Finished: Pool Green Wool Half-Circle Skirt

Wow, this post is a long-time coming.  I started this skirt back in, oh September or so!  I was planning to bring it with me when we went home in the fall but, that didn't happen.  It was going to be my #SewGreenDecember project but, that didn't happen. It was going to be part of my SWAP but, that didn't happen either.

Top: J.Crew via ebay, Skirt: self-drafted, Earrings: Target, Shoes: Coach

That building in the background? It's our town's old textile mill :-) Of course I had to include a photo with that.

See, what had happened was... ok, the events aren't quite that ridiculous ;-) But, really, I was really excited to start this one after living in a Lilly Pulitzer 1/2 circle skirt all summer but, when I cut it out, I discovered I didn't have enough for the lining so, I had to wait until I could find/buy new Bemberg.  By then, I'd kind of lost interest.  (Ever get bored with the color/fabric mid-project?)  Then, when I did want to work on it, after my Brasilia Dress renewed my sewjo, I was sick and it took longer than it should have. Then, my beginner machine crapped out on me (but, you already know that).  Then, Brandon's frequent business trips meant it took some time before I was able to get him to help me level the hem.

When I finally did finish it, Brandon had to leave again on a long work trip and we didn't get to take pictures before I dropped him off for his flight so, I attempted to do them myself.  I spent what felt like a year setting up the tripod (which I didn't know how to do), adjusting the camera settings, framing the picture, and then, the darned thing ran out of battery!  So, I came home, cleaned the skirt, and planned to attempt it again the following week.  Odd thing is, either the skirt shrunk (yes, the wool was pre-treated) or the lining grew (but, the machine issue meant the skirt was left to drop for over a month!) as the lining suddenly peered out of the bottom.  So, I cast it aside waiting for Brandon's return so he could help me even things out.  Again.

Yeah, that's a lot of delays with one simple skirt. So, even when everything worked out and we were able to take photos, I put off writing the post (the photos were taken pre-surgery! that's how long).  More importantly though, despite all of those issues and my lack of interest in blogging it, I LOVE this skirt!  I've worn it rather frequently since I finished it and I think it's going to be a closet staple for quite a while.  The two fabrics paired together make this skirt so comfortable and swishy - it makes me happy just to walk around in it.  In fact, I love it so much, I've since sewn two additional half-circle skirts and I don't expect to stop there!

See? So swishy :-)

Now, after all this rambling, I really should tell you about the skirt itself but, being a simple half-circle, there isn't much to tell.  It's a lightweight wool suiting lined in Bemberg ambiance.  It closes with a hidden button-tab and an invisible zipper in the back.  I hand-sewed the hem of the outer (the lining is simply serged to conserve length after all the weird hacking) but, unfortunately, the thread got snagged before the photos so, it doesn't look at smooth as it should.  It looks better now after a bit of steam.

Enough text! How about I show what happens when Brandon just clicks away?  I know how much you all love bloopers!

Happy sewing! x

Project details
Pattern: Self-drafted half-circle skirt, $0
Year: 2013
Fabric: 1.75yds wool twill suiting, $18, Gail K Atlanta, 2 yards Bemberg Ambiance lining, ~$10 Jo-Ann
Notions: 9" invisible YKK zipper, ~$2, clear button and interfacing from stash
Time to complete: ~1 week, on and off over a few months
First worn: for an afternoon of errands
Wear again: already have, several times!
Total cost: ~$30