HAPPILY SEWING!

I opted for perfection.  I went back in to the cutting room and cut out the rest of the bits I needed and I cut out my bonny red with white polka dot fabric and today those will get done.

I am really pleased at what I got done though it wasn't nearly so much as I hoped for.  

I had hoped for much more.  I had hoped for the skirt to be complete and on the bottom but there it is.

This gorgeous fabric was  6 metres of 45 inch wide Madras Cotton and all my caluclations for what I needed for gathers were based on it.  When it got to cutting the red fabric, I quickly realized, that was a whole other kettle of fish.  

The red fabric is rayon, 60 inches wide and I had 4 metres of it.  It was like starting all over mathematically for the skirt.  I had to sort out how many skirt panels I could get from what I had.  I could get to the same gathering ratio that the cotton was only if I shortened the skirt by four inches.   

I don't do a lot of skirts though I like them for summer.  The one I made last year is long, almost too long I would say but in the deep dark of my drawer, I have a skirt that I purchased a decade ago for five bucks, that has never been worn.  I do not understand why I still have this skirt but there you go.  It is 26 inches long which is too short without leggings or tights that are good but not quite pants. I own one other skirt.  It is the dress I wore to Scott's wedding.  For years, it has stayed in case an occasion came up where I needed a dress.  I measured it.  29 inches.  It is doable, but a little longer is better.  And it all comes down to back rise.  It is great standing, but sitting, my generous back rise takes up slightly moreof the length than I am comfortable with.  For a special occasion of a couple of hours, I could deal with the constant concern but for wearing everyday around the house and for shopping and doing stuff? Too short.  

Back to the drawing board to see what gather gradient I had and what it would look like.  It will be fine and still well in the range of nicely gathered at 2.3.  The very drape of the rayon could have had more but it is what it is and will be fine as is.  

So I cut that one out too.  I made one change to the neckline of both of these.  I found the original front neckline cut to be quite high on the tester top, so on the Madras, I lowered it by and inch and on the red by another inch.  

Keeping my fingers crossed for the red. The Madras cut is perfect.  I normally wouldn't worry too much but the neckline does tend to gap a bit in front due to the casual cut of it.  It is a wide neckline, but it will depend on the fabric.  The polka dot rayon will drape very differently.  I do have a fall back if it is lower than I want.  A white band could be added easily at the neck to raise it.  Plus replacing the sleeve bands with white and possibly adding a white band at the hemline or waist, would change the look of the dress completely in an interesting way.  If you added a white band at the waist, you get into Minnie Mouse styling but certain of may grandchildren would find that very cool.  

I would need ears though.  Just sayin'.