July is a pretty busy month for me and I’ll be spending a lot of time with family and away from the computer.  So I thought it was a good time to bring some posts home, especially all the stuff I’ve been sharing on Miss Matatabi the last few months.  This one is back from February!

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I love to sew for my daughters, but recently I’ve been trying to sew more women’s clothing, so today I’ve got a skirt that I made for myself and I’m so excited to be here sharing it with you!

If you know me, you know that I’ve been a HUGE Nani Iro fan for a few years now, but unfortunately my local fabric store stopped carrying the fabric.  I had to search elsewhere to feed my Nani Iro addiction and that’s how I found Miss Matatabi.  Frances has been my official supplier ever since!  I started out only buying little bits of fabric and using it only for my daughter because it’s pricier than most other fabrics and I didn’t want to buy a large amount of yardage.  But after realizing that a toddler does not need or appreciate the perfection that is Nani Iro, I was determined to start using the fabric for me.  And I’m so glad that I did!

First of all, the prints are always gorgeous and very much my style.  It’s like the artist, Naomi Ito, reaches into my dreams and makes them into fabric!  Ok, I realize I sound a little crazy now, but that’s now much I adore her work.  Secondly, the fabric is always such amazing quality – it feels great, it looks great and it’s a joy to sew.

The fabric that I used for this skirt is Nani Iro Birds Eye – C and it is a soft brushed cotton.  The print is a gorgeous mix of colors in a style reminiscent of a Monet painting.  The main color is a light lilac, but if you look closely there is a wonderful mix of mint, dark purple, tan, blue, cream, goldenrod and yellow.  It’s such a unique and delicate print – I feel like I’m wearing a piece of artwork!  This print is available in several different colorways.

The fabric itself is unbelievably cozy and soft.  It’s a bit heavier in weight than say, double gauze or some quilting cottons, but because of the looser weave and softness, it still has a lovely drape and is suitable for sewing garments.

The pattern I used for the skirt is Liesl + Co’s Everyday Skirt.  It was my first time sewing it and I loved it!  It’s a really simple pattern, suitable for beginners, but comes out looking so professional.  I love patterns that give you the confidence to sew for yourself!

The skirt features a flat-front waistband and elastic in the back for perfect fit and comfort.  There are side panels that aren’t gathered to avoid any extra bulk in the hip area (which I think is genius!) and pockets, of course!  I really recommend this basic skirt pattern, especially if you are new to sewing women’s clothes.  I definitely plan on making more!

When my 3 year old saw my skirt she begged me to make her one too.  She loved the feel of the fabric.  I think this fabric would be wonderful as a scarf, a luxurious pair of pajamas, a pillow case or a blanket.  In fact, when I laid my hands on this fabric for the first time, I had the urge to make it into a blanket so I could snuggle with it all the time.  But now I can wear it out and still feel so comfortable at the same time.

I also made the top that I’m wearing in these pictures.  It’s a simple knit dolman sleeve top that I made based off another shirt that I own.  I was going to make more and blog it eventually, but that never happened.  Just another to add to the “things I’ll blog about someday (aka never)” pile 🙂