You have to start somewhere

Project: Flowery 1/2-circle skirt
Pattern: Simplicity 3834
Fabric: Linen/cotton blend with embroidery

After making five quilts over the same number of months for my birthday hunt this year, I was ready to try some other kind of sewing--any other kind of sewing. With encouragement from my sister-in-law Chelsea, expert clothing sewer, I picked out an easy pattern, matched it with fabric suggestions from Chelsea, and made a 1/2 circle skirt.

The good: It only took me about one long sewing day to get the skirt finished. The zipper went very well the first time. It was nice to sew with such expansive seam allowances.

The bad: Going by the sizes on the pattern envelope, Chelsea and I sized the pattern up one then two sizes, but when we got it together, we sized it back down two sizes again. At least I got some pattern-resizing practice!

The ugly: The lace edging I'd gotten initially was a wide-ish eyelet. Once I had it sewn on and tried to join up the ends, I realized there was about a 1/2 difference in width. Looking at it more closely, the width varied along the length of the lace, but at such wide intervals that it was totally unsuitable for the skirt. Besides, it was so stiff that it made the skirt stand out as if there were several petticoats under it. I replaced it with more sedate netting lace, which I think works nicely, though it still stands out a bit.

Wearability: I've worn it twice so far, though I keep expecting someone to stop me and say there's a gaping hole somewhere or the lace is falling off.

I'm in the process of making the same skirt again in a different fabric.