And now for a little bit of colour

The skirt fabric was inherited from a friend quite a while ago.  It could only be a skirt.  Can't imagine what else I'd make from such a bold print.  Problem was - a skirt needs a top, and nothing seemed to go with it.  White and cream looked hideous.  Black didn't work either.  A few weeks back I was in Fabricland, and there on the 75% off table was this rather muddy dark green bamboo voile.  A little bell went off in my head - that's almost the same green as what's in the peacock fabric.  Went home, checked the print.  Sure enough - should work.  I really was taking my chances, because it was quite a few days later that I went back for the green fabric.  My thinking being - if it's meant to be, it will be there.  Sure enough - so ugly no one else would want it.  It's also a rather odd fabric.  Bamboo knits are soooo soft and wonderful.  This is also bamboo, but much, much crisper than linen, and about as sheer as handkerchief linen.  No-one at the store seemed to know what would happen after the fabric was washed.  There's only one way to fine out.  My green fabric was put through the washer and the dryer.  Still as crispy as ever.  Rather wrinkly too.  It almost feels rough to the touch - definitely not a "cozy" fabric.
For the skirt I followed Sherry's instructions for her Miranda skirt - more or less.  The mathematical part of my brain must have gone on holiday.  For some reason I could not calculate the pleats.  Perhaps it's because I use inches for sewing, not centimeters, and calculators use decimals, and it all gets really, really confusing.  Could also be that I did my usual scan through the instructions without actually reading all the information.  I persevered.  Three tries later I had even pleats.  No side seams needed - this print runs along the selvedge, though it's not actually a border print.  One invisible zipper and one waistband later, and we have a skirt.  Would this mean that this is Javanese fabric?

What kind of a top can one make from very crispy fabric?  The only thing that I thought would work, was a shirt.  (Obviously - that's what I made.)

McCalls 5433  is getting to be a "TNT" for me.  (Now apparently OOP! - does this mean that my shirt is now out-of-date?)  I widened the 3/4 sleeves just a tad, because the last time I made these, they turned out rather snug - not impossible to wear, just impossible to roll up once they're on my arms.  Sort of annoying - having to remember to roll up the sleeves before putting on the shirt.  Left off the collar - just because.  Didn't put in all the buttonholes - it's summer I will never, ever be buttoning this thing up to my neck.  Besides, I've seen shirts done this way - so it's not just my crazy laziness.  Oh! - I actually made french seams - but only on the sleeves.  Don't want anyone seeing ugly serging when I roll those sleeves up!  I added tucks.  Why, oh why do I come up with these make-work-projects when I'm dealing with cranky fabric that refuses to cooperate?  Two tries to get more-or-less straight tucks.  The first try got cut off and chucked.  I finally resorted to my cranky sewing machine - the one with the fancy 1/4 inch foot.

Still not perfect, but I really didn't want to stitch 10 more tucks.  The tucks were sewn before I cut the fronts of the shirt.  I just measured to make sure that they would fit the space between the seam and the dart.  I know - cheater's method, but it works.
Now I'm working on this that and the other thing in spits and spurts.  I do wish that I could get back to designating myself a "sewing day".  Unfortunately, there are too many "other projects" at the moment, so the only way sewing is going to happen, is in bits and pieces.  There is progress, and that's the main thing.