New to Me in June: my first clothing item and a new country!

This is my first time linking up to New to Me in 2013. I like the idea because, well, almost everything in quilting/sewing is new to me since I only really started this year!

Recently, I made a skirt and it turned out okay, but kind of puffy/poofy. I think I actually made it in May but as I just photographed it yesterday I'm going to say it was new in June.

Ignore bad picture and dirty mirror, note poof

Original

I followed this very nice tutorial for making the ruffles (the cheater method not the full method) and it worked out pretty much perfect. I think the problem was in my choice of trim - it's a bit stiff. I've washed the skirt since making it and that has definitely helped it lay better, but it isn't quite what I envisioned.

Attempted Copy

I think I might end up taking it apart and removing some of the fabric from the ruffles. Alternatively I could add a lining which sort of negates instead of solves the problem. In the future, I will use a lighter fabric, like the one in the skirt I copied, if possible.

 Pattern: Nothing official, I just measured another skirt that I have and tried my best to copy it.
Fabric: Most of the skirt is light blue solid with a grey polka dot for one layer, the trim, and the tie. I'm 80% sure that both of them came from Walmart...
New Techniques: clothing, making a really skinny tube, ruffles, and using the button holer (I was really excited to use the automatic button hole thing on my sewing machine - so cool!)

The other thing that is new to me in June 2013 would be Korea. I left my homeland on June 5 and have been experiencing new things everyday! I am slowly but surely learning the Korean alphabet and I can now sound out most words even if I don't know what they mean. My vocabulary is limited to numbers, phrases of politeness, and a few food names but I am working on that too. The lab that I'm working in is quite different from the one I'm used to, as is the food. Barely a day goes by when I don't eat something new!

And now, because I'm being all kinds of efficient, a link to Finish It Up Friday at Crazy Mom Quilts!

(two linkies in one post? win!)