February Skirt

I did NOT wait until the last day of the month to make this month's skirt!  Actually, my plan was to make a red dress in the spirit of Valentines Day.  The pattern was easy but the fitting turned out to be more than I could finish this month.  I really needed to do a skirt anyway because #1 that's my rule and #2 I needed to try out a pattern for next month's skirt (which is going to take a long time and will hopefully be done next month!).  Here's what I came up with:

Ok, just like last month I took the picture before my skirt is technically done.  The waistband is only basted on, resulting in a little extra ridge right below my waist that I really don't need!  For the record, I did finish the hem in the January skirt before midnight on January 31, and I wore it in public this month.  

Here's the rundown of this month's skirt:  I've had this red knit fabric since before we moved into this house in 1997.  I bought 5 yards of it for something like $2 a yard.  I used less than a yard of it on this skirt, leaving plenty left over to try out the dress pattern I mentioned above.  I've been looking for a good, basic a-line skirt pattern.  On Monday I bought Stitch magazine at Barnes and Noble ($14.99) and one of the projects was a pull-on knit a-line skirt.  It took me more time to download the pattern than it did to make the skirt.  (I downloaded adobe reader 10, found out some pdf files are not compatible with google chrome, finally printed the pattern, read the printing instructions, printed the pattern again...)  The pattern was super easy.  The same pattern piece is used for the front and back.  There's no elastic in the waistband because the knit fabric keeps the skirt up, but I think next time I might add elastic.  I had to lengthen it a couple inches to make it knee-length, but otherwise I didn't alter it.  I made the size large because I didn't want it clinging on my stomach.  I'll definitely use this pattern again.

I bought some dark gray tights on Monday that look good with the skirt, but now I need a gray sweater to match.  The t-shirt I'm wearing in the picture certainly doesn't work with it!  In fact, after looking at the picture I'm thinking I'll give the t-shirt away.  I guess this means I should go shopping tomorrow!