28.4.12

Yellow

Lately I've been feeling as though...well...not so much "I have nothing to wear"...more like...there's nothing fun in here, nothing fresh, nothing that is stylish and practical and doesn't required a strapless bra / really high heels.  So I have bought myself a few pieces of fabric, with intent to inject a little bit of something into my wardrobe.


Starting with a  yellow skirt.

The fabric is a cotton matelasse by Milly, sourced from EmmaOneSock.  When it arrived, it was not the exact shade of yellow I was looking for, but the quality was so stunning that I thought I had better make a good job of it so it would last forever.  I knew I wanted a pencil shape, but I was not sure whether to keep it plain or add some fun details.  I remembered a Threads article on lining a vented skirt (by Annalia Tay, Aug / Sep 2010).  I pulled it out and read it over and over.   I decided to give it a try, but because the techniques were new to me, I kept the skirt plain.

My skirt pattern is self drafted.  I followed the directions for drafting a lining and then constructing the skirt.  I did have trouble at times, not knowing if right and left were the right and left sides of the garment or right and left sides of the diagram, but I got there in the end.

For the record, I even tried the "sew a one-thread dart" for 2 of the darts.  And then I could not see the benefit of a one thread dart in this fabric so gave it away for the remaining 6 darts.  This method has you pull out extra bobbin thread, thread it backwards through the needle and up through the sewing machine.  It leaves you with no threads to tie off, which might be useful in a sheer fabric, but really did not seem worth the bother of threading a needle backwards.

Here are some close-ups.

This photo shows the vent at the back of the skirt, opened out so you can see the lining.  The lining is a Bemberg rayon lining.  It is the first time that I have used this and I can see why people like it better than the standard acetate lining.  The lining is attached on both sides of the vent and there is a jump pleat where it is attached all around the hem.  I made the skirt with wide seam allowances (you know, so it will last forever), but the only way that I am going to get at the seam allowances to let them out is by taking off the waistband.



The skirt closes with an invisible zipper.  Lucky it is invisible because it doesn't match.  The rayon binding tape that I used doesn't match either.  What can I say?  I can't buy these sorts of notions locally so I often have to make do.  I have put a long extension on the waistband for the day that I take the waistband off and let out the side seams.

So here is how I have got it to work in my wardrobe so far.

With black and white stripy tee.  Probably how I will mostly wear it. (Note:  having a bright yellow object in your photos makes them difficult to adjust afterwards.  There must be a skill to photographing bright objects.)
With Missoni top. (I have worn this top a lot over the summer.  The V neck is my favourite way)
With some more yellow.  A good combination for school sports days.  It looks like this shirt has shrunk a little.  Or maybe quite the opposite.  Maybe I have not shrunk.  Shame I didn't make it with wide seam allowances.
With a little bit of animal print.  I bought this silk blouse in an op shop, but the only thing that it has ever matched is the jeans I was wearing in the op shop at the time.  It has a "made in Romania" tag on it, which I have never seen before, so I am guessing that somebody brought this shirt to Australia with them.

Other colours that people seem to pair with yellow are white, black and aqua.  I did try a couple of black tops, but they really made the skirt look like a solid yellow block.  My white tops weren't flattering, and when I tried a dark greenish blouse I was told that it was a good look for Australia Day.  I guess the Olympics are coming up soon, and I'll need a green and gold outfit to wear in front of the telly.

25 comments:

Jenny said...

Now I really want to make a yellow skirt. :-) Very pretty, and the inside is lovely with the contrast tape and zipper, even if that wasn't intentional.

Kelli Ward said...

i really like the yellow :)

Leslie V said...

I am in the middle of making a yellow skirt and was going to put black border on it. But, after seeing all the many ways you paired your yellow with different tops I am just going to leave mine plain yellow. Thanks for sharing, really nice skirt and the combinations you created are great!!

Clare from Leeds said...

Love it and the styling, especially the animal print - not a combination that immediately springs to mind but it really works!
I'd love to wear a yellow skirt but I need to lose quite a few pounds or I'll look like Big Bird!

liza jane said...

Well, this is definitely fresh and fun! I love yellow. I think I like it with the animal print shirt the best.

BeckyW said...

I love love love that color. You did such a fabulous job with it too. It looks wonderful. I love all you combinations. I am just obsessed with yellow and grey together too.

Mary Nanna said...

Beauitful skirt and beautiful finishing - it seems to go so well with your wardrobe and the colour is fantatstic on you.

Audrey said...

That skirt is a lovely jolt of color. I really like the different ways you have styled it. The animal print was totaly unexpected, but works so well.

MySummerTouch said...

I love yellow! And the skirt is a lot of fun! Love it!

Sue said...

I have wanted a yellow skirt for awhile - love it! I also like the different tops you paired it with.

Robyn said...

I know the feeling you're talking about - I think your skirt is a fantastic colour and it looks like a great fit.

kbenco said...

What a fabulous skirt. It looks terrific with all the tops,and you must be the best dressed Mum for sports day.
I have the same issue with notions, and am now very bored with ones that match - there is nothing like the wrong colour zip for improving one's invisible zipper insertion skills!

SEWN said...

Gorgeous skirt! I have always loved yellow, but can't wear it. Now you have given me the idea of using it in a skirt. Brilliant! And all your styling choices look great with this skirt. Who would have thunk that a yellow skirt could be so versatile?!

Carolyn said...

A fabulous skirt!

Anonymous said...

Gorgeous skirt, I am obsessed with yellow at the moment and I think the colour of your skirt is great and the fabric looks lovely.

Anonymous said...

I love yellow. And your skirt looks fabulous - well done. I hope you get lots of opportunity to wear it.

Bernice said...

Great yellow. It really pops doesn't it. I like the way you've managed to get it working with a range of tops. You'll have to use that lemon to make yourself a gin fizz to celebrate.

RebeccaHoward said...

I made a yellow skirt at the beginning of summer thinking I would like something bright and cheery for the hot Aussie weather (that never really arrived). I then had trouble styling it. It just seemed so ......well bright! I finished up buying a blue and white striped t shirt after searching pinterest. I love the way you have styled yours but maybe you might want to give this idea a go as well. It makes it look kinda sporty with flats.

Amy said...

Ahh, yellow is such a hard color to predict online! This is very pretty, and I totally get the need to inject. Sometimes I just get in a rut. I like it with the mint sandals and Missoni top a lot. (Mint is a great color on you!)

jacquie said...

Fantastic colour! It looks so fresh and modern. I did snort with laughter at the comment when it was worn with dark green!

Gail said...

I've missed a few of your posts recently - so congratulations on winning the swimwear competition. You deserved it! And wow what a great colour and finish on that skirt.

Beth said...

I love that yellow color!

Katherine said...

Check out what this blogger recommends with a yellow pencil: http://workdayweekend.blogspot.com/2012/05/color-consultation.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Workdayweekend+%28workday.weekend%29

Enjoy!

Carolyn (Diary of a Sewing Fanatic) said...

The color of your skirt is so pretty that it makes me smile! I love yellow for just that reason. Great skirt!

Joy said...

You can't go wrong with yellow for adding interest! It seems like you have a fair number of shirts that coordinate well, too.