Squeak! A Squirrel Circle Skirt

Squirrel Skirt 2

Over the weekend, our family went to an anniversary party for Pete’s parents. The theme was “Tiempo de Rock n Roll” and the dress code was “estile de las 50’s y 60’s.” The boys were all for just wearing their usual jeans with a belt and tucking in a plaid shirt, very Leave it to Beaver. Guinevere though didn’t have anything quite right for the occasion just sitting around in her closet, so I had to make her something new.

Squirrel Skirt 1

I used the instructions from Gertie’s New Book for Better Sewing to draft a circle skirt (yup, I needed instructions. I’d never done it before.) Then I added an elasticized waistband and some shoulder straps to allow for growing room and to support the weight of the skirt since it is fairly heavy. There’s a crinoline under it, but it’s hard to tell because the skirt weighs it down.

Squirrel Skirt 5

The fabric is some kind of acrylic suiting I’ve had in the stash for a while. It was one of those pieces I loved at first sight, though there wasn’t much left on the bolt. I bought what they had, maybe a 1 1/4 yard piece of 60″ wide fabric, just enough to make a very, very full skirt and to allow for plaid matching on the side seams (if not the shoulder straps).

Squirrel Skirt 3

The shoulder straps are sewn onto the back. Then I sewed buttons onto the inside of the front waistband. There are 3 buttonholes on each strap, so they can be lengthened as she grows. I let the skirt hang out before I hemmed it, but didn’t take into account how the shoulder straps would change the way it hangs, so the hem, while technically “even” doesn’t always look even because the waistband is being held up more in some places than others, especially at center back.  The blouse she’s wearing for these pictures is one that my grandma made for my mom when she was a little girl. Grandma really made clothes to last.

Squirrel Skirt 4

Anyone can have a circle skirt with a poodle. Guinevere got a squirrel because according to Pete she’s “Daddy’s Little Squirrel”. (say it aloud and a little slurred and you can hear how that nickname came about.) She chose the bright pink color. It’s basic applique, just Wonder-Under fused on, then zig-zagged around the perimeter of the design to keep it from peeling up over time and to give it some extra definition since I used blue thread.

We had a tiny window of opportunity to take these pictures this weekend. There were these crazy pouring down cloudbursts repeatedly over the last two days. This picture was taken at mid-day Saturday. I so look forward to summer when it won’t be so dark all the time.

Squirrel Skirt 009

Stash-busting stats: 6/25


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2 responses to “Squeak! A Squirrel Circle Skirt”

  1. EmSewCrazy Avatar

    Looks pretty cute! I think it’s neat that she’s wearing a shirt made by her grandma too. Total handmade outfit. How special!

  2. Lynn Avatar

    That’s very cute!

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