Wardrobe Wednesday: Max(i)ed Out

I’ve had that Wardrobe Wednesday post title planned for at least two weeks, so, of course, I had to comment on it to make sure it got its due. : )

Also, it’s pretty indicative of what we’ve got in store for today’s post, which is all about maxi skirts—one bought, one made by moi.

Here’s the bought option:

Okay, so normally, I do not point your eyes to my bust region, but I just have to say that I was wearing a camisole with a built-in bra under my t-shirt, and apparently, it was not lying completely flat or something because I’ve got lumpiness issues going on here that I don’t care for.

Of course, most of you were never going to notice that, and now I have directed your attention to my chest.

Great job, Abbie.

Also, can I just take a moment to say that maxi skirts are a pregnant girl’s best friend?

Not just because of comfort either. Look what else you can do!

Sometimes, all it takes is a good twirl in a long, floaty skirt to brighten your day (it’s especially bright when the skirt is a particularly loud shade of chartreuse!). 

You know what else are a pregnant girl’s best friends?

WIDE BELTS.

I wore this outfit to sing on the worship team at church last Sunday, and as I was trying to figure out what to wear the night before (we do our final run-through at 7:15 Sunday morning, which means I need to get up at 5:45 to get there on time, and trying to find clothes the morning of in the dark without waking up husband or children is no fun at all), I was having a major pregnancy snit fit.

You know, the: “Nothing fits right anymore, but I’m not big enough to need different clothes, so instead of pregnant, I just look hefty, and I’m a coooooooowwwww! Waaaaah!”

Yeah, it was a big-time, ugly pity party, folks.

And then I remembered that wide belt (Candie’s, brand new from Goodwill = $1), and when I put it on, everything suddenly made sense (well, not everything…I still don’t know why they make those little tab thingies on ketchup packages so dang hard to tear without squirting goo all over yourself).

Not only that, but I got at least three compliments on the outfit (and one of them was from a guy on our worship team who said something like, “I don’t usually notice fashion or anything like that, but I think what you’re wearing is really cool”).

In fact, two ladies ran up to me after the first service, pointed down, and said, “WHERE did you get THAT?!”

I looked down and saw my daughter standing at my feet and said, “Adelaide? Oh, I birthed her.”

Turns out they were talking about my skirt.

Oh, and as far as the breakdown for this outfit goes, the skirt was an Old Navy clearance buy ($8), the t-shirt was a clothes-swap score ($0), the jewelry is from Goodwill ($5ish), and the shoes?

Well, the shoes were a bit of a splurge for me.

I found them at the GAP outlet a few weeks back and fell so deeply in love that I paid $20 for them. I plan to wear the tar out of them, though, so there’s my excuse for buying $20 sandals.

Okay, so how about we take a gander at the “made” maxi skirt?

If you recall, I was majorly jonesing for a cute maxi dress like this one:

(click the pic to be taken to the tute)

But there was one small problem.

I couldn’t quite see much point in cutting up a tank to attach the skirt of the dress to when I could just make a skirt, tuck the tank in, and then add a belt or sash and achieve the same effect with less work and more versatility.

I found this crazy fun print at Hancock’s yesterday, which normally I wouldn’t gravitate towards, but it was super-cheap ($2.50/yd), and I thought it might be a fun punch of whimsy with a white tank.

I followed the basic guidelines from the above tute for measuring the amount of fabric I needed, etc., and then did my own thing after that.

So, how much fabric will you need?

Well, it depends on you and the fabric you use.

(love the veins of gold outlining the flowers)

This particular piece of fabric was very lightweight but not very fluid. I forgot to look at the bolt to see the exact makeup of it, but I would guess a lightweight, unpolished cotton.

It’s a little scratchy and a teeny bit stiff, which means it doesn’t have a lot of movement—not ideal for a maxi skirt, but I figured I could make it work.

SO! Back to that measurement business.

A Small Snippet (the blog with the tank dress tute) suggests wrapping your fabric around your waist 1 1/2 times to achieve the desired fullness. Lindsay, who made her own version, suggested 2 times.

What with the belly and all, I decided to go with Lindsay’s suggestion.

Turns out that TOO much fabric is a bad thing when your fabric is a bit on the starchy side (not so attractive when you’ve got a bump in the front AND a huge bustle of extra fabric in the back), so I ended up trimming my seam by a good 6 inches, which means that I was closer to wrapping the fabric 1 and 3/4 times around my waist.

But I don’t think this would be an issue with softer, more fluid fabric that “lies” a little more nicely.

