(Sort of) copy of People Tree skirt - part 1

Extreme displacement activity lead me to drafting a pattern for and cutting out quite a lot of this skirt when I should have been doing things for the boy's (already 6 weeks late) birthday party.

I had got out an old 'People Tree' skirt I bought years ago, I hadn't fitted in it for a while, but due to all the cycling I thought it was worth another go. I'd forgotten how much I liked it. It's plain but with the little quirky buttoned 'pleat' and tie fastening it's lifted from being just a normal A line skirt. I decided I wanted to copy it.

Then I went in our local fabric shop (part of the Masons of Abingdon empire) with Janey the Quilter, and we both fell for this elephant fabric:

And they all went off with a trumpety-trump...

It's a summery kind of cotton, I thought it might be a bit thin, and need lining. Then someone said if you're going to do that with a light cotton you might as well get two skirts for the price of one - a reversible skirt was now on the cards. I have no experience of making reversible skirts - or any skirts really (see below) - but, onward!

I  couldn't find anything for the 'other side' I liked (I think I had been overwhelmed by the sheer greatness of the yellow elephants). I got home, and realised I'd made a HUGELY unflattering circle skirt in a brown and blue polka dot fabric a couple of years ago. It's hung in the wardrobe since the 'Beautiful Days' spots and stripes night (2011?). Circle skirts have loads of fabric in them of course, so there would be enough for the second skirt:

Spot The Difference

I measured up the original skirt and made a pattern based on it - at this point I really don't know what I'm doing, but it all seems to be going OK. It's just a two piece (or four piece in this case)  pattern, but with a larger front than back, to accomodate the buttoned pleat at the front. Then of course there will be some giant tapes to make, and buttonholes.

Measure once, cut twice..no, that's not it...

Couldn't really leave him in the shop could I?

I marked up and cut out all the four skirt pieces (using the virtual help of Tilly, off the Sewing Bee. I am so pleased to not have to pin! Who knew mackerel and tuna could be so useful in sewing).

Then I sat down and had a cup of tea. And thought about how much I didn't want to put 100 tiny sausages onto 100 sticks.