The One That Didn't Cost Me A Penny

My husband scoffed when I told him that this skirt was free - probably because he knows how much money I've spend on sewing supplies over the years - but despite his doubting, I maintain that this skirt didn't cost me a penny (or at least a penny recently...).

The fabric is a cotton/lycra blend that's been sitting in my stash for approximately four years and it's actually left over from a disaster of a project that I began but never finished.  Why I purchased nearly neon pink fabric in the first place is a bit of a mystery to me, considering I'm not fond of pink and neon is really not my thing, but oh well.

The thread was a half used spool sitting on my wall-o-spools.

And the "pattern" was made by just cutting around a sweater skirt that I've found to be incredibly comfortable in the last couple of weeks.  Now I'm not one of those super-talented people who regularly just trace around items to make patterns, so even though this was the most simple project ever, I'm going to give myself a little pat on the back for used a clothing item that I already own as the "pattern."

And the elastic?  Well, it turned out that I didn't even need any.  It fits perfectly around my belly without any elastic because of the lycra in the skirt and it's probably even more comfortable because no elastic was needed.  And this skirt is indeed ridiculously comfortable.

See?  It was totally free.

Now, in the spirit of full disclosure, I should tell you that there is a downside to this skirt.  The fabric is on the medium weight side but is probably a little lighter than called for for a fairly tight-fitting pencil skirt and I'm having a serious problem finding an "undergarment" that does not result in lumps and bumps in one place or another.  Not that you all want to hear about my intimate garments, but let's just say that I tried on several different styles and never found one that I was completely satisfied with.  In the end, I went with the lazy-woman's solution - wearing a long cardigan that covered my butt.

I'd love to make this skirt again though since it's ridiculously simple to make and is so freaking comfortable, but I'll definitely be looking for a heavier knit so that I don't end up having to spend all morning trying on underwear and examining my butt in the mirror.  Because that is something that we could all live without.

Out damn wrinkles!  Out!