Denim, pleats, and . . . hot damn.

I seem to have a growing pile of posts to put out and a dwindling amount of time . . . or well, the same amount of time buy a growing number of things consuming my every waking moment and then creeping into my dreams.  Yawn.  Insomnia has been kicking me this week.  C'est la vie.

So, as I try to grapple with the article edits, papers to grade, and general chaos of a holiday month I'll give you my tribute to the Kelly Skirt.

Hot damn, right? Ain't she just damn fine?

I mean, just look at that top-stitching? 

How, you ask? Well . . . One double needle, two spools of gold top-stitching thread, some ginger peach tea with a splash of honey, and a bit of moxy got it done.  I recommend the same forumla for you, but feel free to change your tea choice.  

I lined those pockets with some leftover Purple Plaid Thurlow Shorts material because, well, I figured if I lived in the shorts last summer I might also live in this skirt.  

Again, more obligatory shots of my hot, hot, stitching.  Seriously, a handful of people wanted to know the secret . . . I went a little slow, which was painfully hard for me, and then the Gutterman thread really helped.  If you haven't picked up on it before: just suck it up and pay for the good thread because no matter how great the deal a generic, discount diva thread is going to make your stitches look like a third grader's art project and most likely fuck your machine up with jammed threads.  Using doll sized screwdrivers to take apart your machine and remove a spool or so of thread wound around thread bars is never a good way to spend an afternoon.  Just saying.  

And . . . RIVETS.  Why? Why not.  I had a bunch leftover from a project years ago.  I put them to excellent use!

Some porn from the inside:

Yea, I planned to wear it with a belt . . . so I removed the second buttonhole in place of a pants hook.  Works like a little bit of perfection.

And, since no sewing post would be complete without shot of my mug . . . the photos from about a month ago (oh, the shame . . . I am behind, and well  . . . see the first paragraph).

 

Fitting: me made at The Green Market.  

Those pleats are pretty cute, aren't they? How? One spray bottle + one dying iron + one clapper procured from last summer's spoils of my Momma's sewing room + tea and patience.  Notice the mention of tea . . . yea, top-stitching and clapper pleats add about three to four hours to a project, but I must say they are worth it.  On the clapper, I pressed the skirt like a mo-fo, then spritzed, pressed again, then clapped those pleats into submission forcing me to leave the skirt rest for several hours.  

  And with that, you have the Kelly that I've worn at least once a week since (no joke) and pics A) not in my apartment and B) not on my stoop.

Oh, I nearly forgot:

There was a hammer involved! Sewing + hammer = perfection in my book.  For the record, to install the rivets you use the hammer.  And the Instagram filter makes my kitchen look yellow . . . it's orange.