Tuesday, August 16, 2011

The twist bubble skirt

I made this skirt (Burda 09-2010-104) last week.




I did 4 photo shoots and ended up with crap photos every time. Each crap photo taught me something useful though. It really showed me what was working with this skirt and what wasn't.

Posting your photos on line is a little like clothing therapy. You are faced with the honest consequences of your work and there's nowhere to hide. It might look OK when you are staring down on it, or in the mirror but the camera says, "this is how it really looks."

The best look was this one - where the yoke was hidden by layers above. Then the pleats and the twist bottom sit quite nicely and there's no weird distortion of lines where my big tummy pulls everything off line.



I like it with the tartan bag (blogged here)



Instead of using a double layer of outer fabric I used a combination of outer fabric and lining. The lining is a very pretty acetate. Although my fabric had good drape it was heavier than the recommended ones so the twist part doesn't really show. It kind of just looks like a messy rumpled pulled-straight-off-the-floor skirt. Just like a school uniform in fact!



The tartan is the "black watch" tartan which I picked up from Nick's. It feels like a cotton-wool blend. I'm not sure if it's exactly the same material as the St Cuthbert's school uniform but a busload of boys whistled at me (not sure if in a good or bad way - there could be a fair bit of mocking involved) as I walked past so I'm guessing it's close enough.

13 comments:

  1. I love it! I don't think it looks rumpled-like-its-just-off-the-floor at all. I'll have to see if I have that Burda ish or if its one of the ones I've skipped. I think it could work well with lots of different fabrics.

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  2. I really like it too but I don`t think many nannas would wear this . I think the teenage boys must have liked it too because I can`t imagine them wolf whistling otherwise . I love your comment about the uniform on the floor - my two older teen daughters chuck their skirts and blazers on the ground - I mean these are dryclean only garments costing hundreds of dollars literallly -its outrageous how much these things cost.

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  3. Really cute! I think it looks quite good on you. Neat pattern.

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  4. I think you have chosen the perfect fabric to turn that pattern, for me, from 'ew, I wouldn't dream of making that' to 'hey, now that's interesting'! I think you're tremendously brave to take on something named the 'twist bubble skirt', and you won! I really like the look. Mind you I'd probably wear schoolgirl pinafores the whole time if it was socially acceptable casualwear.

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  5. Yes, it's cute. I love the thing you make, you're way braver than me.

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  6. Having just decided that my new jeans will not be seen on the internet after the second photo shoot, I am very impressed with this skirt and your photography. It looks fun and young, but not too young. I am not quite sure how you have transformed almost- St Cuthbert's- school- uniform fabric into a terrific skirt, but wish I had some of the same pinache. I may be sending you my green and purple plaid.

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  7. I have to disagree (for my own vanity). The camera does not necessarily tell the truth. I like to think that it has often been positioned at the wrong angle, that other people don't see me from that height or that vantage point. And nobody looks at me from behind, do they?

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  8. Great outfit. The bubble skirt look is really working for you. I think the trickiest thing with photography is that a still doesn't really capture the person - their personality, how they move etc. So often, a person's outfit works because it suits who they are not necessarily what they look like. I genuinely hate having my photo taken and have never really see a photo of me that actually looks like who I think I am. (Maybe I'm just deluded!)

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  9. Bags not iron it but it does pull off a great youthfull look.

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  10. This look is a complete win in my book. Like Jane, I have never gotten over my love of school uniform goodness, and I am completely enamoured of that Black Watch tartan (still, apparently, even though so many years have passed since I had to traipse past gaggles of Cuth's girls on the way home from school).

    And approval from the boys on the bus to boot? Priceless - I am jealous!

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  11. Whistles! well it's been donkey's years since I got any of those! (apart from the faithful husband...) I think the skirt looks fantastic, and I love your description of making it to look intentionally like a school skirt tossed on the floor, lol! btw, my children refer to that as the "floor-drobe"
    You have the wonderful knack of marrying the right fabric with just the right design to make a witty and referential sartorial statement, and "rumpled school-skirt chic" sounds to me like a great new trend. I might join you...!

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  12. no way! I would never in a million years have made this but it's fabulous! You really took this up a notch. I also have a thing for plaid skirts but it's easy to look like an idiot when wearing one as an adult - like you have a fetish or something...but this! Wow! Superb!
    I positively loathe taking photos of myself. What a way to ruin the day. I've lately made a number of garments that turned out nicely but I am delaying in posting them because of the photos.

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  13. I love this skirt. And I love it on you.

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