1.30.2012

My Closet: The Hunting Skirt

Hello friends :)

So do you remember how I told you that I was going to tell you a few different articles of clothing that I own that inspire me.  Well here is the first one.  I'm pretty sure this is my most favorite piece of clothing that I own.  Period.  

When I started sewing, back probably around my sophomore year of high school, I got a large bin of fabric from my grandmother.  I found some gorgeous plaid  fabric that was semi-sheer that I totally envisioned an a-line, lined, twirly skirt.  I had never sewn anything before and I was nervous, so I decided to make a practice skirt.  Little did I know that I was about to make my first ever wearable muslin :)  I went through the bin of fabric that my grandmother had given me and picked out the absolute most ugly fabric I could find.  It was a drab brown background with random hunting scenes on it, with hounds, and men with rifles, all clad in vivid yellows, greens, browns, blues, etc.  Looking at the fabric, I thought to myself, there is NO WAY that I am ever going to want anything made of out this... perfect for practicing with!

I didn't have a pattern, so I made some measurements, did some math and flew with it.  The practice skirt turned out great :)  It wasn't super well fitted or well made, I only finished about half the seams, and I had no idea what I was doing for most of it, but I felt confident enough to make the real deal.  

So I painstakingly cut out the plaid fabric and replicated what I had done, and bippidy-boppidy-boo!  Skirt.  Funny thing happened though...

The more I looked at my practice skirt, out of the "ugly" fabric, the more and more I fell in love!  To this date I'm pretty sure it is my favorite article of clothing!  I have received more compliments on this skirt from people, and have had several wondering if I had bought it from anthropologie (which to me is a compliment since I drool over their clothes.)


So I guess this is my first inspirational piece.  I love it because... 

a) I made it.  I get this giddy wonderful feeling in my gut every time I put it on.

b) I love the colors.  The vivid browns, yellows, and greens make me feel so lovely.  These colors have really become my favorite colors.  They are what I prefer to dress myself in.

c) I really love the fact that something that I envisioned was going to be an ugly mess, turned out to be so eclectic and wonderful.

d) The "hunting" nature of the skirt always makes me want to put on some wonderful leather riding boots and go galavanting in the countryside.  



So that is it for my first inspirational piece of clothing.  How about you?  Do you have any items that you've made, expecting to turn out awful, and in the end, they turn out to be a favorite?

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