(note: not necessarily a new blog feature, I just love me some alliteration!)

I’ve mentioned before here that I’m slowly going through my late Grandma’s belongings.   She was of the generation that saved everything, so there is quite a bit of accumulation.  I had not realized, however, that she was also saving my old things.  This weekend I opened a hidden closet to find a time capsule of my high school fashions – clothes that I had assumed were long since given away or turned to dust rags.   I didn’t exactly have what you would call great 90s style – I loved long skirts, ditsy floral dresses, and a large accumulations of suits that can only be termed “80s power woman.”   At one point my Mom told me “Jessica, what you have to do is set your own trends… don’t be a follower!”  I took that advice to heart, and have spent a great deal of my life wearing whatever the heck I want, with little consideration of whether it is in style or not.  Perhaps I was not so much a trendsetter, but I will tell you that I’m glad  that I escaped the 80s and 90s with almost a total lack of flannel skirts, neon, or giant Blossom inspired hats.  Except for one thing… the bubble dress I found in the back of the closet.  I think I wore it to a homecoming dance in 1994?  It was not in style at the time, and maybe I thought I was setting a trend or what have you (note: I was kind of a dork.)  When bubble skirts came back a few years ago I laughed myself silly – who wants a skirt that looks like some sort of curtain valance?  Well, apparently I did.

Now?  Not so much.  I don’t see the bubble skirt entering my wardrobe, but there is another vaguely bubble-like skirt that I’m itching to try… the tulip skirt!

It’s a more classic style I think.  I’m planning to make the skirt on the right from Simplicity 2413.  I have this pale peachy-pink light wool crepe that I bought online, apparently forgetting that peach near my face causes me to look like some sort of jaundiced vampire.   But it’s lovely (the same crepe I made the Rooibos dress out of) and I am so ready to use it.  I can’t explain my obsession with this color – perhaps it was the peach suit that my Mom wore in the 80s, which I thought was so classy and awesome.  Or maybe it was my #1 Barbie of all time, Peaches and Cream Barbie!

I have to say, I still think her dress is all kinds of awesome!  And she had a stole… so romantic, and so impractical in real life!

Anyway, I think the skirt will look nice in the crepe – and I think I can get away with wearing the color on my lower half!  I’m planning to quickline the skirt using the tutorial here.  I bought some bemberg lining today for that purpose.  I have a nasty sinus infection right now (I get them like clockwork whenever the weather starts to change) so hopefully I feel up to doing some sewing in the next day or two – I usually go out for pub quiz Tuesday nights, but I may be skipping it this week in order to rest up!

Feeling sorry for myself over being sick, I bought this fabric from FabricMart – a cotton sateen that is so me I don’t know where to start.

I’m thinking of using a late 50s  early 1960s sundress pattern for this – how lovely will it be with all the bubbles rising from the hem!  Now I just have to decide which pattern – a full skirt for certain.  Perhaps I will go vintage pattern shopping again, though that is dangerous for me!

Hope you are all having a lovely week – thanks for all the comments on the Kate jeans – I just love them, and I encourage anyone interested to try a pair of their own!