Good morning and happy Monday! True to form, it's a grey and grizzly day here in London town so we thought we'd bring a little sunshine into our lives in the form of Sarah Grey and her bright and beautiful collection of Charlotte Skirts! Sarah is owner of Boston fabric boutique, Grey's Fabric & Notions, and has been one of our wonderful stockists since day 1.

The girl - Sarah Grey

Her shop - Grey's Fabric & Notions, Boston, MA

Her blog - Grey's Fabric

The pattern - The Charlotte Skirt

What inspired your choice of fabric? And did your finished skirt live up to your expectations?

The first time I made the skirt, I chose a home decor sateen cotton printed with colorful scallops (on the dress form - coordinating with emerald, Pantone's color of the year!), but alas, it was too small for me. For the next two, I made one size up and it was just right. The blue floral is the same weight as the scallops, a nice dense cotton. The first time I cut the front, there was a giant white rose over my lady bits, so that one had to get recut. Oops! I lined the second and third versions and I think I prefer this to the French seams I used on the first iteration. The turquoise version wrinkles a bit more and if I were to use this weight again, I'd interface the waistband, though that wasn't really necessary with the first two. Since I'm only 5'2, I had to chop quite a bit off the bottom, but the shape of the skirt still comes through.

 

What variations do you think you might try in the future?

I have a version on the cutting table at the moment in brown silk suiting, into which I plan to insert a kick pleat. I'm pretty clumsy, so having a little more mobility will help. Ashley, my assistant, made a gorgeous version in navy blue tie silk in which she did a simple split down the back seam that also works very well. It's a sexy skirt that is still very elegant and VERY quick to stitch up, even with the lining, and it doesn't require much fabric. I can't wait to make a whole army of them!

 

Sarah, thank you so much for (virtually) stopping by and brightening our day! We absolutely love how you've chosen such happy, sunny fabrics for your Charlotte Skirts, and with such a mouth watering selection in your shop, it's a wonder there's any left for your customers - we'd have stitched up the whole lot for ourselves already!!