I left work Friday evening with an intense desire to make a new skirt. I know a skirt from me...in the dead of winter! *LOL* However, I've found a way to wear all of those fall/winter skirts and suits that have been languishing in my closet once the temperatures dip into frigid territory ~ JEANS!
I wear the top half of my outfit over my jeans. Then I fold my skirt up nicely, put it in a bag and carry it to work. Once I get to work a quick trip to the ladies room, removing the jeans and socks ~ I'm wearing the pantyhose because have you ever tried to put it on in a ladies room stall? It ain't pretty! *LOL* I add the skirt and my heels and *voila* I'm ready for work!
A by-product of this is that I'm much more comfortable on my commute to and from work. Rain, snow, bitter cold (I've experienced all of these since the beginning of the year) and I'm ready for the commute. I'm also no longer wearing my work gear for 13-14-15 or more hours a day.
So inspired by our new first lady, I remembered that I had an awesome brocade print in the collection bought to make "the perfect skirt." This piece was purchased during my first trip to Kashi's with Ann and Barbara!
Some stats:
Pattern:
TNT straight skirt pattern
Fabric:
1.5 yards of a polyester brocade
1.5 yards of beige rayon lining
Notions:
9" gold zipper, rayon seam tape and (2) 1/2" buttons
So since I was on a roll and in the mood to sew...I remembered that I was inspired by Sharon's pink skirt..and pulled a piece of pink embroidered wool from the fabric closet. Tada! One more lined straight skirt from my TNT pattern.
Fabric:
1.5 yards of a 100% wool embroidered piece from Fabric Mart
1.5 yards of a pink rayon lining
Notions:
7" pink zipper and (2) 1/2" pink buttons
Now it's not like I haven't been sewing...I did work on "The Suit" when I was home last weekend. However, this is a project especially since I am trying to take my time and enjoy the journey. But I have to tell you, I finally understand how people can have more than one project going at a time! Because if I had to work on just the suit this weekend, I don't think I would have accomplished as much as I did. I probably would have ended up a little discouraged and disgusted with the suit because there are just soooo many more steps left to do before it's finished!
Presently I have two suits in various stages of construction...The Vogue 8137 jacket and dress and Vogue 7944 - the pantsuit. I keep stopping and starting with both so I needed some quick and easy projects to cleanse my sewing palette! Since neither one of these suits are ready for primetime yet...but the pants are completed and work with a RTW twinset that I have in my closet, I will probably wear them to work this week...so here they are:
One final shot of all three pieces...on hangars of course! Construction pics can be seen in my Flickr album!
Hope you had a wonderful weekend and got some sewing done too! More later!
That brocade skirt is really lovely. How pretty it looks with the green. Nice job. No sewing here, but you did enough for the both of us. :)
ReplyDeleteI remember that brocade! It looks fantastic on you. Let's get together again soon!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful! Looks like you had a productive weekend! Mary
ReplyDeleteWow! Two skirts in one weekend! That blows my mind!
ReplyDeleteYour skirt fabrics are great! I'm glad you've figured out how to show them off at work without freezing ;) Well done.
ReplyDeleteLady, you have had a most productive sewing weekend. Three fantastic outfit to wear. Nicely coordinated and I love the "commute in comfort" practice.
ReplyDeleteThose three outfits are freaking awesome! From the shoes up to the hair, you look something special. In fact, you make me wish for my pumps and pantyhose days. AND that's saying a lot.
ReplyDeleteThe pink skirt is my fave!
ReplyDeleteYou made me laugh about the pantyhose thing. I use to catch the bus and wore jeans and back in the day -legwarmers. Thanks for the idea of using brocade to make skirts. I have an idea for a skirt rolling around my brain.
ReplyDeleteCarolyn,
ReplyDeleteI absolutely love the brocade skirt... Very Michelle Obama!
That brocade skirt is to die for!
ReplyDeletethe first think I thought when I saw it was the colors were just right for those gloves our fist lady Michelle wore on Tuesday!
You do beautiful work...
what is a TNT pattern?
Where can one purchase their own Lola?
I think that pink skirt is my favourite thing ever on you. And those pants look fantastic - i wish I had the courage to tackle pants making!
ReplyDeleteOh, love your new creations Carolyn - what a great idea too, wearing pants to go to work and change in the ladies' room! I might try it some time too :)
ReplyDeleteGosh, you look great; and I agree that pink looks fantastic on you!
Lovely skirts, Carolyn, what a successful sewing weekend.
ReplyDeleteBoth skirts are great! The embordered wool is really nice. Guess I will have to keep my eyes open. Wool, just sounds warm doesn't it? And the brocade... you have a good eye. Very nice!
ReplyDeleteBetter watch out... we just got more snow last night with more on the way! Guess it will be coming your direction soon. Keep warm!
I did have to chuckle thinking about the panty hose thing in the women's bathroom stall! Oops! Nothing like a wet foot to start the day right! Smart choice wearing them from home!
