Through a link provided by Eirlys to Ruth Singer's wonderful blog I stumbled across this skirt from Clothkits:
I actually bought the gray one, but for some reason Clothkits' site is bollixed and they only show the back view (which, while pleasant, is not inspiring).
The design is by the UK artist Rob Ryan, who is wonderful. I love his work.
I've never done a ready-made kit project before, and I'm looking forward to it — I think it will be quite soothing, like latch-hooking. Although I'm not quite sure yet where the pockets will go. (But There Will Be Pockets.) If you buy this (and warning: it's very expensive, even more so when you factor in shipping to the US) definitely check out the link to Ruth's blog above for her elegant variation.
A Dress A Day 
We used to make Clothkits in the original incarnation of the firm, in the late 1970s. I have a whole series of the catalogs, still; I keep meaning to scan them. I think a few of the current designs are originals from the 1970s. As a girl I also loved that many of the children’s dresses had a doll dress laid out on the edge to make as well. (It was less expensive then, and we got the kits delivered when my aunt who lived in the UK made her trips back home!)
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I bought the Dove and Cherries Clothkits skirt kit for my 9yr-old daugther who was showing an interest in sewing. She managed the straight lines and I did the gathering. Supposedly they go up to size 13/14 (you just cut along the printed lines according to size) but when you get to the larger sizes they become so short to wear! Very pretty, but I’m having to add a little petticoat to make it wearable.
I love that Rob Ryan skirt (and the Trellick tower ones too, but maybe you have to be a Londonder to get the appeal of that one!).
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I’ve seen these skirts a few times. They are too beautiful. Honestly, I’m a little bit jealous that you treated yourself to one. I’m sure it will be splendiferous.
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His shop in the Columbia Road is AMAZING! I hope you got there while you were over in Blighty!
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I’ve looked at those kits for ages but not committed. It annoys me that I can’t see how long the skirts that aren’t looong are. I have standards. Maybe I should write to them and politely ask for more information in the descriptions (including views of all available colour schemes). They’re beautiful.
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ooh! thanks for the link. They didn’t do colours when I bought mine or decisions would have been impossible & I’d have ended up with 6 skirts and no way to pay my rent.
I’m in the middle of another Clothkits alteration – this time making a skirt into a dress with some added Liberty print for extra loveliness. I’ll keep you posted 🙂
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I just exchanged my red skirt for the beautiful charcoal one – I have yet to make it up, but I made the C90 (mixtape) skirt in quicksticks!
My mum used to make me clothkits clothes all the time when I was a kid – so I’m glad to be carrying on the family tradition of clothkits!!!
The kit is great – it’s got me thinking about using an ACTUAL PATTERN for my next dress-making adventure!!!!
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Goodness! What is ‘this bell’ supposed to represent? I’m not sure I’d wear that skirt in public, honestly.
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Thank you thank you thank you for this post! I have been missing Clothkits since they disappeared in the early 90s, and I have not googled them for years, thinking them long gone. I will enjoy seeing their timely reincarnation, though, alas, I expect I’m too old to wear their clothing now . . .
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