…That has nothing to do with my post, we just got the ‘Rocksmith’ game and that’s what Alb is playing! It is a tonne of fun. Anyway, here are some outfits that I made a while ago but never got around to showing. The first one is what I was wearing today so I figured I should just take a snap.
The top is yet another Renfrew. I found this black ponte knit in Hickey’s and I have to be honest, it’s disappointing. Knit fabrics here are generally. They’re expensive – €15/m is not unusual – and they’re rubbish. I’ve only washed and worn this once or twice before today and it’s already beginning to pill. It’s disappointing for such a cost.
The skirt is a vintage kilt pattern I found on Etsy and I picked up the tartan (polyester, unfortunately) in Trimmings back when they were still on the quays. I’m glad I bought as much as I did – a good 2m – because I needed the lot between the pleats and matching the check. This was more an exercise than anything else. Setting the pleats was very challenging and I learned a huge amount by doing it, even though the rest of the skirt was very easy. The wrapped sections at the front are neatly finished and I finished the hem with bias tape which worked out really well. I pressed the pleats and then basted them to match the check. However, despite many attempts, every time I tried to topstitch them by machine, the material would shift. After a few goes, I went to Youtube and found a video showing someone sewing tartan pleats by hand. The stitch was easy so I copied the video with much success. It was much easier to manipulate the pleat very subtlely to ensure it lined up correctly. It’s not necessarily a skirt I would wear every day but for something bright and different, I like it. Swingability factor is high!
