I made a skirt and it took forever

I have made a super pretty skirt with covered buttons and piping down the seams. I saved time (and bulk) by not doing pockets. I saved time by not doing a belt or belt loops (I thought it would detract from the piping). the inside of the skirt is a thing of beauty, finally. That's what took so long. That and the piping. You can see my challenge post on sewweekly here. It's a Colette Beignet, of course. 12 buttonholes, eep.