what I did instead of packing (part I)

I wanted a new winter skirt, that's the thing. I knew I needed to start packing up my art room, for real, but I found this wool (12 years old) in pristine condition in the back of my closet and it just wouldn't go in the box. I never found a skirt that I wanted this fall after a dumb amount of time searching online (and the j.crew one was over $100), so I made this 2 nights ago. It's inspired by an Anthropologie skirt I got on mega-sale a few years back. A quick consultation with my girl Frenchie (who has the same Antro skirt) pointed me to my own bookshelf—the skirt pattern in Wendy's book, which I had not made before, but was perfect.

I lined this with a light lavender material and used an invisible back zipper. Can I sing the praises again of the invisible zipper? Life changing. Just make sure to buy the metal foot especially made for your machine—not the cheap-o plastic ones you find at the fabric shops. It felt so good to actually sew a tailored garment again, with darts and all, instead of the quick-and-dirty skirts I had been making all summer. This skirt is perfect for the naughty secretary look that I love so much, and the best thing is I didn't have to leave the house to make it—I had everything here. That's sort of scary, actually. Packing for me has been like cleaning my room when I was a kid. I could never finish because I would start playing with all the toys I forgot I had. Back to the skirt, I made a self-ruffle (both sides are surged with rolled hem) and stitched it down the middle, over the front darts down to the hem. The skirt hem is just surged. I dig the deconstructed look and the ruffle would be too bulky to turn up.

So, packing is really happening now. I am did the kitchen this morning. How many half-open apple cider vinegars bottles did I have tucked back in the cupboard? Five. And what's up with all the gross honey jars I have?

Unrelated, I think I need to start lifting weights because every morning I am struck by how hard I have to push to get the plunger down on our french press. Seriously, it's one of the hardest thing I do all day and I am just waiting to sustain a coffee-related injury.

On the new music front: Bon Iver, Fleet Foxes, and The Pica Beats. Any other suggestions?