The Twister Skirt

Let’s Play Twister!

The Spotty Facts:

Fabric: Polka Dot Upholstery Fabric from Beverlys and Black Stretch Knit from Stash
Pattern: Butterick 4873 for top and Straight Skirt from Lekala Online Pattern Co
Year: circa 1990 for top and timeless straight skirt
Notions: thrifted zipper, thread
Time to complete: Here and there after work and Saturday morning.
First worn: Outside my house on Saturday!
Wear again? If I’m brave enough. It’s kind of an eye-catcher or an eye-sore.
Total price: Skirt Fabric was $4.00 dollars a yard.

                                     Challenge: Polka Dots!

For this challenge, I wanted to use a polka dot fabric that had a little bit of a “Kazz” element. Something unique and definitely not purchasable in a store. I searched Fabric.com for inspiration and found this fabric, but the washing instructions were too risky and the price was too high. Then, on a trip to the closest Beverly’s, I spotted the same design on their clearance table. On Friday, everything on the clearance table was half off, so I scooped it up. I must confess that I also grabbed several other pieces of fabric for future projects. I should be set for any challenge for the rest of the year.

Yes, I come from tree-hugging country.

First Lekala Straight Skirt

The pattern for the skirt is a fantastic find! I know it’s just a simple straight skirt and there are hundreds out there to choose from, but this is different. I happened to come across Lekala.Co in my twitter suggestions and found this European Company. I believe they are from Russia. They offer online patterns, made to fit your measurements. That’s right! You put in your measurements when you order the pattern, and they send you a pdf for a pattern made exactly for you. The price is very reasonable too, and some patterns are offered for free. I believe they are just getting up and running in the US, and need support. They have a Facebook page, twitter, and blog. When I emailed them, they responded right away. I found Natalia Lekala very friendly and helpful. I think her patterns with personal measurements are a great idea, especially for all of us that are between sizes. Next time I measure for a pattern, I will add a a bit of ease to the measurements, as I found the first skirt I made to be a little snug. I also made the little black square-neck top, so that I would have something suitable to go with the skirt.

Remember the game “Twister”? I named my post after it because of the colorful pattern of dots on the fabric. I had to change the color scheme of the spinner to match my skirt. Doing some photoshop magic is always fun. I leave you this week with a traditional jump shot. When you can’t think of anything else to do in a photo-shoot, try the jump shot! Happy Sewing this week.

Jump Shot (a family tradition)