A Summer of Dresses (and skirts)

I have decided I want to wear more dresses and skirts this summer, even though I lead a casual life. In looking through the new patterns by some of my favorite designers I see that they too are thinking along the "skirted" line!

With the new Vogue patterns I picked up at the recent JoAnne's sale (which I believe goes all weekend), I have enough patterns AND fabric to make a new outfit each week this summer, a project that seems obtainable.

My first out fit is from an older t&t pattern which I love (Simplicity 3881), a long skirt with either one or two wide ruffles around the bottom.

The only change I made, besides lengthening, was to make an elastic waistband. In fact I cut the top of the skirt longer by almost a skirt's length, folded it under and put the elastic casing in that fold. That actually gives me a self-lining slip but without the extra at the waist that a separate half slip would entail (I have learned the hard way that no matter how opaque a skirt is I ALWAYS need a slip).

This picture shows the underskirt laid out and the elastic waist.

I knitted the purple top with some cotton/linen yarn which is cool for summer and made the necklace out of cut-up flip flops.

So stay tuned for hopefully another skirt or dress this summer. Here are some of the new and old patterns I will be choosing from.