Kerobokan Kelly

Well, skirts and knits weekend turned into skirts and knitting weekend.  Still finishing up another Kelly and seaming a knitted tee.  My first finished item from the weekend's work is this Kelly in a Michael Miller ikat. 

I have been loving the ikat trend this summer.  Real Indonesian woven ikat reminds me of living in Bali, so I named this skirt after the little village that I lived in near Kuta and Seminyak - it was called Kerobokan.  I was googling to try to find some photos but the majority of results that came up on top were for the Kerobokan prison!  It's true, the jail was in the same town, but lest it seem that I spent my time in Bali in prison, let there be no confusion. My house was tucked away on little road with a few other homes, a pasture and some rice fields. 

This hotel was a few roads away from where I lived - my road looked a lot like this photo but I didn't have an expansive view like this from my house.

So there's Kerobokan for you.  And back to ikat - real ikat is not just a design printed onto fabric, it's actually dyed into the threads and woven - it is so beautiful - it looks like a dreamy pixilated sort of watercolor impression of a design.  It's an incredibly delicate artform and quintessentially Indonesian. From very simple patterns made with natural indigo dyes to incredibly rich double ikat - it's beautiful fabric.

I love this Michael Miller print because it reminds me of the very simple indigo ikats and the variagated colors in the background give it a soft dimensionality that really looks like woven ikat from a distance. 

I really enjoyed wearing this skirt today.  The Kelly is such a great pattern - it feels flattering and comfortable.  It is also enjoyable to make - I love the pocket detail and the box pleats.  As with my wearable muslin for this pattern, I made the back piece gathered instead of pleated and I did the side seams as French seams.

I couldn't decide, at first, whether or not to attempt lining the skirt because I want to wear it into the autumn and winter with tights, but I decided that I would try to make a 1/2 slip instead that I could wear with multiple Kelly iterations.  I cut two back pieces, just a little shorter and a little narrower than the real Kelly and added an elastic casing. 

I generally like this idea, but I'm not thrilled with the waist.  Even though I used seam tape to keep the thickness of fabric to a minimum, is a little bunchier than I'd like.  It's also a little saggy.  I used some vintage elastic and I think I need a bit tougher modern elastic or else I may gather it and make a thin waistband to eliminate the elastic all together.  

Either way, I am excited about a Kelly-specific slip in the works because I have several other Kelly versions planned.  Next up is a denim one and then corduroy.  I have both plaid and black versions in my daydreams too.  If I'm industrious I might end up with 7 different versions by the time OWOP rolls around!

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The fabric for this slip is a thrifted find.  It is a heavy, drapey lining fabric with a little jacquard pattern that is vaguely reminicent of leopard spots.  And the label from the thrift store is awesome too.

It really is "nice material!"  I have 3 yards of it and have been saving it for something special because I love the vibrant yellow color.  I like the idea of getting more use out of it as a slip than as a sewn-in lining.