Oh Nani Iro double gauze, how I love you so. I sewed this delightful fabric into a Cleo Skirt earlier this summer. I la-la-love it. Double gauze is so crazy comfortable and soft, and these stripes look like they were painted on by hand. This skirt has inseam pockets which seem more and more critical to me in a garment the more I sew, plus a flat-front with elastic-back waistband, so it’s quite comfortable to wear. New favorite skirt alert!

The “midi” length falls below the knee, resulting in something that gives me strong flashbacks of the skirts my mother wore to church in the summer back in the 80’s along with a large perm and sandals, even more so when I wear it with my chambray Gemma tank. I am admittedly confused by the word “midi.” Has this word been around a very long time? It seems to have popped up in the last couple of years, and the first time I heard it I had to look it up. I suppose I risk sounding incredibly stupid by admitting that, but there it is.

This version will be “View B” of the Cleo skirt pattern, with View A sporting cut out pockets and a band along the hem ala the Flying Crane skirt. If you got my fall pattern preview newsletter back in September, you’ll have seen a more thorough description plus more photos of Cleo already (you can sign up for my email updates here, by the way).

Let me tell you how long it takes to make a sewing pattern: forever. I previewed this skirt pattern on Instagram back in February (though I’ve been working on this design since early 2013…yes, 2013), and if you asked me in February when this one would be ready, I probably told you late spring. But then there was Gemma, and Isla, and now I’m serious, this pattern will happen next is now here. I do feel a bit badly since I know some of you have been excited for this pattern for a long time and probably feel a bit impatient. If so, you have a good sense for how long it takes me to make a pattern. So I have a question for you: do you prefer when pattern designers surprise you with a design once it’s ready so that you can sew it right away? I feel like a lot of the big indie pattern designers keep everything very secret until they are absolutely ready to a launch. Or do you enjoy seeing the designs while they are in progress? As a sewing pattern consumer, I can see benefits to both approaches, but as a pattern designer I wonder if it would be better if I took the Super Secret approach. What do you think?

Green Striped Cleo Skirt

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