect, A-Line with zippered waisted. I'm sure it will be a firm favourite and will be in high rotation in the months to come.

If you like it, I suggest you visit the Mookah online store, or drop by their blog page to see what projects the sisters are up too.

An Accomplishment

It's been a while, but I've been sewing again.

Finding nice fabrics on hand in Abu Dhabi is not an easy thing. Most materials you do come by are silk and flowery. I guess that's part of the reason why I like IKEA - there is a more nice choice of fabrics to choose, on hand, from than anywhere else.

So, I've been dreaming up a skirt design in my head for a while and today I put that design into practise. I do need more practising though.

The sewing is a bit shonky and it is something I would never show a professional sewer - they'd probably drop dead to the floor in shock. Also no zips on hand in this neck of the woods, so it was elastic for me (which I was fortunate to find!).

Here's me modelling the final product.

I'm no supermodel either, believe it or not.

I'm just wondering if it is one of many?

The House of MonetLulu

I am (very) conscious of the amount of time I am spending one-on-one with Monet during her holiday break.  I feel it is important for her and for me, before baby comes and interrupts all that we currently know.  We've explained to Monet that even though I might not have time to spend with her in times to come, that she is loved and will always be special.  She was my first baby after all.  

She understands that a lot of the time I can't be 'stuffed' doing anything, but she usually motivates me to sit and colour with her, or help change her Polly Pockets or Barbies, or get in the kitchen and bake together and even play 'Putt-Putt Golf' on the Wii with her.  She is an excellent helper around the house, doing what I ask (most of the time) and cleaning up after herself.  Bless her.

Monet knows that I will be spending some nights in hospital once I go into labour and have the baby; we're all hoping that it won't be when it is Monet's birthday!  Anyway, I asked her if she'd like to make me something so I could take with me to hospital, to know that she isn't too far from my thoughts.

I gained these yesterday afternoon.

We bought a pack of beads yesterday, something we hadn't seen over here before and Monet was very keen to get home to begin beading.  The first thing she made was the bracelet using some of my favourite colours.

This morning it was a case of 'I-don't-want-breakfast-I-want-us-to-bead', so that's what we did.  Monet gained the set on the left (made by me) and I gained the set on the right (made by Monet).  

I seriously love them.  (They remind me of the little lollies I used to get when I was little, when we'd make the trip to Melbourne.  We'd go to Darryl Lea as a special treat and I'd usually walk out with a little jar of those sticky little lollies!) 

Fresh from the House of MonetLulu. 

Don't we make great models? *heehee*

Soon Her Whole Wardrobe Will Be Full Of Shonky Skirts...

Yes, I have been at it again.  

Sewing that is.

Today's 'blue' gingham number is straight from the 'biglittlesister' collection.  

No orders are taken. (The seamstress isn't too good!)  

The model thinks the sewing is terrific and is keen to give it a go. (Both modeling and sewing, that is, especially since the new series of the US Project Runway is beginning tonight on Arena.)

  

I might not be much of a seamstress, but I'm pretty good at making plugs.

(T-Shirt courtesy of KMart)