It was a crisp, beautiful October morning in Madrid and we were heading to one of the many things Loren -a friend and coworker from my old job who happens to be a Madrileño- had recommended to visit while in his city. Our hotel happened to be on Calle Atocha…well, so did this Ribes & Casals fabric store!

Boombadeus, probably jokingly, pointed out the windows of the fabric store we were about to pass on our left. I soon noticed a sale sign. We just HAD to stop and check it out.

Ten minutes, plenty of Parisina childhood memories and about 20 Euros later, we came out with four metros (a little over 4 yards) of tweed; two of a red one -on sale- and a beautiful white and black one (pictured).

The red one wasn’t a challenge to choose (sale plus I like red) but I wasn’t sure about getting the black and white tweed. It wasn’t because of the full price; even in Euros, the price was actually pretty good (compared to Fabric Row prices). My biggest concern would be having to carry both all day as I wasn’t going to go back to the hotel. But the fabric was just so adorable! I decided to go for it.

As soon as we got back, I knew I had to make the “flared” skirt, as I call the simplicity 5914, and so I did.

I think cutting the fabric was my most tense sewing moment ever. While I usually get nervous cutting fabric (who doesn’t) this was the only fabric I had! I couldn’t just go back and get more of it! but hey, I’m glad that I made it through the fears…

Check out what I’m wearing this weekend!

I was a little nervous to sew again; for many years I had only sewn hems, lots of pillows and a picnic blanket…but no clothing from scratch! Oh my!

I had stopped sewing for myself almost as quickly as I started; this was due to the the green striped pleated skirt incident (age 12? 13?) which now I believe looked horrible mostly because the old lady teaching me insisted I make it about a size or two too big.

To start once again, I decided to find a pattern that wouldn’t be too complicated; the “6 skirts made easy” on the pattern’s envelope and the great reviews to this pattern on Pattern Review sold this pattern to me. I made it with an extremely soft light weight charcoal gray wool found at Pennsylvania Fabric Outlet on Fabric Row which was even on sale!

One of the first things I did when I put this skirt on was twirl. The slight flare is cute and feminine; but luckily it does not remind anyone of bell bottoms.

At some point last year I felt that I had worn this skirt way too much (it became my favorite, it’s very soft and warm); that I needed to make another one just like that but with a different fabric…but how do you get lucky and find a nice fabric like that again?…Oh, you’ll see!