so i made an actual skirt of a test garment i posted previously ->
http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=71512.0I used no aloha's suggestion on the polka dotted fabric - i wanted a more classic white and black but i couldn't find suitable fabric so i went with green & white instead. the piping is white satin, it has an invisible zip at the centreback and I added a slit at the back to make it easy to walk in.
hope you all like!
laid flat
TUTORIALMy instructions for this skirt assume some basic pattern making and sewing experience/knowledge. I apologise for this upfront, but pattern making is a rather technical skill and if I was to try to cover it from scratch, it would take more than a tutorial for me to explain it.
If you don’t know how to create a basic skirt block, follow instructions here, but make only 1 front waist dart.
http://www.fashion-era.com/Pattern_drafting/index.htm 2.5 centimetres (cm) = 1 “
Create the pattern pieces.
Modify the front block (1/4 of front skirt):
Drop the waist by 5cm along the waistline
Bring in side seam at waist by 0.5cm (so that skirt hangs properly)
Slightly curve the left leg of the dart
Create fullness for gathering by slashing and spreading the pattern piece according to the diagram.
Slash approx 3 times and open up by 1.5cm
Bring in side seam at hem by 2.5cm. Join this new point to the side seam at hip level.
Back block (1/4 of back skirt):
Drop waist by 5cm along the waistline
Bring in side seam at hem by 2.5cm. Join this new point to the side seam at hip level.
Draft front and back facings by creating a band 5cm from the new waistline of the front and back blocks (close darts to creating facing) Back facing is in 2 pieces, opening at centre back and front facing is on fold.
Add in seam allowances (1cm) and mark darts.
The front piece should be cut in 1 piece, on fold.
The back should be cut in 2 pieces, creating a centre back opening.
Invisible zipper of 20cm/ 8” should be used.
Prepare bias piping = length of the waist
Cut material out (there should be 1 front skirt piece, 2 back skirt pieces, 1 front facing, 2 back facing)
Serge all raw seams except for those along the waistline (applies to facing and skirt)
Using your longest stitch length, sew along the curved dart leg of the front skirt
Gather by pulling on the ends of the thread (on 1 side of fabric only) till the measurement equals that of the straight dart leg.
Do the same for both darts.
Sew darts legs together.
Sew darts for the back.
Join side seams of skirt. Join front & back facings at the side seams.
Press all seams.
Attach 1 side of length of bias piping along raw edge of waistline of skirt (right side (RS) of piping face RS of skirt)
Press seam allowance at centre back skirt.
Attach invisible zip to the centre back of the skirt.
Sew remaining centre back seam, leaving a 15cm length from the hem unsewn (to create the slit)
Attach the other length of the piping to facing, RS facing RS
Fold the facing to the skirt RS facing RS (make sure the fold is at the centre of the piping width) .and clean finish on the Wrong Side (WS) at zip (sew a stitchline parallel to the zip, just inside the zipper teeth). Turn right side out.
Staystich by sewing along the seam of the piping and the skirt on the RS of the skirt.
Press hem allowance.
Starting from the side seam, edge stitch 0.5cm all round the skirt hem, along the slit and overlap stitches at the start.