Once I had wrapped my fabric around my waist to determine how wide it needed to be, I cut it at that mark, and then did the following:

Since my fabric wasn’t directional (meaning, it didn’t matter whether it lay horizontally or vertically), I was able to use the full “length” (actually the width, but it didn’t matter in this case) of the fabric, which at 45” or so, was plenty long enough for me (I’m 5’6”ish), as long as I didn’t hem.

Goody for me that the uncut edges of the bolt have a nice straight selvage line, so I didn’t have to if I didn’t want to (and I didn’t).

Then, I grabbed a piece of 3/4” elastic, attached a safety pin to one end, and here’s what came next:

Then:

All evenly scrunched and ready to go.

Aaaaand…that’s IT!

You’re already done.

Seriously, the easiest. skirt. ever.

I made a couple of measuring/stitching goofs because that’s how I roll when I sew, but if I hadn’t, I could definitely have been done in under an hour.

Of course, you could do fancier things like hem your skirt or make a nicer-looking band for the waist, but I already knew the band would be covered up with a sash or wide belt, and no one was ever going to notice my hem with that busy of a print going on, so I stuck a pin or two in it and called it done! (And then took the pins out before I poked myself…again).

And here’s how I wore it:

Did you notice my vintage button jewelry from yesterday’s post? I’m already getting my $3 worth! : )

So, what do you think? Wanna give the:

…a try?

I’d love to see pics if you do!

I can definitely see the drape and sway of the skirt being drastically different depending on what kind of fabric you use, and I already have a couple more options in mind that I think I’ll try out!

Well, that’s it for me today, folks!

I’m off to the post office, more errands, and then BODYCOMBAT launch (I think I have miraculously managed to cram enough of the choreography in my head that I won’t embarrass myself). 

Y’all have a lovely Wednesday!

_{The CSI project ~ Menu Plan Monday ~ C.R.A.F.T.  ~ The Southern Institute ~ Making the World Cuter ~ Thrify Décor Chick ~ Metamorphosis Monday ~ Sumo Sweet Stuff ~ Gunny Sack ~ Singing Three Little Birds ~DIY Homes Sweet Home ~ Dittle Dattle ~ 1929 Charmer ~ Everything Under the Moon  ~ ModMix Monday ~ Sew Stylish ~ Coastal Charm ~ Under the Table and Dreaming}

_{Tuesday ~ Get Your Craft ~ Tip Junkie ~ Blackberry Vine ~ Crafty Confessions ~ Me & my Boys ~ A Bowl Full of Lemons ~ Home Stories A-Z ~ My Uncommon Slice of Suberbia  ~ Carolyn’s Homework ~ Sugar Bee Crafts ~ House of Grace ~ Passionately Artisitc ~ My World Made by Hand ~ Uncommon Designs ~ Trendy Treehouse}

_{Wednesday ~ Blue Cricket Design ~ Somedays Crafts ~ Sew Much Ado ~ Sew Woodsy ~ Handy Man, Crafty Woman ~ Savvy Southern Style ~ {Primp} ~ Midweek Fiesta ~ Rae Gun Ramblings ~ Polkadots On Parade ~ Lollipop Cards ~ JAQS Studio ~ Let Birdz Fly ~ Let Birdz Fly ~ My Girlish Whims}

_{Thursday ~ Thursdays are Your Days, Transformation Thursdays ~ Somewhat simple ~ Show off your stuff ~ House of Hepworths ~ Delightful Order ~ My Simple Home Life ~ The Frugal Girls ~ Thrifty Thursday ~ DIY Diva Thursday ~ Tablescape Thursday ~ No Minimalists Here ~ Crafty, Scrappy, Happy ~ Thrifty Decorating ~ Between U and Me ~ 36th Avenue}

_{Friday ~ The Shabby nest  ~ Show and Tell Friday ~ Finding Fabulous ~ I’m Loving it ~ Simply Sweet Home ~ Whipper Berry ~ Chic on a Shoestring decorating ~ Spunky Junky ~ Delicate Construction ~ Homemaker in Heels ~ Family Ever After~ French Country Cottage ~ Common Ground ~ Young And Crafty ~ At the Picket Fence ~ Fingerprints on the Fridge ~ Miss Mustard Seed ~ Addicted to Decorating ~Bacon Time with The Hungry Hypo ~ Making Lemonade ~ I Can’t Stop Crafting ~ Over the Big Moon ~ Shabby Art ~ Answer is Chocolate}

_{Saturday ~ I heart nap time- Sundae Scoop ~ Tatertots and Jello ~ Be different Act Normal ~ Funky Junk ~ 2805 ~ Making Lemonade Blog ~I am Along for the Ride  ~ Lolly Jane}