Before I knit anything of substance, I sewed. My first project was a Hawaiian-print bikini out of regular cotton. It was a horrible idea, obviously, but when you're 12 and they haven't even begun to sell blow dryers at the store, cotton makes a heck of a lot of sense.
Now that I knit and knit and knit--now mostly for work--it feels good to have a go-to project that isn't related to knitting.
In this case, I chose to hand sew a skirt from Alabama Chanin. You've probably seen this sort of thing around online, and I drank the Kool-aid. Boy, oh boy, it took a lot of time, but once I finished all the panels and sewed it all up, it became so very much worth every moment. Hand sewing reminds me a lot of knitting. Why? Well, it's not a quick fix. And when you're finally finished, there's such a huge sense of accomplishment. I enjoy using a sewing machine because I can whip up a dress in a matter of hours or even fewer, but this slower way of making something definitely has its charm. Working on this and completing this helped me slow down a LOT and savor the process.
There are a handful of books devoted to this style of hand sewing. The two that I referred to are Alabama Studio Sewing Patterns and Alabama Studio Style and Alabama Studio Sewing + Design. You can also purchase a DIY kit from the website.
This has to be the most satisfying non-knit that I have ever, ever made. It's far from perfect, but I like it anyway. Plus, it makes me happy.
Wow. Hand sewing. The skirt came out great. Next up for your sewing projects?
Posted by: Andrea @ This Knitted Life | August 06, 2015 at 12:55 PM
That's gorgeous! I have a couple of her books, but I haven't gotten into appliqueing yet, or doing cutouts. Are you going to make another?
Posted by: Sara | August 06, 2015 at 02:23 PM
I absolutely will make more!
Posted by: Wendy | August 06, 2015 at 03:37 PM
what a treasure.....I've just signed up for one of Natalie's classes and CAN'T WAIT!!! :)
Posted by: steph | August 07, 2015 at 05:53 AM
Looks great! I suppose it's like knitting in some ways - it's fun to wear what you make!
Posted by: Bekah | August 07, 2015 at 07:01 AM
Wow! That looks like it was a whole lot of work. But it turned out fantastic. I am totally coveting your skirt. Gorgeous.
Posted by: Savannagal | August 07, 2015 at 08:37 AM
Beautiful! I love your choice of fabrics... especially the bottom layer.
Posted by: Vicki | August 07, 2015 at 09:02 AM
Congrats on a beautiful project! I admire AC from afar. I know my limitations! :-)
Posted by: Patty | August 07, 2015 at 11:12 AM
That skirt is beautiful! I wished I could sew, or find that skirt in a store :)
Posted by: Carol | August 11, 2015 at 11:38 AM
So beautiful. Totally on my list of Someday Projects. Did you buy one of their kits, or did you go whole hog and do the stenciling, etc, from scratch?
Posted by: June | August 12, 2015 at 07:17 AM
This is beyond beautiful! I have not taken in the Kool-Aid just yet, but your skirt has me jumping to go! Was this a pattern from one of the Alabama books, or did you use the technique on your own pattern? Of all the finished projects on the web, this one truly knocks it out of the ballpark! Can you also please tell me the type of fabric you used - I just love everything about it! Many thanks for sharing, and congrats on an exquisite job!
Posted by: Maureen | August 12, 2015 at 06:30 PM
This skirt was a kit from the web site. It's the bloomers skirt. I chose the fabric, however. The under fabric is organic jersey cotton in Slate and the top is medium weight cotton in Light Grey. I hope this helps! The pattern can also be found in the Alabama Studio Sewing Patterns book. It is called the Swing Skirt.
I have also hand-sewn a couple tops and another skirt that weren't from a kit. These are beautiful but this particular skirt is really really cool!
Posted by: Wendy | August 13, 2015 at 08:29 AM