Penni rambles

My recent experience making the crib quilt forced me to dust off my sewing machine and I enjoyed sewing so much that I decided to try my hand at making something I would actually wear!

I had been collecting some skirt patterns since arriving in Mississippi after Katrina. (In a wild moment in packing to leave California I threw all my sewing patterns away-not a good move).

What made me gasp was taking my measurements and then comparing them with the size/measurements on the back of the pattern envelope. Deep breath, and remember, it is only a number!

There are fabric stores in Slidell, Louisiana, and Gulport, MS, both about 1/2 hour away, then there is the local WalMart. For whatever reason, the powers that be decided to leave intact the fabric section of the Bay St. Louis/Waveland store, although they have closed them in the other stores in the area. That is where I found these fabrics. The first photo shows a Simplicity pattern, #4137, one of their 'it's so easy it's simplicity' patterns. And it was easy. The only change I made was to line the yoke.

This skirt was easier yet, and is an Anna Maria Horner freebie pattern, downloadable in pdf format, and super simple to follow, super directions. The changes I made were simply to add the self-lined patch pockets, in order to be able to use some antique pearl buttons from my mom's/grandmother's button collection. Check out Anna Maria's blog, always tons of good information and inspiration.

Then I thought I might try a dress...another 'it's so easy it's Simplicity' # 2199. I like it a lot because besides being all cotton and wonderfully comfortable to wear, it is long enough for me, not easy to find in ready to wear.

So that's what I've been up to; time to get back to knitting, but also want to make another skirt, this time the Bo-Peep skirt from Anna Maria Horner's 'Seams to Me' book, and this one for a 3 year old. Photo promised.