A Pink Swingy Skirt
It’s Friday, which means it’s time for Sew&Tell! And being Pink Week, you can probably already guess at least one thing about what I made. A few weeks ago I was browsing at Anthropologie and I saw this fantastic shower curtain. (If you are visiting from Sew&Tell (or anywhere else and are wondering what Pink Week is) Pink Week is my weeklong celebration of my blogiversary and favorite holiday. I am sporting pink hair for National Pink Day, which was on Wednesday, and I celebrated with an all day blog party full of posts of all of my favorite pink things, and then finished off the day with a very pink, very fun Pinkalicious Party.)
Anyway, back to the shower curtain. I loved the soft colors, the pretty ruffles, but not the $118 price tag. And I already have a shower curtain. But I thought it would make a perfect skirt. So off to Joann’s I went, and lucky me I caught a sale and I think my total price for this Anthro inspired project was about $12. Perfect! (Full disclosure: When you are making up a pattern as you go along some things end up not quite working out in the end. So it was TWO trips to Joann’s. I was literally one inch short of the darkest pink. Next time measure first. Then go shopping.)
I opted out of the loose ruffles… mostly because that seemed like an awful lot of hemming, and I wasn’t really loving the idea of loose ruffles around my hips. I thought that would make them look wider, which isn’t something I’m really looking for. So I made each colored strip a little longer than the last and then just gathered them to make the ruffles. I love the finished product, even more than the inspiration. And of course, mine is pink! (I’m not sure a pink ruffled shower curtain would go over well with the hubby…)
[Doesn’t my mom’s veggie garden look great! You can’t beat homegrown brocolli. ]
I ended up spending a lot more time gathering than I expected. Each layer is only a little bigger than the one before, so it took a lot of pins to get my gathers even. And the bottom layer ended up being a lot more skirt than I expected. It’s almost 180 inches around. But that makes it perfect for twirling. Or swinging. And also perfect for holding a squirming toddler in your lap during church. All that fabric means that she has to do a LOT of squirming before the hemline rides up too high on my leg. (We are at church, after all.) And thankfully it is forgiving enough that I can catch that creeping hemline with plenty of time to spare. And that will seriously reduce my church time frustration. Which is another bonus.
For the waistband I used a piece of 3″wide elastic. And I couldn’t be more pleased with the outcome. (I used this tutorial for the waistband). The wide elastic makes for a very comfortable fit. I wish I had made one of these when I was pregnant, it would have been perfect! I will definitely be making more of these skirts. They are the perfect summer staple. It was also the perfect thing to wear to my Pinkalicious Party on Wednesday night. Which was exactly the reason that I made it in the first place. So I was doubly thrilled that it turned out as perfect as it did. This was one of those projects that turned out even better than I had envisioned.
On a non-sewing/non-pink note, these swings are at my mom’s house. My parents got this giant park style swingset for my second birthday. It has four swings, a set of rings and a swinging trapeeze bar. It was one of the greatest toys ever and I remember many happy hours in those swings. Even now, 25 years later, I love to swing here. Creamie also loves to swing. I just showed her how to do it this week and she wants nothing else but to swing. I think she’d do it all day if I let her. It reminds me of a little girl I used to know…
(PS- Click that link up in my sidebar to enter my Pink Week Giveaway! Comments close Saturday night, so you’ve still got a little time!)
pinksuedeshoe 
Love it! Do you think if I used various shades of blue, I could get away with sewing this shower curtain in my boys’ bathroom? LOL Thanks for sharing! Happy Sewing! 🙂
I want one! No, seriously, I want one.
xox
Ooooo, I like it!
Nice job with the skirt! The swinging pictures are so cute:)
Love the skirt. I have one like it but it is all one color, I like it, except when I sit in my typing chair, the skirt gets caught in the wheels.
Wow, great job on the skirt!!! It’s lovely. The photo of Creamie and the pink bike is just adorable.
You should totally make and sell some…I want that skirt 🙂
Can you pass some of that talent my way please 🙂 You did a FABULOUS job! I love it SO much!
That’s a great skirt. Love all the pinks.
loved this post from inception to construction to pictures of the finished product! toot sweet!
Great skirt! Love the shades of pink!
Love your skirt,I know what you mean about the gathers at the hips. I def could not afford any extra bulk there. I also love the fact thatyour little one plays on the swings that you played on as a child. Lovely
Love the pink skirt! I love even more the fact that your parents still have your swingset that now can be enjoyed by the youngest members of the family. So very sweet.
Love the color, it’s perfect on you, and it’s very summer!
You go girl!!1
I love it! I’m wearing one, too! I wish I still had a cute little baby to swing with. 🙂
What a fun skirt!
Wonderful pinkalicious dress! Your daughter is so cute in her cookie shirt!
What a fantastic skirt! You did an amazing job on it and I love the photography on the swing with your happy and beautiful baby! Thanks for sharing.
I admire people who can sew. I have no talent for it. Love the pink bike photo!
you two are too cute together! ❤
So pretty! I just made a 4th of July ruffle skirt for my 9 year old but I have to have one like yours!
Thanks for sharing!
You could certainly see your skills in the work you write.
The arena hopes for even more passionate writers like you who are
not afraid to mention how they believe. At all times follow your heart.