Bryer Skirt by Liz Haywood

I first saw this skirt on Fadanista's blog, and I really liked it. Her version is made from a lovely corduroy and it looks like it would be perfect for striding across the moors in sturdy boots and a warm shawl. I didn't have any corduroy, and here on the Central Coast we are lacking in moors. But I did have a hunk of inky blue linen so I decided to go for it.

This is the Bryer skirt, from Liz Haywood. She's a zero waste designer who lives in South Australia. I've been intrigued by the idea of zero waste but many of the garments produced just don't ring my bell. I really liked the looks of this skirt though. The darts at the hem give it an interesting shape, and I liked the idea of a couple of big pockets sandwiched in the closures. 

The process felt like an adventure. I must have shifted my pattern pieces around for 20 minutes before something clicked. Here's the layout I ended up with. The front and back of the skirt are identical, and the rectangular-ish pieces in the corners are the pockets. Looks like I had juuust the right amount of fabric, doesn't it?

Actually, I had a small hunk left, which I needed for the waistband. So I guess my particular skirt isn't really zero waste, but I came pretty close.

I went for the long version because of the whole moor-striding fantasy, and I like it. We're still in flip-flop weather but once winter comes I think it will look nice with a pair of boots and maybe a chunky cropped sweater up top.

There are 8 darts around the hem of the skirt which gives it a rectangular vibe, kind of like one of those tablecloth skirts. I wish I were cool enough to post a video, because it looks nice as you move in it. 

The construction was very straightforward, except for inserting those pockets into the closures at the waist. I got it done but I'm not convinced I got it done correctly. They are, indeed, nice and big though.

My linen is a bit sheer in the light, so I should probably wear a slip with this. I'll try to think of it as a petticoat (see moor-striding fantasy above). 

My pattern review is on PatternReview.com here.

Toaster Sweater

We've had an unusually chilly, foggy spring and summer here on the Central Coast and my small stable of sweatshirts has been getting a real workout. I was out on a sewing shopping spree with my friend Jessica and I decided to finally pop for the Toaster Sweater pattern by Sew House Seven. Kind of wish I'd picked it up earlier because I like it a lot.

I opted to make sweater number 1, which has a sort of a funnel neck and a slimmer cut than sweater number 2. 

Super simple to put together. It has raglan sleeves, and the bands at cuff and waist are nice and wide and easy to attach. The collar was a snap too, but beware, it takes a sizable chunk of fabric.

I used a cotton sweatshirt fleece from knitfabric.com in a color they call pickle. Which is pretty much what it looks like. I always keep an eye peeled for sweatshirt fleece while fabric shopping, but it's surprisingly hard to track down. This site has quite a few, in nice colors and even some cute prints. 

If the weather keeps up this way I could do with another of these. I'd like to have seven sweatshirts, one for each day of the week. Now that I've found a fabric source I can make that happen.

We usually get a spell of Indian summer heat at the end of September, but so far it's not on the horizon. Maybe it's El Niño?

My pattern review is on PatternReview.com here.