Miss J's Jean Skirt--Seventh Finish for the 2nd Quarter Finish-A-Long

The project with the fabric and pattern

For the last six weeks, I've been working a lot. Because I've needed to prepare for the courses that I was teaching and prepare feedback after many of the lessons, I knew I wouldn't have much time for working on the truck quilting project. Besides, my brain was not in quilt mode. I didn't want to make a mistake stitching the truck!

After not being able to stitch for about five days in a row, I was surprised at how much I missed spending time in the studio. I decided that I'd better look over my project list for the quarter and find a project that was easy to work on when I had a few minutes to spare.

I decided the jeans fabric needed to be stitched. It was goal number eight on my 2nd Quarter Finish-A-Long list. It is also my seventh finish for the quarter!

Miss J is growing so fast and this 1/2 yard of fabric isn't. If I didn't stitch the skirt soon, I would be making a back pack out of the fabric since there wouldn't be enough fabric to cover the girl!

Skirt and interfacing pieces cut

My daughter bought this piece of fabric shopping one day several years ago because she thought it would make a great item for one of the girls. At least that was the story she related when she gave me the fabric! This project has been on my Finish-A-Long list since October of 2017.

The pattern I have had on hand for many years as I stitched jean skirts for my girls when they were about the ages of my granddaughters!

At first, I decided I wanted to make another pattern; but, after carefully laying out the pattern pieces, I found I was short by at least half a yard! So it was back to my original plan.

A fitting session of sorts

During one sewing session, I cut out the pieces and the interfacing. Then, over a two week period, I would stitch. Some sessions, I clean finished an edge or stitched a side seam. When I stitched on the waist band, I did it in two sessions! Although it took a long time to finish this skirt, this was a great pattern to sew when I had a few minutes to putter.  Having a short stitching session to look forward to or to remember, helped me feel connected to my creative side!

Button from my grandmother's button box

Once the steps remaining were stitching the belt loops, front waist closure and tacking the facing, I asked Miss J to try it on for a fitting. She was game until she saw a butterfly land on the geraniums outside the window. Then she was a "body in motion," moving to watch the butterfly as it flew from flower to flower.  I wasn't able to get the skirt oriented so that the pockets were in the back. Still, I knew it was going to be long enough and that it would fit her around the waist. I'm surprised the photo is mostly in focus!

It didn't take long to stitch the belt loops to the skirt waistband, tack the side seams to the waistband facing and to determine a workable closure. I selected a denim like button that was in my grandmother's button box. It was a perfect and certainly affordable choice!

This skirt is so cute and ready for lots of play. I used half a yard of fabric. I did buy half a yard of fabric though so I still have used 13 1/2 yards from my stash and I have 36 1/2 yards to go to achieve my goal of a net loss of 50 yards from my stash this year. (More on that fabric purchase in a future post as I'm not planning on petting it for any length of time!)

Miss J with her smoothie

First, a photo of the girl who will be wearing this skirt. She made this smoothie and decided she liked the foam on my coffee to decorate her smoothie. She helped herself!

She is my favorite four year old grandchild. We have so much fun playing together!

Finished skirt