New Zealand Skirt

The sunshine seemed to bless.

The air was a caress. 

~John Greenleaf Whittier

My girls love little summer skirts.  Issa brought one home from New Zealand, with big pockets on the sides that was precious.  Mandy and I went to my stash, found a pretty little floral print, and I got my tape measure. I measured the skirt in as many places as I could... around  the bottom of the hem, from the waistband to the hem, the length and width of the pocket panels, and the length of the fold inside the skirt.  It was really not to difficult to do,  and I couldn't wait to begin. 

 I started with the pocket panels.  I decided to use a contrasting fabric for the interior panel;  I folded it up, then placed the measured square on top of the panel, right sides together, and stitched them together.  I wanted to try and gather the front of the pocket like the original skirt, but it didn't work so I will try something different on the next one.  They kind of hang open like little kangaroo pockets, but we both liked the look.  From this point it was as simple as sewing up the sides, making a casing, and running the elastic through the casing.  the original skirt did not have trim on the bottom, but I added that.

   

  I am going to make this skirt again,  with one significant  change.  I got a little  bit lazy with the trim on the hem.  I thought since there were no curves, just straight seams, that I would not need bias strips; that I could use straight strips of the complimenting turquoise mini check as a trim along the hem of the skirt.  Au contraire!  Look at all the waves along the stitching.  I can press them out, but the next skirt will have bias strips as the trim.