summer skirts

Skirts and Summer go together like P.B & J. if you ask me! If you're not into tube tops and Daisy Dukes, skirts are simply the best way to keep cool, am I right?? Especially in light, swingy fabrics like rayon, of which I had a few chunks set aside just for this purpose!

I had bought New Look 6129 a couple months ago because it's a long, basic skirt and I needed a pattern for one like this. Now that I've made it, I know I've found a pattern I'll use over and over again.

I love it in this classy floral rayon from Denver Fabrics! The side slit makes it extra cool on hot days. The fit is perfect, the waist isn't super high (like other similar patterns) and the pockets are awesome. I will absolutely be making this again, short, long and medium lengths. I like it that much :)

This next skirt was a happy accident. I had bought a rayon lawn that was an interesting border print, planning to use it for a Vogue dress pattern. With the border, though, I just couldn't make all the pieces fit. So, I cut out this pattern instead. I made view A with the tiny ruffle around the collar ... and hated it. The bodice was awful, it was kinda big, didn't lay right and was just way too "sweet" looking for me this season. My style has long been evolving away from the juvenile sweet look. Even things I made and liked last Summer in the sweeter styles are just no longer doing it for me. 

But, I really liked the main part of this print and you just cannot beat the flowiness of a rayon lawn! So I hacked the bodice off and turned it into a simple flowy skirt. I'll admit, I usually cannot pull of the full skirt look, but paired with this fitted Newport News blouse from my thrift store, it really works! I feel classy, cool and pretty in this outfit and I'm glad I could salvage the fabric! Actually, another favorite Summer skirt of mine, a long one, also morphed out of a dressmaking disaster. I'll have to take a pic of that next time I wear it. 

Now, I just have to share this. Am I the only one who despises all the polyester, rubber-band-around-the-waist, never-the-right-length slips, especially in the heat of Summer?? Really, who wants to put on a nice cool sundress or swingy skirt and then have to put a layer of sweaty polyester under it?? I had some white rayon jersey sitting around, just waiting to be turned into a solution for this. I went to Hobby Lobby for some white Fold over elastic (also known as FOE) and traced a well-fitting slip to make this:

It fits, it sits on my hips instead of squeezing my waist like a vice, it stays put and man, is it so much more comfortable to wear than all my other slips!! I was concerned since it's jersey that it would cling funny to my skirts or be staticky, but I had no problems with that at all. It was 106 degrees when I went downtown for a luncheon yesterday and I never had to think about my slip at all. Ain't that a first! I added some pretty lace to the bottom just because :) I plan to make more cool slips like this in several lengths and maybe some little tap pants to serve the same purpose too. Soooooo glad I finally did this!

In other news, I'm sure you've heard about Colorado and our crazy wildfires. Never do I remember so much fire in our beautiful state. The fires are still raging and in a big city like Colorado Springs, it is especially scary and sad. Please pray for Colorado and those that have been ousted from or already lost their homes! Also pray for those who begin to question the Lord's providence at times like these--God is always, only good, even in the midst of devastation.