Summertime Dressing

Currently, all of my sewing supplies are sitting in plastic bins and cardboard boxes, waiting for me to clear some space in my new bedroom. My vintage sewing machine* looks so sad and neglected next to my hamper of dirty laundry.

So I don’t know when I’m going to get back to sewing again, even though my hands and mind are itching to test some ideas that have been floating around in my head and in my inspiration pool. Fortunately, during the month before my move I had anticipated this situation and let out some of my soon-to-be pent-up creative steam by constructing a quick and easy new outfit. I took my new ensemble out for a spin during a very humid day last month:

So humid. So bright.

Hanging out by the highway, like all of the cool kids do.

The two-piece construction kept my midriff cool, and the skirt is a wrap skirt so my legs got to breathe with every step.

How simple was the sewing process for this outfit? I didn’t make any precise measurements (unless you count holding the fabric up to my waist and marking where I should cut as “precise”) or use any pattern pieces (except for the pockets of the skirt)! The top is constructed from one rectangle (with two bust darts) for the front and two triangles for the sides/back. The skirt is four rectangles (one for the back of the skirt, two for the sides, and a long and lean one for the waistband) plus the aforementioned pocket pieces (inserted into the side seams). And both the top and the skirt fasten with the help of ties and snaps, so no zipper insertion was needed! The trickiest part was actually attaching the shoulder straps to the top. I used red bias tape, which I tried to align with the red lines on the fabric; that required a bit of patience and a couple of do-overs.

I’m so happy about how easy this was that I can’t keep a straight face!

I really like the outcome, and I made it myself so I know no sweatshops were involved in the sewing of this outfit! To up the DIY aspect of my ensemble, I even wore a piece of leftover lace ribbon as a choker.

My usual photographer was not available at that moment, #selfie.

I can’t wait to sew again, but for now I’ll console myself by donning old me-made pieces like the two above. 🙂

—S. (a.k.a. AMisplacedPen)

*It’s a c. 1970s or 1980s Husqvarna[!] that was free because a stranger kindly abandoned it to me!**

**Although I can understand why she did so because it’s a very finicky machine in its old age…

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