Loop de doo
Of all the projects I made for Handstitched Class, my favorite (other than the quilt) is definitely my Loop de doo skirt! This week the girls in Handstitched get to make their own Loop de doo project, so I thought I'd indulge myself by sharing a bit more.
Awhile back I shared the skirt at "the canvas" stage. I had only the hemming left to do and asked for your advice on hemming the slippery voile without shortening the skirt much. Thanks so much for all your advice! Erin of House on Hill Road provided my favorite answer - the bias tape hem. I used a quilting cotton cut on the bias. It only took 1/4" from the skirt's length and adds a bit of weight at the hem. To learn how bias tape hemming works, check out this tutorial. Thanks, Erin!
I had a vague idea as to how to embellish the skirt. I wanted to use a purchased product that wouldn't have any raw edges and wouldn't have any "wrong" side. My first thought was ribbon. Finding the right color and thickness in ribbon wasn't as easy as I thought and then the ribbon wouldn't curl the way I wanted it too. My friend, Heather, encouraged me to give bias tape another try. I'd counted it out before for whatever reason. She was right!
I think what I love so much about this project is how the embellishment adds oodles of personality and texture to the skirt. When I finished it, the raw pleasure and satisfaction made me actually exclaim, "I'll never buy a skirt again!" Yep, I was so euphoric over the results that I couldn't fathom why I'd prefer store-bought again. LOL! I think that's a bit of an exaggeration, but it's definitely a step in the direction of preferring to make my own clothes. Every step counts!
When I wear this skirt, I'm pretty darn sure it looks completely Handmade. Handmade in a good way. My goals is to make more and more handmade that I can wear over the years.
Psst....If you're wondering, I haven't forgotten about my Alabama Chanin dress. As soon as I finish my last Handstitched project, I'll dust it off and get back to work. Yes please!