Spring Blouse and Skirt (w/ bamboo embellishment!)

I made another version of Simplicity 2599 using the green silk/cotton print recently purchased from Emmaonesock. I can't get over how much I love this material: the saturated colors, the faint sheen, the crispness combined with a magical failure to wrinkle.  I decided to make a simple top with cap sleeves, because I felt the fabric stood so well by itself.  I finished the back with a cream button culled from a Banana Republic shirt.

Simplicity 2599

To go with the simple shape of the top, I decided to embellish this yellow cotton version of McCalls 3830. The fabric is a thick, textured cotton by the designer Philip Lim, purchased at Parons Fabrics last March (stashbustin'!).  The bamboo rings are from Pacific Trimming in the Garment District, and the gold studs were purchased at Daytona Braids and Trimming (also in the Garment District) for a long since-forgotten project.  They hide the attaching stitches well.

The idea is from a skirt by the designer Milly; I saved this image back in 2009 after seeing the skirt in Saks.  So this skirt is not only stashbustin', but ideabustin' as well. 

Milly, Raffia cotton jacquard skirt, net-a-porter.com

To make the tabs, I meausured the ring's width and determined that tabs should be about 1 3/4" wide.  I cut strips of spare fabric in that width, and played around with the different lengths on the finished skirt on my dressform.  When I determined the right length, I made "patterns" out of the fabric strips (using cut-off pattern scraps). 

I added 1/4" seam allowances, lined the tabs in a lightweight yellow quilting cotton to enclose the edges, and attached the tabs to the rings with the zipper foot. 

It only took a few extra hours' of "designing" work, and it was really fun.  The weather is supposed to be lovely at the end of the week, so perhaps I'll get a chance to wear this colorful spring skirt.

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I really appreciated your comments and thoughts on sewing pants.  I'm inspired to try them now.  Many of you commented that Burda pants have the best fit, so I actually... ordered a Burda magazine.  I've never sewn with Burda magazine patterns.  The March 2011 edition had a pair of fly front-free pants that have great lines (images accesible on the Burda Russian site, which I translated by posting the page's link into Google translator):

Burda #116a 3/2011

Burda #116b, 3/2011 (same pants, but with cuffs)

I'm intimidated by having to trace the patterns and the lack of clear instructions that Burda is infamous for, but I'm impressed by your positive thoughts on Burda pants' fit, so I'm going to try it out.  I'm really, really excited.  Stay tuned...