Now All I Need is a Yacht

Since my wardrobe's been under construction this summer, I decided to add a bit of nautical influence -- a friend that I follow on Pinterest has a board devoted to all things nautical, and it left me craving something similar in my closet! Now that Pablo's in the Navy, it somehow seems appropriate. *wink*

I scratched that itch with Girl Charlee's Navy Blue and White Stripe Cotton Spandex. I debated over making a maxi skirt, but in the end I decided two maxi skirts (black and black/white stripe) were enough, and it would be more frugal to only buy one yard of fabric for this project. It's dreamily soft and stretchy, though I found that the fibers are... hmm... long? It's difficult to describe. The fabric doesn't pill, but the blue fibers brush down over the white, which takes away from the crispness of the stripe when you're looking at it closely. Overall, I don't mind it, and I doubt that anyone but me has actually noticed.

It's Silas Marner, in case you're wondering. *wink* Though it's
been ages since I've actually read the book...

I used the same skirt pattern that I drafted for my black stripe maxi, and it worked wonderfully. I was determined to have perfectly matched stripes, and since the back and front pieces of the skirt are identical, I didn't think it would be too difficult. Cutting it out was a pain (both mentally and visually -- my eyes were about to go nuts from concentrating on the stripes!), but not difficult overall. 

To keep the stripes horizontal, I used a full pattern piece (rather than a 'cut on the fold' half-piece). Because of that, I could open the fabric to get a more accurate cut. By drawing corresponding marks on each side of the pattern piece every 7 inches (or so), I could match each mark to a stripe to ensure that everything was aligned correctly.

For someone who hates pinning as much as I do, this was pure agony. *wink*

After cutting, I pinned every blue stripe up the side of the skirt. The first side seam was spot on! The other seam? Well, let's just say I had to rip out most of the seam four times before finally getting it "just so." I still have no idea why that seam was so troublesome.

I used white cotton spandex (which I'd purchase for another project) to make the waistband -- I didn't relish the idea of working with more stripes, and I thought the white knit was a better weight for the waistband. Since I never tuck shirts into this kind of skirt, it will be never be seen, anyway!

I think a yacht would be a better backdrop, don't you?

I'm so glad I went with a midi length for this skirt. As it turns out, I've been able to make multiple outfit combinations, so this has become a versatile and often-worn part of my wardrobe!