After a miserable trip to the mall looking for clothes for the wedding; I decided that If you have had more than one child, and care at all about being modest, then you are flat out of luck! If it's a skirt you want, they only come in two lengths, short and super short. If you are looking for a nice shirt, you can forget it (!) unless you are willing to buy another shirt to go under that shirt. Oh.....and if you have that "I've had three kids roll" on your belly, they all make you look pregnant! Am I the only mama frustrated about the lack of modest or flattering clothing out there? So after crying in the dressing room at the mall - after the sales girl told me a certain skirt made me look 15 lbs heavier, because she wanted me to buy the $79 skirt she had- I was at the end of my rapidly fraying rope! I came home and cried until midnight mourning the fact that I would never be pretty again. I felt so dumpy, ugly and misproportioned.
Then a thought hit me, I am a real woman! Not a woman with a 13 year old's body! The women who I look up to the most, who I find to be the most beautiful people in the world, all have a real body. I then decided that I would not change the way I feel about myself based on the latest form fitting trend. I decided that I would stay true to my desire to be modest and feminine even if it meant working harder! I would just have to make the clothes that were not available.
I started the next day drafting the pattern for this skirt and made my first tester, PERFECT! I made a nice wide band at the top with contrasting fabric that gives excellent tummy coverage! The back section of the band has long contrasting drawstrings that resembles apron strings when tied-is there anything more feminine than that?. The skirt is a very flattering A-line and is ankle length. When I tried it on to walk around in it and see if it would be comfortable, I didn't want to take it off! I usually wear capri pants all summer, but not now. So in true Samantha fashion, I promptly made two more just like it. I now have three very nice, flattering, modest skirts for summer and I have plans for at least three more! I am so excited about all the funky fabric combinations and pattern variations I'll be able to come up with!
I even took the skirt out for the true summer test, our daily walk to the beaver dam, and it passed with flying colors. I never realized how much cooler skirts were than pants.
(Is there anything better than dipping your feet into the water for the first time every year?)
So all is well again at the Caffee home. Mama's happy, and as you all know: "If mama aint happy, aint nobody happy!"
Comments
I think your skirts are fabulous and I so understand your frustation at finding properly fitting clothing. I'm tall, plump and pregnant...thank the Lord I know how to sew!!
~Rebecka
ang
Love the skirts, they would make me happy too. :)
Ula
I love the skirts. I feel the same way about shopping for myself. I have the not so flat mommy belly too. I go through periods when I get depressed about how I look in clothes, and other times I can say its not what's on the outside, but what's on the inside!
xo
AmyF.
Love the fabrics you chose, too.
I am just linking over to visit you for the first time from the down---to---earth blog. You are a wonderfully talented seamstress. I know I will be learning much from you. Thanks for sharing.
Kath
Don't know if this is any help, but it's something I've been wanting to try for a while.
http://www.xanga.com/connimom/549154186/how-to-make-a-wrap-skirt---part-1-cutting.html
Smiles ~ Jen