My Circle Skirt Challenge

Have you made a circle skirt before?
This is a relatively easy pattern to draft and an easy skirt to put together.

Can you make a skirt this week and send it to me!  I want to see your take on a circle skirt!

Making a Circle Skirt Pattern What you need Fabric scissors Paper scissors Tape Measure Ruler Paper (for your pattern) Pins  Thread Zip Button (to fasten the waistband) if that is what you choose A great fabric you have selected Trim - Any kind you decide works well with your skirt Method

Measure your waist

Draw a line straight across the top of the your pattern paper and down its length  Calculating the radius of your skirt; to do this take your waist measurement and divide this by 6.28 - In this case I have worked on a size 8 = 64cm divded by 6.28 = 10.19cm - I generally round this up (I always add a little bit of room to play when I make my patterns) so I would use 10.5cm Then draw it in Measure the length you would like the skirt to finish and draw it in.

Your waistband: Draw a rectangle 8cm high and the length of your waist 8cm (h) x 64cm (w) You will then need to add your seam allowance.  Again I use 1.5cm all round except on one side of the waist band as shown below.  I add 3.5cm there because this is where I will be adding my button.

(This is what you skirt pattern should look like)

Pattern Method completed.

Can you put this skirt together on your own? 

I look forward to hearing from you.

I will put up a new clip to show you how to create the skirt at the end of the week.

Good luck

M x

Sunday Afternoon Craft

Today I really wanted to fix my wrist watch. 

I only wear cheap watches that I can get rid of when I get board, but this watch band wore a little too quickly for my liking.

I took myself off to my favourite Berlin Markets (Maurer Park) and checked out what the trim market stall had to offer.

4Euro's later I had a good selection of fake leather, metal fasteners and magnetic fasteners.

I am pretty happy with this, after an hours worth of work along with coffee and a nice piece of Carrot Cake my lovely house mate made!!!   - I don't think I would call that hard work!

Original Watch

Tools and bits & pieces

My fab new watch (well i think it is fab)

The weddings are over and you can see both the dresses

Hay there,
Both my weddings are over.  They were brilliant fun, stressful, tiring but truely wonderful days.
We are now back from holiday (in Berlin) and I can post both of my wedding dresses.  They are both very different but I felt that they suited the environment of each wedding.

Number 1: Sydney Australia's Dress

Number 2: Berlin Germany's Dress

You would be surprised at how much these cost to make.  Once you have a good pattern they are relatively easy to put together as well!
Let me know your thoughts.

New Denim Skirt for the European Summer

I have a great denim skirt that I love to wear but I needed to have a second one because otherwise I will keep wearing the one I purchased to death.

So I found a great stretch denim in my new favourite sewing shop in Berlin.  (Slightly on the expensive side but I just had to have this fabric).  It was 15 Euro a meter and I knew I only needed 1/2 a meter!

I took my old favourite denim skirt and created my pattern from there.  

With denim I think it is important to keep the denim feel about it.  Make sure you add all the top stitching detail and ensure it is neat!

I didn't add back pockets to this skirt because I wanted a neat flat finish.  I have two normal denim skirt pockets at the front.  To keep in with the denim theme I added the stitching detail on my zip front.

Most importantly, don't forget to style your new item like you would any item you purchased.  Just because you made it doesn't meed it has to look daggy.  Make sure it looks super cool and people will stop you to ask where it is from!

New PJ's

Berlin Wall at Mauer Park

So as a lot of you know I am currently in Berlin with my new machine Frau Helga (New secondhand machine - an oldie but a goodie).

I have been finding it difficult to get fabric lower than 15EUR per meter and even had to buy and invisible zip for 5EUR (so expensive).
Fortunately yesterday a friend suggested a trip to Mauer Park which are known to have great markets.
To my surprise I found a great little fabric stall and a very large trims/accessories stall.

Since travelling to Berlin I have really missed my comfy trackies /long pj pants to chill out in at home.  (They wouldn't fit in my suit case).  Yesterday I managed to find some fabric for 3EUR per meter and some elastic for 50cents.  I was so excited I couldn't wait to make my new pants!

An hours worth of work at home and I have a brilliant comfy new pair of pants!!!  I used an existing pair of PJ pants for the pattern and extended them by 20cm to make sure they were too the floor.

An oldie but a goodie and you just can't part with

Recently a friend of mine went through her wardrobe.  She found a number of items that she just doesn't wear anymore but couldn't part with them and still loves the fabric!

If your garments are still in a good condition it doesn't take much to change a garment slightly to make it a bit more modern and fresh.

This skirt is your typical mid to late 2000's skirt.  It is a cute Aline with a great printed fabric.  The original designer even went to the trouble of beading some of the flower prints.
There was a skinny 1.5cm velvet band at the top as well that sat in the middle of the white band at the top.  Lets see how it comes up...

This skirt is approximately 9 years old and I will be taking it to my girl friends this Saturday.  Let's see how we style it up 9 years later.

Fashion doesn't have to be expensive you just need to a little imagination!  (Let's face it I really didn't do that much to this skirt!)

Lost in Berlin Sewing!

I have finally found my newest member of the family.  

She goes by the name Fraulein Helga and is a beautiful second hand 

German sewing machine.

Just about to start playing with her!

Remember there is no need to buy brand new all the time.  A machine that has been previously love is often a much better machine and more affordable. (But you must shop wisely)!