Little Women

Another Adjustable Skirt :)

Little Women, 1994, Gillian Armstrong

It’s Christmas time! And with that comes some classic movies that put ya in the mood. Little Women isn’t just for this time of year as it spans seasons and years, but because of it’s Christmas day release (which is true for both the ‘94 and 2019 versions), there is definitely a spirit to it, and a wintery persona it leads with. I wanted a simple project this week that would be versatile, but also carry a distinct festiveness, so I took to the film!

I hope we’ve all seen this movie! Have we all seen it??! It’s a touchstone of girlhood! It feels weird to do a plot synopsis on such a beloved story, so I won’t say much. Little Women is the story of the March sisters, four girls coming of age in civil-war era Massachusetts. The imaginative fun they have together, and the sisterly conflicts, the dreams and ambitions they come to, the love and loss they experience… very universal themes that just cut right to the heart. Four sisters, each embodying a unique sensibility and way of moving through the world, making each character almost archetypal, and a kind of shorthand like any personality typing (which sister are you?). A cozy, sweet, sentimental movie. I’m detailing the ‘94 version of the Louisa May Alcott classic in these reference photos, but her novel has been adapted many times. I can’t speak to the earliest versions (though I think it’s about time I see Katherine Hepburn as Jo circa 1933), but I also love the newest 2019 Greta Gerwig version. I prefer 1994, but if you identify as more of an “Amy” and not a “Jo” (as I theorize Gerwig must!), you probably lean more to the other.

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I recently acquired a little stockpile of yarn-dyed cotton plaids, they are so delicious! It’s also really fun to have a large quantity of the same fabric, I hardly ever buy in bulk, but when a whole bolt of fabric is affordable it’s hard to pass up. I love that having extra leads to more freedom… when fabric is limited I am often waiting for the perfect idea or opportunity, which means some of my finest fabrics take longer to get to or are saved for some day. These are fine fabrics, but they won’t be limited to one make, so I can be generous with ideas, for myself and others.

Little Women has great use of plaid fabrics in skirts and dresses for all the characters. As floral is the print of Spring and Summer, plaid is the perennial of Fall and Winter. How charming these frocks were in scenes of ice skating, snowy walks, and fireside chats! I of course want to be a March sister, so if a nice plaid skirt gets me closer to embodying that this season, I’m there. I went for the dark blue and green as most festive!

If you read my newsletter for Picnic At Hanging Rock, I followed a similar method for this skirt with just a few updates. There is a drawstring channel at the back waist for adjustability, while the front waist stays smooth. The front skirt is gathered to the front waistband which is half my waist measurement, and the back skirt is gathered to fit the back waistband which is approximately my hip measurement minus that front waist measurement. When I tighten up the drawstring it makes font and back equal in gathered volume! I love this inventive and historical solution to size flexibility! This fabric is slightly thicker than the sheet I used for my last skirt, so I made it less voluminous to avoid too much bulk. I also lengthened it by adding a full ruffled flounce, which does bring some of that missing volume back to the hem, very swishy and nice!

I am offering these skirts for sale!! I love making them :-). Semi-customizable and made to measure! Slips over the hips, adjusts to your waist, and I am happy to change the length by adjusting the body of the skirt or the ruffle or both. $110, and to you in 2-3 weeks. Hoping to get a website up in the new year where you will find these skirts, the sheet skirts, and whatever else feels fun to me! ‘Til then just reply to these e-mails and we can chat!

I hope your Holidays are off to a cute and cozy start!