Welcome to the Jungle

I've really been into leopard print and business apparel lately.  So I combined the two and made a leopard-print pencil skirt.  I say pencil skirt but it's more of a hobble skirt.  It's the first non-stretch pencil skirt I have owned (well at least what I can think of anyway.)

This skirt cost me $3.10. Three bucks for a yard of home dec twill I bought from Hobby Lobby years ago when I was working there and approximately ten cents for the zipper. I believe the zippers were $1.00 for ten; I usually order them in bulk from eBay.

So I drafted up a fairly simple little pencil skirt, but brought it in tighter on my legs just so it could give a better silhouette to me.  If you have never drafted a pencil skirt or don't know where to begin or just scared to take the plunge, try Cotton&Curls, What the Craft, or SewPetiteGal.

Ok now for the details!  I did add a small waistband and some tiny belt loops.  It has a back zipper.  There are double darts on each side in the back, totaling for back darts.  I also added a split in the back.  One of my favorite features is The hem in the front rises slightly higher than the back.  While the hem rests at the bottom of my knee in the back, the hem in the front sits right above my kneecaps. It is exactly what I wanted in a pencil skirt (aside from pockets).  I'm rather surprised it turned out this well.

Would you don a leopard print skirt?  Or do you believe that leopard print is not appropriate in such an article of clothing?

Strawberry Pickin'

...which is something we didn't get to do unfortunately. Who know it was too hot for strawberries to be harvested? Let's backtrack. Yesterday my whole family planned to get up early this morning and pick strawberries. I was really excited because my little brother rarely agrees to do anything my mom and I think is amazing to do. So my stepdad, mom, niece, brother, my daughter, and myself all headed to the country to find the gate locked and noone at the farm. I was bummed. I had my tastes set on sweet succulent strawberries. We ended up calling the owners and found out that they are only open from April to early May. :( Fortunately right around the corner there was another farm but no strawberries. They had peas and squash. Not exactly my idea of fun, but it was ok.



My niece


My daughter

After all of that "fun," we went blueberry picking! OMG they had the best blueberries I've ever encountered. I've never picked blueberries as big and sweet as those. I eve n found some blackberries. Albeit the blackberries were a tad on the small side, but the sweetness of them was unmatched.

My bro joining in


Mmmmm... even the unripened ones look good!!


My mama working away before we leave

And since we never did get any strawberries out of the deal, I decided to come home and make a little something:

...a strawberry skirt for Little Missie. She likes the longer length skirts now. I had two strawberry fabrics in my stash and decided to whip a skirt up. The green fabric I actually used to make her a skirt a couple of years ago and thought it was time for another.
I'm especially fond of the waistband.

It keeps the elastic from rolling and gives it a nice touch to me.