Michelle, ma belle... tres bien ensemble
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Michelle ma belle, sont des mots qui vont très bien ensemble,

Tres bien ensemble

End of bolt.

3/2/2015

23 Comments

 
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Hello snow bunnies. It's still winter here in Midwestern North America, despite the passing of meteorological spring, but we're getting closer to sunshine and warm temperatures every day! In the meantime, I continue to sew with warmth as a primary motivator. And, I'm continuing my attmepts to incorporate more color into my closet. 
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During a Chicago sewing blogger meetup, I found this incredible red wool crepe fabric. It's the perfect shade of red. Instantly, when I saw it, I knew it wanted to be a circle skirt. There wasn't a lot left on the bolt; approximately one and a half yards. I knew it would be a tight squeeze, but I'm short, and the fabric is beautiful, so I bought it anyway. 
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This was my first ever full circle skirt! I was a little nervous about cutting a garment without a pattern. I used the standard circle skirt equation (waist measure/ 3.14/ 2= radius) to measure out my waist. I made two mistakes here. First, I added a half inch of wearing ease to my waist measurement. 2. I rounded my calculation up to the nearest eighth of an inch. Ultimately, doing these things left me with a skirt waist that was more than 2 inches too wide.  
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I wasn't willing to quit on this fabric, so I decided to evenly distribute 4 little pleats into the waistline. It worked well enough. Next time, I know better. And, there will be a next time. I've often heard how easy circle skirts are to sew, but I didn't realize exactly HOW easy. This is officially the quickest garment I've ever sewn. Truthfully. And, the swirl! HOLY SMOKES! I have to be very cautious in this skirt. It's much shorter than I'm used to wearing, and it flares  on the edge of inappropriate. I'll definitely be aiming for more of a midi length in my next attempt.
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My blouse is sewn with flannel I bought at Joann. I make regular trips to my local Joann for thread, buttons, zippers, etc... It's difficult to walk past all that fabric without taking a peek at the inventory. I'm usually on best behavior, but they had a nice variety of cotton flannels on display this winter, and I don't have any in my stash! Exceptions were made. Of course, my favorite flannel was everyone else's too. There wasn't much more than a yard left.  
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I had originally hoped to turn this flannel into an Archer, but I didn't have enough yardage. Fortunately, I have a surplus of vintage blouse patterns (Hooray, #vintagepledge). With a little bit of squeezing and tinkering, I was able to get Vogue 5090 on the fabric, without sacrificing plaid matching, to boot! 
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I did have to eliminate the front facings. In their place, I used interfaced strips of fabric to form button bands similar to those on the Archer. It was a good compromise. I chose to increase my blouse length by two and a half inches. This way, I have the option to wear the blouse with pants too. Finally, I decided I knew better than the pattern, and I interfaced my collar/ties. I won't do this again. The stiffness works in the collar, but it's too much for the ties.  The only other change I will make to this blouse in future renditions, is tightening the cuff. I like the volume in the sleeve, but the cuff needs to be a little more fitted in order to look like the envelope drawing.
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I love the easy, loose fitting shape of this blouse. It's straight cut and it's much easier to wear for the purposes of daily use than other, more fitted vintage blouse patterns I've sewn from. I expect to sew several more tops from this pattern, maybe I'll even go crazy and make a monogrammed one! :-D

Have you sewn a circle skirt? Are your projects still centered in your current season or have you moved on? Inquiring minds want to know! 

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If you're hungry for more #vintagepledge projects, be sure to check out the contributor board!
23 Comments
Meg
3/2/2015 01:46:24 am

Love this outfit! That red skirt is DIVINE. And that plaid IS super popular ; ) We need to get a photo of you and Josh matching at some point!

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Michelle link
3/2/2015 02:11:22 am

Josh and I should take a proper Sadie Hawkings style photo in our matchy shirts. :-D HAHA.

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steph link
3/2/2015 01:50:12 am

you made that skirt with NO PATTERN???????? YIKES!!! You are a magician!

