Sewing help needed!

[spudqueen]

I'm off to a wild west murder mystery party next week and need to make myself an ankle length skirt as worn by women in those days. I've bought 3 metres of material, some elastic (for the waist) and some thread. Now given that I'm not a very competent sewer and that all sewing is to be done by hand what do I do next? I think that 3 metres of material might be a little much as the pictures I've looked up on t'internet seem to indicate that the skirts weren't very full but please, someone, help!!!!

[logman]

Dont know much about sewing but i do remember girls at my school rolling the waste bands of their skirts to make them shorter and rolling it down again when they got close to home.

Watch out for the guy with the black bandana, drinking two fingers of red eye and a skate under his arm Have fun !

[mimififi]

Hi SPudqueen,

I assume that you are making this skirt without a pattern? if that is the case then this is what I would do (if you haven't already) and I hope it works and Im really sorry if it doesnt, I normally only sew with patterns and a machine.

Right,

1 firstly, measure and pin about 1.5 inches down along the long edge, that is so that as you are looking at the wrong side, you can see 1.5 inches of right side folded down. Now press this edge so that the fold is nice and crisp, keep the pins in. Now this is the selve edge, so it won't fray, so all you need to do is sew a back stitch in tiny neat stiches all the way along. when you have done the whole length, remove the pins and press again. You should now have a long channel through which we will pass the elastic at the end.

2 Now fold in half the fabric right sides facing (that is so that it is now half the length, not half the width, the channel that you just sewed should be folded) and make sure that the channel edge is exactly next to itself. where you had a rectangle of fabric, now you will have a square possibly, or just a smalle rectangle. I don't think three meters will be that full, like a merangue, I think it should be just about right. I made a skirt on the bias and that took three meters of fabric and it was full, but not mega full or anything.

3 Now you need to make sure that the two short edges that are now next to each other are both square. These are the edges that have been cut off the roll and so they may not be exactly square. If they are not, pin the two sides together and then trim them in a straight line. Now these edges will fray, so what you could do is iron on some of that wonder web if you have any and it will not fray. now mark about 2.5 cm away from the cut edge and back sticth along that line too keeping the channel you made earlier open at the waist.

[mimififi]

when you have done that, press the seam open as this will make the finished skirt, neater.

4. Now you need to thread the elastic. Measure the elastic round your waist so it fits comfortable and add on about 2.5 cm. Pin one end to a safety pin and pass this through the channel, don't forget to keep hold of the other end.

5, when you have done the whole length of the chanel, don't forget that it will now be ruched, sew the elastic together measuring the 2.5 cm overlap that you added on when you measured it earlier. and you can sew up the opening of the channel with tiny back stitches aswell.

6, turn out the right way and try it on. You might need to hem the skirt depending on the width of the fabric and how long you want it. Ask someone to pin the skirt up to the correct height, then press the hem line and then either iron it up with some more wonderweb, or sew it up using even tinier stitches than before. Wonderweb will be faster though.

now, if you have time, you could make a white broderie Anglaise frill round the hem to give the impression that you are wearing a petticoat a la wild west. Just measure out say 4 inches times twice the circumference of the skirt, and press in half length ways wrong sides facing. Now take some thread and just do a running stich all the way along in even stictches. You now have a long ruched pice of fabirc. Pin to the hem line of the skirt under the hem so that you can see the hem of the skirt, but not the stitching of the ruch. Stitch on using tiny back stitches.

skirt finished, now team with a frilly white shirt, or maybe some gingham, or for a sassy look and bold basque, and your favourtie cowboy boots. wear your hair up, lots of make up and enjoy a very large drink.

Mines a double bloody mary.

[mimififi]

I hope this helps, maybe someone has a better idea, but I think this is the simplest

lots of love

m

[spudqueen]

Thanks for your help mimififi, I'll start work on it tonight. Like the sound of the broderie anglaise, but I'll see how long it takes me to make the actually skirt!

[mimififi]

you're welcome, cowgirl, but in my last post re the boiderie anglaise, it should read, "press in half longwise, wrong sides facing." If you have already done it right sides facing, don't forget to turn it inside out...>!

I hope you have a good time and get to solve your murder mystery!

mimififi

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