Sunday 6 March 2016

A pair of flower skirts

Last year I ordered some South African fabrics for my Dad to bring back from Cape Town for me. As well as a few metres my beloved Three Cats brand, I chose a selection of rectangular cloths which are traditionally worn by Tsonga women (you can see some examples of the way they are worn here).

These things come in a variety of super-bright colours and have a flower motif along the border, making them perfect for simple gathered skirts with just one seam at the back. All I did was cut them to size, sew them into 'tubes' of fabric, make a double casing for elastic at the top, then hem the bottoms. So quick, so easy! I had to line the yellow one, though, because it was a little transparent - and then I accidentally snipped part of the fabric so I used the lining as the waistband as well.



One for R and one for her sweet little cousin! The girls made such an adorable pair in their matching skirts, I couldn't stop snapping away.





Little M is somewhat recalcitrant when it comes to modelling - this is a girl who knows her own mind! - so it was fortunate that she took a liking to the skirt and put it on happily (unlike R, who only put hers on because I refused to give them a tub for their 'Barbie bath' until she did so).


Two happy cousins, two cute skirts and several very clean Barbies! 

6 comments:

  1. Oh my gosh, Marisa, these are so lovely! That yellow one especially, I can't stop looking at it. I want it for me! I need to go to South Africa.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Masha. I love the yellow too - not a colour I often use for my own kids, but it looks so good on my niece.

      Delete
  2. Oh, wow, those colors!!! Fantastic! I loved clicking through to see the images of women in their traditional dress - they just look so festive and the colors are wonderfully happy! These are such pretty skirts, and special too! Barbie cleaning, hehehehe.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Inder. I do love a good splash of colour now and then! Barbie cleaning/bathing/drowning is one of R's favourite activities :)

      Delete
  3. The fabric is beautiful on kids, especially paired with a plain white tee shirt. These skirts can be great for gifts, considering how fast it takes to sew one. :-D

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Jing, they would be great gifts for flower-loving girls! I got them from Makotis in Joburg :)

      Delete