APR 2021 :: Painter’s Skirt

Time flies when you give yourself a sewing project each month! This is the fourth blog post in my 2021 Sewing Plans blog series. Click here to see the video where I share my inspiration for each month. My April project was to create what I call a Carpenter Skirt or a Painter’s Skirt. Below is my collage of inspiration. You can find these images and more on my Pinterest account.

I am enamored with both ends of the fashion spectrum. I love workwear and I love completely impractical high-end couture fashion. I’ve always loved painter’s pants with paint spatter on them but the fit on these vintage pants is very narrow and does not fit my curvy body. I decided to sew a skirt inspired by these pants.

I took inspiration for the skirt from simple 1970s style wrap skirts with big pork chop pockets. Wrap dressing makes so much sense to me. I wish it was more mainstream. Our bodies are always changing. It’s a more sustainable choice to have clothing that can be worn across sizes. The images can be found on my Pinterest account.

I shared my progress in my Instagram stories. Check out the APR highlight for process videos and photos.

The image below on the left is of me from ten years ago. I lived in that plaid skirt when I worked at a public library. I traced the pieces of that skirt onto paper and used it as a pattern to recreate the skirt on the right in drill fabric. I’d never used drill fabric before. It’s so easy to work with. I love how the tops of the pockets serve as belt loops. #genius.

Instead of splattering paint on the skirt I decided to tie dye it. I did not achieve the results I wanted with my first attempt so I will share a final photo of the skirt after I do some more dyeing. Stay tuned! Gotta keep moving or I’ll never finish my May project — wrap pants!

What I learned on this project

• Sewing from scratch is soooooo much easier than upcycling clothing IMHO
• Drill fabric is a dream fabric and I plan to use it for more projects
• I was too shy with color in my first dye session. Rookie mistake.
• Wrap dressing should be more mainstream
  
  ONWARD!
  xoxo recovergirl