Beth's Skirt

Here in the ArtBarn and studio we are all having a love affair with the work of Alabama Chanin/Natalie Chanin Beth, Roxy and I each went out and bought the new Alabama Studio Sewing + Design book, and Beth and Roxy have been sewing using the inspiration and techniques.  (I'm still in the dreaming stage, but my versions will definitely involve stripes!)

This is sewing in the sew-slo lane.  Beth stitches a bit each morning while she sips her tea.  When she brought in the first panel of her skirt we sat around the picnic table at a lunch meeting and oohed and aaahed....each one of us imagining our own version of this lovely technique:  double layers of knit sewn together by hand, then trimmed.  Beth's colors work perfectly:  purple underneath, red on top stitched with a golden brown/taupe thread.  She stenciled the leaf shaped motifs first, then stitched, then trimmed some, left some.  It is a beauty!

Love the way the hem rolls so the under color peeks out.  Natalie Chanin recommends cotton...she hand dyes organic cottons, but we think that the soft rayon/lycra knits we stock would work just fine too.