Sweet Simple Skirt

I think this will be green enough for St. Patrick's Day...right?
This is just a plain elastic waist skirt...but the ruffle totally completes the skirt!  I bought this shirt a few weeks ago at a Just Between Friends sale and then found the fabric--I am totally in love with this outfit!  (Don't mind the shoes...one of her brand new sandals seems to have walked away after only wearing them once!)

I am notorious for making things more difficult than they really are, especially when I'm sewing late at night.  But not this time!  I made the ruffle with my ruffler first...then measured the ruffle and cut the skirt to match that size.  Talk about easy!  I'm more of the "cut the skirt, then ruffle the fabric on the skirt--run out of fabric--take out the ruffle and try it again" type of girl, but I'm getting better.  I finished the skirt off with an elastic waist and topstiched the seams. 

The skirt has just the right movement...it swings when she walks and has a lovely twirl when she spins!  And the colors...LOVE!

Tiered Ruffled Skirt

Are you afraid of this contraption???

I love my ruffler.  Sure, it has caused me my fair share of frustrations (primarily, soon after I got it I realized that I needed to use a pliers to tighten the screw holding the needle as it kept loosening)...and I went through more needles that I care to count (I sometimes forget to move the needle over a little...therefore resulting in a broken or bent needle).  

I came across this pink and brown fabric, and couldn't decide what I liked best...therefore I got a little of everything and made this skirt!

From Ruffled Skirt

From Ruffled Skirt

From Ruffled Skirt

(This was the only plain shirt my Jilli Bean had.  Luckily, I did not stock up on 18 month fall/winter clothes when they were on clearance--I would have been stuck with a bunch of clothes that were one size too small!)

I did a rolled hem on the serger, then used the ruffler on each strip (set it to 1 ruffle every 6 stitches).  Then I sewed the ruffles to strips of plain fabric.  I ruffled 4 rows of 40" strips in less than 10 minutes!  Talk about fast!

 I plan to get a plain, light pink, long sleeve shirt to go with this, and applique a "J" on the front of it (or something!) in the brown w/ pink polka dots (bottom tier). 

I'd like to thank my lil' Jilli Bean for being such a good sport for pictures...it was over 100* outside!  I think she was just happy to get to play outside!

Project #3