Pretty In Pink

Hello there, and I hope you're all having a fabulous Friday :) I've been having an incredibly productive couple of days, I'm very excited to show you what I've been up to!

I think I must have really gotten into the sewing zone recently, because since posting about the skirts I hoped to make this year in my "Make-Not-Buy" Challenge I've actually made both of them. Yes, I've made two skirts in as many days. Now I think that's pretty good going :) I'll be sharing the circular skirt with you tomorrow, but for now take a look at my new half circle skirt!

Half circle skirt, Front

Half circle skirt, Back

Isn't it cute? I'm really loving the pick colour, I don't own many pink items of clothing at all but I've been feeling the need to get in touch with my inner Barbie (this is quite an universal feeling at the moment according to Leigh Ann!). This dress coming together so quickly was part of the reason why I ended up making two skirts in two days. I had sewing time left over and so I thought why not start the next one? :) The pattern came together like a dream, I highly recommend Chie's tutorial, it was very clear, very easy to follow and I couldn't be happier with how the skirt turned out.

As always I added some like details of my own, I just can't help myself! Firstly the fabric that I used (£1 a metre from Walthamstow Market, woohoo!) was a little bit sheer so I decided to make a second inner skirt in the same fabric, an inch shorter than the main skirt. I did this because I wanted better coverage without making the skirt too bulky and heavy. I'm really happy with how it looks, it's still soft and floaty without being too revealing :)

A shot of the inner skirt

I also did some hand sewing on the skirt, giving it a hand picked zipper and sewing the hem by hand (this is fast becoming my signature technique on my sewing projects!). I finished the seams very simply with pinking shears. Here's a little close up for your viewing pleasure :) 

Pinked seams and hand sewn hem

Now you may remember me mentioning something about some exciting detailing that I had planned for this skirt? Well it's going to involve these gorgeous transfers that I recently purchased from the amazing Sublime Stitching. That's right, I'm getting my embroidery on! And could there be anything more fun to embroider than these lovely ladies?

My first try at a transfer, cool huh?

I'm going to embroider eight of these gorgeous pin up girls around the hem of my skirt, I think they're going to look awesome (or at least they will if I can get my embroidery skills up to scratch!). I've planned this little project for a reason: I'm going back on tour on Sunday, three and a half weeks in Austria this time! So I wanted a project that would fit nicely into my restricted weight luggage, and this skirt will do that perfectly (I took my knitting last time but the dressing gown has now grown to gargantuan proportions, so that's no longer an option!). So I have lots of days of embroidery goodness ahead, lucky old me :)

I hope you all have splendid weekends planned, bye for now!

P.S. I won't share the finished circular skirt with you until tomorrow, but here's a little taster to keep you going. How's this for a killer hem??

That's a lot of hem...