Pinwheel, Pinwheel Spinning Around

Do you people remember that show Pinwheel on Nickelodeon? I'm going to put it somewhere in the mid to late 80's. Good times. Anyway, I sewed this Pinwheel skirt weeks ago but was too lazy to iron and photograph myself in it. Sorry. I had this Pinwheel Skirt from Elle Apparel bookmarked for a really long time before I actually put Lipstick Linen to sewing machine. Really, that's what it was called at JoAnn's, $7/yard with a coupon. I have never worked with linen before. All I knew was that it has a tendency to wrinkle. This is a very thorough tutorial but I still prefer to sew with a pattern. I ran into trouble right from the start when I was cutting out my fabric pieces. I purchase exactly two yards, which is technically all you need, however, it took some fancy layout work to be able to cut all the pieces to size. I spent a long time trying to figure this out and doing the math involved with my measurements which are nowhere near as tiny as the designer's. At one point, John came into the living room and said, "It's never good when I come in here in the middle of a project and you have your head in your hands." I had been that way for a good 15 minutes trying to sort things through. Eventually, I got it.

The sewing went okay except either I missed a step or I sorely miscalculated two of the panel measurements. I ended up having to put an extra pleat in the back. The pleats that create the pinwheel were easier than I thought they'd be. One of the most difficult parts was the placement of the trim along the pleats. And I thought that would be easy. I'm still not sure I got it right. They don't really meet up where they shoud. And I don't know that I'm super happy with the end product.

It's too big in the waist and needs to be taken in. Also, my pinwheel waves in the front don't sit flat. And I think it makes me look hippy, as in big in the hips, not like a hippie. I guess I'm just disappointed that I worked so hard and the skirt from the tutorial looks so nice on her. I'm glad I tackled this project because it gave me the opportunity to attempt a custom fit, something I'm not great at, I learned. I'm hoping I can alter it to where it's wearable. Otherwise, it was a lot of toil for nothing.

Side Note: I need a better camera. And a better photographer.