Tag Archives: S5454

Wearing Yesteryear: Class of January 2013

Posted in Wearing Yesteryear by

We’ve been pummeled with another round of snow today here in New York City, and now that I’m all cozy in my apartment again I remembered that I’m way overdue for my January Wearing Yesteryear post! But first, check out this elderly woman shoveling snow in front of her building this morning. She must be in her 80s, but was out there like the tough cookie she is! Her younger neighbor joined her as I took this shot of all the snow accumulating on the stoops of these Murray Hill brownstones.

snowday2.13.14

Intense! And this was just 9am. We still had a few more hours to go, and this evening the snow is back at it! I walked about 15 blocks in this and passed a bunch of shop owners shoveling outside their stores. Call me crazy, but I actually enjoyed my walk in the snow. :)

Anyway, back to the snow-free sewing world – here’s my lone graduate from January 2013:

The London Fog Skirt

Blog Debut: January 15, 2013
Pattern: Simplicity 5454
Worn In: Spring, Summer
Wearability Meter: Very!
Lessons Learned: When shortening the length of a skirt, true the seams properly.

I love this skirt! The color makes me sooooo happy and the pockets are fun to have around. I wore this regularly over the summer with a number of different tops. It’s a bold color, but it still manages to pair well with both prints and solids. Win-win! I typically wore sandals or flats with it.

The one thing I goofed up on was shortening the skirt. The original pattern is a straight skirt at about calf-length, and when I shortened it I came out with a fuller skirt than I had anticipated (I wanted to preserve the original silhouette). Next time, I’ll narrow the hem to account for the fact I’ve adjusted the length. My mistake wouldn’t have been as big a deal if I had used fabric with drape, but this cotton/linen canvas is a tad stiff.

Oh well! Can’t complain. I’m just a slight perfectionist. :) I’m still excited to wear this skirt and I’d like to make more! If you like this design but have a hard time finding it, you might be interested in the similar Hollyburn Skirt from Sewaholic Patterns.

That’s it from me. I have a new shirtdress done and it just needs to be photographed. Stay tuned! In the meantime,

Happy Valentine‘s Day!

Simplicity 5454: The London Fog Skirt

Posted in 2013 Sewing, Finished Projects by

Happy New Year from the land of few and far between! Let’s get this new year started with a project post, shall we?

So, there I was, all set for my weekend of dog sitting at my cousins’ place in the East Village. I packed my bag, hopped on the subway, and – lo and behold – a funny thing happened on the way to the apartment: I had somehow been transported to London! I mean, look at that fog. It almost completely hides Midtown Manhattan. (Hello, Empire State Building! Are ya there?)

Pattern: Simplicity 5454 Wrap Skirt (1982)
Size: 12
Fabric: Cotton/Linen Canvas by Echino (2.5 yards from Sew L.A.)
Notions: 4 gold flower buttons (from the Pasadena Flea Market)
Paired with: My Musical Notes Renfrew Top! (Sewaholic Patterns)

Yes, the Empire State Building is there, in fact. Can you spot it? The ol’ gal’s barely visible to my left, just past the building with the gold pyramidal tower (aka the New York Life Building near Madison Square Park).

Anyway, despite the overcast weekend we had here in the Big Apple, mild weather – in January?? – allowed for a rooftop photo shoot! I caught a bad cold a couple of weekends ago and just didn’t have the energy to work on my tailored coat. Instead, I looked for an easier project to get me off the couch every now and then. And the color was just so mood lifting, how could I go wrong? :)
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