Orange Peel's Pocket and Swingset Skirt

Once Upon a Thread is definitely in the queue. But, the ideas are always percolating.  Sometimes I check out books at the library for me, a potential Once Upon a Thread post.

This was one of those books, except I knew I needed to have a copy of it.  Any book with "orange" and "pocket" in the title. ;) It's about a little girl who was adopted from China.  She wants to learn more about her native country to share with her schoolmates and visits family friends who can offer her some clues.  As she goes from neighbor to neighbor, they secretly slip something in her pocket to remind her what she learned.

When it's time to go to school to share her information about China, she gets nervous until she puts her hand in her pocket and is reminded how much she is loved and the great country where she was born.

The skirt is Oliver + S Swingset Skirt.  It's super simple, but it remains classy and so very versatile.  It can be altered a million ways.  I just added a pocket, but you could make it reversible, add ruffles to the lining, embellish with all sorts of trim, and the list goes on.  In fact, take a look at the sew-along to see what other versions were sewn up by other bloggers this week, here.

The deets: I used a baby-wale cord for the skirt and shirt, linen for the pocket. I used an Ottobre pattern for the shirt, although I was frustrated that the placket pieces didn't fit the cut out placket, so I made a tuck at the bottom.  I don't know that I'd make that particular one again.  I learned how to write "love" in Chinese for one of the little pocket items and free-motion stitched it.  Clover was impressed, which means I've succeeded, right? ;)