Hello all, Mary Ellen back.

A few days ago I posted about Amy Butler’s Quilt Market video. Thought I might make a skirt for myself. Well it’s done. I dug around through my archives (doesn’t that sound better than overstuffed storage bins?) to find a skirt pattern. Found one that I had used to make skirts for my nieces and pulled it out. I remembered how easy it was and that was just the ticket! The pattern is from Favorite Things, and is called Cute Skirts. Three styles in a wide size range, sizes 4 – 24. Of course those numbers do not match up with size numbers found in the stores. That would just make too much sense. If you have made garments in the past, you know that this has been an issue for years. Just measure yourself and choose the size you need from the measurement chart. They might as well give the sizes animal names for all the good the size numbers do! Anyway I’ve made two of the three views so far. Loving this skirt. It’s an 8 gore skirt, with elastic across the back waist, and a flat waist band in the front. I used a new floral fabric from Basic Gray for one, and an “archived” piece of Amy Butler yardage for the second one. Both fabrics are quilting weight cottons.  I think I’ll be making more of this style, it’s so easy to construct and the skirt is very comfortable to wear. (I did have to search around for a slip for under them. Not for modesty reasons as much as helping the skirt fabric drape better. I don’t think I’d worn a slip since I retired!) It would be a good pattern for a beginner garment maker to try, or for a veteran seamstress to whip up in an afternoon. The basic view, which was the 8 gores with the waist band, and no flounce or godets, went from folded fabric off the shelf to completion in about 3 hours. That even included the time rethreading the serger after a couple of years away. Had to actually get out the manual to remember how to do it!! (I thought since these summer skirts would be going in and out of the washer often, that I should clean finish the exposed seam edges. Pinking them or zigzagging the edges would work fine too.  I enjoyed making those skirts, and may get back into some simple garment making for old-time sake.  Simple I said, not those tailored wool suits and coats I used to do, mind you–I haven’t completely lost my mind!

Did you read the comments on the quilt history post? Both of those ladies are from the UK. I got a lovely e-mail from each one. Isn’t it just so cool that we have things in common to talk about with quilters “across the pond”?

Did you notice the article recently in the Buffalo News about flying a kite for charity in Gratwick Park? I’m sure that at least one or two of the fabulous kites, that the reporter referred to, were made by our recent guest speaker, Dennis Foster. I’m going to make a point this summer to go to the park on one of the kite flying days to see those spectacular kites up in the sky. I can only imagine how gorgeous they will be.

What’s on your sewing machine table these days? Tell us about your latest fabric adventures.

Off to give a demo on adding ruffles to the edges of your quilts, and later to teach a paper piecing patriotic project. (enough alliteration for ya?)  TTFN!