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Michelle link
3/2/2015 02:11:58 am

Hehe. I was terrified to do it, but I promise, it's much easier than you think. :-D

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PendleStitches link
3/2/2015 01:52:43 am

This is just the cutest outfit! Fabulous! And a great colour.

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Michelle link
3/2/2015 02:12:28 am

Thank you! I really love the red!

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Alicia link
3/2/2015 03:12:18 am

You are rocking that outfit, lady. LOVE the skirt. LOVE the plaid. LOVE the little ties on the shirt. Just awesome.

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Michelle link
3/20/2015 05:07:54 am

*Blushes* Thanks! I'm surprised at how much I love the red too! I've been trying to mix things up and pair it with some different tops. I could get used to it!

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Renee Anne link
3/2/2015 07:29:14 am

You're adorable, as always :)

I think if you keep dark hose/tights or leggings under the skirt, you're fine and not inappropriate at all.

I'd love a circle skirt but being as....not tiny as I am, I don't think it would look right.

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Michelle link
3/20/2015 05:09:06 am

I think you're right! I'm not sure I'll wear this without tights. I would be very self conscious. And, I think circle skirts are very flattering on all body types! It might surprise you. :-D

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Brooke link
3/2/2015 10:28:06 am

Love the whole outfit! It makes me happy to see all the bright colors you're adding to your closet! =)

It's a little late for helping with this project, but there is a <a href="http://byhandlondon.com/pages/circle-skirt-app">circle skirt app on By Hand London's website</a>
that will save you tons of time! I bookmarked the link on my phone so I can quickly pull it up where ever I am when I need it. I used to do all the calculations myself, but now I just use the app.

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Brooke link
3/2/2015 10:31:40 am

huh, seems my html code didn't translate into the easy clickable link it should have in the above comment. Here's the link raw for a cut & paste: http://byhandlondon.com/pages/circle-skirt-app

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Michelle link
3/20/2015 05:09:53 am

Thanks for the link, Brooke! I will absolutely be making more circle skirts, so it will come in handy!

Gail link
3/2/2015 10:06:28 pm

Love it! I'm super impressed that you were able to get these both out of such limited yardage - and with plaid matching to boot!

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Michelle link
3/20/2015 05:10:53 am

It was a tight squeeze! :-D On the topic of impressed, how about all the Archers you've been turning out!?! You're an inspiration. I need at least as many.

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Navybluethreads link
3/3/2015 12:30:40 am

What a lovely splash of colour against the snowy background. Both of these are great, but particularly like the shirt. It actually looks very modern for a vintage pattern :-)

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Michelle link
3/20/2015 05:12:08 am

Thanks! I really do think the shirt looks contemporary in comparison to some of the other vintage blouse patterns I've seen and sewn. I'm really looking forward to trying some sleeveless versions for warmer weather.

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Carla link
3/3/2015 07:25:39 am

Oh my goodness, that is the happiest color of red! it really brightens the dreary cold you've been going through! And your blouse is super cute too! Ahhh I wish i were closer, we could have sewing days (or you can come to SD, it's warmer here)!

Carla, <a href="http://tinyangrycrafter.blogspot.com ">TinyAngryCrafts</a>

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Michelle link
3/20/2015 05:14:46 am

CA sounds like perfection compared to the cold and snow we had this winter! Things are finally starting to warm up, thank goodness! I'll definitely let you know the next time I make it to CA, and if you're ever in Chicago, do tell!

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Ashley link
3/3/2015 08:46:41 am

Loving the color kick you're on recently! This is such a cute outfit. LOVE the boots, too! I don't know HOW you're going outside to pose, though!

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Michelle link
3/20/2015 05:15:57 am

I think I have built a tolerance to the cold. :-D I walk at least two miles every day, despite the weather, so I've been thickening my skin. Still, I can't wait for it to get nice again.

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Jillian link
3/3/2015 12:30:06 pm

You are doing incredibly and bravely well with adding colour to your wardrobe. And self-drafted pattern! Go you! The red is divine and whilst the skirt is shortish it all looks in proportion. Go do some twirling, girl!

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Michelle link
3/20/2015 05:17:08 am

Playing with color is starting to be pretty fun. I already feel like I'm making some bolder choices. :-D

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