Black, Brown, Lace, and Frost

There has been frost on the ground the past 2 mornings! The weather is finally changing!

Now, don't get me wrong, I really do like warm weather, but I love having four seasons. Currently the grass is still green, some trees still have their leaves, and some flowers are blooming like it's spring. That's not what late fall is supposed to look and feel like. Next year I'm going to be in warm climates all year long, so right now cool weather makes me very happy. Along with the fact that I love fall, I've made some chilly weather garments (such as my jean jacket, my capelet, and this sweater) which I'd really like to get some more wear out of before I leave. This skirt is one such garment.

Last winter my grandma gave me a yard and a half of this brown, satin backed fabric with a faux suede texture. She said she thought I could make a skirt out of it. So, I started brainstorming ideas for said skirt. One evening I came up with an idea, so I pulled out the fabric and my trusty skirt pattern, Simplicity 1500.

I would be making the skirt with the handkerchief hem, view E, with some alterations. 

I cut out the back of the skirt just as the pattern dictated, then came the fun part, the front.

  

I cut the front piece on the fold, then cut it into two sections, one about 1/3rd the total width, and the other about 2/3rds the total width. Between those two sections I added an extra panel of fabric, some brown poly crepe with an overlay of black lace (left over from this refashion).
At this point I'd run out of my satin backed suede fabric so I made the waistband out of a scrap of the brown crepe. The back waistband I made as usual, the front waistband I made extra long to fit onto the extra wide skirt front, then I added buttons.

Eight mismatched black buttons, four sets of two. The skirt waistband fastens in one of my favorite methods (used on this skirt, and these skirts), it folds over itself and buttons closed. This makes 4 pleats in the lace panel.

Of course, I added pockets to this skirt, just as with everything else I make. Where would I be without pockets? I finished the hem by pinking it, then added a ruffle of 4"wide black lace. (I had decided an actual hem would be too bulky, and this fabric doesn't really fray.)

I fell in love with the finished product. I don't usually wear black and brown together, but with this skirt, it just worked. The combination of the two colors means it can be worn with quite a few of my shirts.

All in all, though, this is very much a winter skirt. The fabric is too warm (being a rather heavy polyester) to be comfortable during the warm seasons. (I learned this the hard way when I wore the skirt one day in El Salvador over the summer)

So, I finished this skirt last winter and wore it plenty! I just never got around to getting pictures of it. Then, at the beginning of this week, I needed a dark skirt to wear and I decided to was a cool enough evening that I could wear this one. 

Thus, as soon as I got dressed for the evening I dragged my youngest brother outside to get these pictures. Photographically documenting both this skirt and my red hair for the first time ever.

I rather like both. Thank you, Gram, for the fabric and the suggestion of what to make with it!