Deer and Doe Chardon

Happy Derby Day!

I thought I'd get to posting about the Deer and Doe Chardon skirt that I made last week for my mom, considering she's wearing it today and just sent me a few pictures in it.  But first, pattern shots:

Deer and Doe is a French indie pattern company, but they include a second instruction packet for us non-French speakers.  Merci, mesdames!

Okay, so Deer and Doe have some adorable patterns.  French women are known for their fashion, so I mean, it makes sense.  Their instructions, however, leave a little to be desired, at least for beginners like myself.  I found myself more than once trying to search for someone who blogged their way through this pattern to clarify a few things for me, like "Turn the facing on the skirt." TURN IT WHERE?!  And how far?  What am I doing? Merde!

Looking back on it now that I've already done it, it seems pretty simple.  However for a beginner pattern, I suppose a little clarification on that (having never worked with facings before) would have been helpful.  Nevertheless, it certainly won't deter me from buying another Deer and Doe pattern in the (near) future.  Their designs are beautiful and frankly, I enjoy a little challenge every now and again.  I'll just make sure I have more wine in the house next time, you know, in case of emergency.

Chardon #1 (I have two in the works, both for other people) would going to my mom, and she asked me to pick out the fabric myself and surprise her with it.  I chose the Wayfarers print in the Palos Verdes collection from Cloud 9, a light and springy organic cotton voile (I feel like a real sewist when I use terms like "organic cotton voile".  It makes you think I know what I'm talking about.  Which I do.  Sometimes.) for the main fabric, and a light blue linen for the contrast.

Aside from my rookie ignorance - nothing that a seam ripper couldn't fix - the skirt came together relatively quickly and easily.  And so I present to you my mother modeling her Chardon Skirt on this lovely Derby Day.  I'm off to work some more, and then make myself presentable and go on a date with my husband, whom I have not spent much time with due to his hellacious work projects lately.  We shall sip on beer (him) and bourbon (me) and talk about typical grown-up things, like our house and our yard and early bedtimes.  Bonsoir!