So proud!

Well, one post per week; that's an improvement, at least! Although, I'm sorry to say, the quality of my pictures has not improved...still working on it! Here is a skirt that I have just finished, and I am so proud of myself because I made it completely without using a pattern. I have altered patterns and cobbled different patterns together before, but I've never made anything just by draping and cutting until now. Here it is:

The shirt is vintage, and the only thing that I did to the sweater was to take it in a little and add vintage buttons. The fabric is the most beautiful cream knit, and was maybe the most challenging fabric that I have ever worked with. It's really heavy, but stretchy, and really ravel-y. So of course, I had to make it extra difficult by doing it without a pattern! Really, the reason that I did it was because I loved the fabric so much, but I only had bits and pieces of it. I used it to make a dress years ago, and since I no longer wanted to wear the dress (alright, I could no longer fit into the dress after having a baby!), I decided to cut it up and make something else. It was so frustrating, and I almost gave up many times, but I'm so glad that I persevered!

It really hangs nicely (better than in the pictures; I think that I must have been popping my right knee out or something!), and when I wear it with a cream sweater, it almost looks like one of those '30s knit suits that I covet so much. I also had enough fabric to make a hat:

I made it using this pattern (view 4):


I love this pattern so much that I have made it twice more; pictures of those to come!
Also, I want to say hello to my four new followers: Jenny, Jan (fabriquefantastique; what a great screen name!), Kate, and Kate! Welcome!