Wow!...Wow! You are amazing and inspiring! I hope to someday have patterns I consider TNT. I really enjoy your blog, thank you.
ReplyDeleteso cute! I esp like the pink one. you've made a pink embroidered skirt sophisticated!
ReplyDeleteThat pink wool is fantastic! I love the skirt, :-)
ReplyDeleteCan you believe the cold after that tease of a warm friday? I was so excited that we were finally returning to somewhat normal temperatures, but here are the single digits again. It's 17 F down in soho today, I hope you're a bit warmer uptown!!
My mom worked at a bank in the city that for many years did not permit the ladies to wear pants, so everyone including my mom would do as you are doing for the commute and switch to the skirt and heels once they got there.
ReplyDeleteLove your outfits!, the brocade skirt is fantastic.
Wow - I love both skirts. I can't pick which I like better. Now I'm rethinking what I'll do with some brocakes I have. You've given me an idea.
ReplyDeleteLooking good, Carolyn! Way to reduce that stash of yours. I think you look great in pants, too.
ReplyDeleteI love those skirts. You had a very productive weekend. Very lovely, I appreciate the fact that you get dressed to model them for us. Thank you. g
ReplyDeleteLove your new skirts! You're inspiring me to be a little more bold in my skirt fabric choices. Yours are so nice!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful pieces! Your work wardrobe is so nice.. I hope to one day get to where you are with making most of my clothes for work.
ReplyDeleteGreat skirts. I love dressing down brocade. It looks great with that green jacket.
ReplyDeleteLooks great. Yes, you've discovered exactly why little side projects are invaluble when working on a much larger one.
ReplyDeleteWhat a productive weekend! Everything looks beautiful, but I'm really loving that pink skirt on you.
ReplyDeleteGreat looking garments and totally love the brocade.
ReplyDeleteWOW!!! you got alot done and the material on those skirts is gorgeous.
ReplyDeleteI love both of those skirts! So feminine and winter-defiant.
ReplyDeleteoooh, I want something green, just cuz MO wore it.
ReplyDeleteYour brocade is really TDF.
And yay for juggling more than one project - I am also finding it is a necessity to keep the mojo humming.
I thought I coveted the yellow brocade until I saw the pink! They are beautiful. I made 2 skirts this weekend, but they're spring weight, so they'll just sit around for a while. I'm just so tired of freezing!
ReplyDeleteGorgeous FOs. The brocade skirt is my favorite, but they are all so beautiful.
ReplyDeleteBoth skirts are very pretty and they really look great on you, very professional and very pretty. Skirts are so easy, too. I think I can see a lot of them in your future! That jean trick is something that's been done up in the cold north here a long time. You gotta do what ya gotta do!
ReplyDeleteDon't you just love those quick and easy projects? I have a couple of jackets still undone because there is just too much left to do on them! I'm finding that most of the time I'm a "quick gratification" kind of girl. Love the skirts.
ReplyDeletevery nice, like early spring colors though warmer fabrics....
ReplyDeleteI cut out my yellow and green "brocade" suit the Sunday before the inauguration...what karma I guess....though mine is still not finished, maybe this weekend.
The new skirts are just lovely!
ReplyDeleteAs usual, you are way out front sewing for Spring!! And you look so nice in the brown twinset and slacks. It's perfect.
ReplyDeleteCarolyn, the amount of sewing you got done is AMAZING... but I have to ask the question and I hope you don't mind if I'm teasing you a little bit.
ReplyDeleteIf you're working on more than 1 project at a time? How many bobbins do you have to wind up ahead of time? Did you wind up 2 for each garment so like 6 or more bobbins? :)
I only laugh at it because I get teased for being the exact opposite. Most of the time I don't even fill up my bobbins all the way, in case I don't need that much thread, I don't want to waste it. Somehow I've got it in my head that wasting 3 yards of thread will send me to the poor house. Too funny. We all have our own idiosyncrasies I suppose!
Anyway, congrats on a very productive weekend!
Oh! A breath of spring in those colors! Lovely! (congratulations on such a productive weekend!)
ReplyDeleteAnd I remember wearing stretchy pants to school under my skirts/dresses in the winter (we called them 'leggings', but they were just stirrup pants!) and taking them off when I got there. Girls weren't allowed to wear pants then...
What beautiful skirts!! You've been busy. :D LOL at the bobbin comment above, I'm guilty of not winding a full one so as not to "waste it" too. hehehe!!!
ReplyDeleteWhat brand/# is your TNT skirt pattern? Your results are just lovely, a pleasaure to the eye.
ReplyDeleteAnon 2:54p again -- my apologies; please ignore my question above, since it's answered elsewhere. I read the beginning of your blog, which is amazing.
ReplyDeleteLady, when you sew you really do SEW!!! Fantastic, I'm amazed!
ReplyDelete