Applying Myself To Appliqué

OK I admit it, I am really penny-pinching when it comes to buying clothes! But although I resent paying high prices to Johnnie Boden and co, I am also equally loathe to purchase things cheaply from Primark etc because I cannot believe the workers were paid a fair price for their labour, and anyway such goods are usually poor quality and do not last.

But Boden catalogues keep arriving in the post, or falling out of other magazines, and I did like these 'fun skirts' as they call them.

 

I thought the applique detailing was bright and summery and more interesting than an all over print.

But NO WAY am I going to pay

SIXTY NINE POUNDS!!!!!!!!!!

I have been giving the matter some thought, and came up with an idea...

I had two ankle length summer skirts- both about ten years old [both purchased in sales for less than £5] One a deep loganberry purple, in a heavy polycotton, the other a lilac floral in a lighter fabric.

Taking measurements from another knee length skirt, I cut off the bottom of the dark skirt. Then I made some bias strips from the floral print, using my 1" bias maker. I cut carefully to make sure the strips incorporated lots of the floral print and weren't just plain lilac.

I found some scraps of plain fabric in The Great Stash and cut out some circles. Whilst I was digging about in the GS, I noticed a gift bag on the shelf, and it inspired me to make a butterfly template. I cut out a butterfly shape from more of the lilac skirt, and also some lilac voile.  [planning/cutting = 1 hour]

Then I had a bit of a play with the machine, finding out which embroidery stitches worked best. I had some lovely glossy green thread for the stems [which I did in a simple satin stitch] I decided on a variety of stitches for the butterfly.

Having prepared my applique with Bondaweb on the back, I ironed the patches onto the skirt, and then embroidered them in place. I machined the binding to the bottom edge, then turned it to the inside. [machining = 2 hours]

Finally I sat and handstitched the binding to the inside and added a few sequins to the patches. Also I carefully sewed in all loose ends. [handstitching = 1 hour - but I was also watching Flash Forward at the same time]

Front and back shown above. Here is the butterfly  and hem in detail

I still haven't got the hang of photography - the last picture is the only one which gives an accurate representation of the skirt's colour!

Skirt finished in about four hours, using stuff I had already. Result!