cupcake_goth: (Default)
cupcake_goth ([personal profile] cupcake_goth) wrote2010-01-27 04:16 pm

Skirt details

I really some sort of sewing-themed LJ icon, don't I?

Anyhoodle, behind the cut-tag, the back view of the skirt! (And a repeat of the front view, and natter about the construction and so on.)




Aaaaaand here's the front again. Same photo as the one in the previous post, but I kinda want pictures of both in the post where I talk about sewing, just for completeness' sake.



This is the skirt I made from the stripy bedsheets I purchased at Value Village. The hibiscus tea bath didn't do ANYTHING to the color of the fabric, so I put about a teaspoon of Rose Pink RIT into the washer. Just enough to make the white no longer STARK OMG WHITE!, but not turn it pink. (This makes sense to me, just nod.)

The basic 4-panel skirt pattern is one I drafted off of one of my Retroscope "Dolly Bustle" skirts. The back panel is covered in tiers of ruffles that are about 9" wide, the side hem ruffles are about ... 7", maybe? I didn't have a pattern for them, that was just how wide the remaining strips of the striped fabric turned out to be.

For creating/gathering the ruffles, I used the very scientific method of scrunching/folding the fabric up as I was sewing them on. Yes, I'm serious. (This is where my friends who are talented designers and seamstresses ::facepalm:: and shake their heads at me.)

The lining of the skirt is made from a very lightweight pink poly satin, which was originally a sheet from a horrible "teen bedding" set I picked up at Ross for $14. (It was purchased ages ago for the express purpose of making skirt linings. It would be HORRIBLE fabric to sleep on, ew.) Because I'm crazy, I also made all 18 covered buttons. I am ... obsessive about certain things.

All told, I think the skirt took me about 8 hours or so. I get into these moods when all I want to do is sew, and this ends up being the result. I'm really, really pleased with how it turned out; this is probably the most "professionally-constructed" skirt I've made so far.

[identity profile] ms-tate.livejournal.com 2010-01-28 12:23 am (UTC)(link)
Clappy Hands of joy! As I said previously, it really is lovely.

[identity profile] smu.livejournal.com 2010-01-28 12:26 am (UTC)(link)
I didn't realize your hair was so long. It's lovely. So is the skirt, I'm in awe! Amazing work!

[identity profile] pathdancer.livejournal.com 2010-01-28 12:43 am (UTC)(link)
Oooo - how lovely!

[identity profile] staxxy.livejournal.com 2010-01-28 12:46 am (UTC)(link)
its marvelous!! Well done!!

[identity profile] angldst.livejournal.com 2010-01-28 12:46 am (UTC)(link)
Yay pix & details! Thank you! It looks MARVELOUS!

*passes you a glass of Yard Dog wine* <-- what I'm drinking now, and it's quite good!

<3

-d

[identity profile] quasievil-bunny.livejournal.com 2010-01-28 12:52 am (UTC)(link)
Adorable! Well done!

[identity profile] jaborwhalky.livejournal.com 2010-01-28 12:53 am (UTC)(link)
You might not have to get a day job.
If you work out how to make a skirt like this in less then 6 hours and charge about 130$ a pop.... make a shop on your web site that already gets hits?

P.S
Did you give mel your address so you can have your monster butler for your evil bunny?

[identity profile] kambriel.livejournal.com 2010-01-28 12:57 am (UTC)(link)
I think we've all fallen prey to the bunching tactic at one point or another in our lives... you have positively no reason at all to be ashamed :) On the contrary, it turned out great! If you tuck the top of the uppermost ruffle into the waistband next time it works well to give a smooth silhouette (of course that's easier with thinner fabrics).

And I share your deep and abiding love of covered buttons... you should see the insane contraption we ended up getting for those. It's practically a Mediaeval torture tool!

[identity profile] dark-phoenix54.livejournal.com 2010-01-28 12:58 am (UTC)(link)
That's a fabulous skirt!

[identity profile] theosakakoneko.livejournal.com 2010-01-28 01:03 am (UTC)(link)
For creating/gathering the ruffles, I used the very scientific method of scrunching/folding the fabric up as I was sewing them on. Yes, I'm serious. (This is where my friends who are talented designers and seamstresses ::facepalm:: and shake their heads at me.)


HAHAHAHAHAHAHA I LOVE IT!!! Soooo funny! I'm actually more impressed at your ballsiness! (If that's not a word, well...it is now? XDXD) I would never be able to allow myself to do that. But it looks great from here! I think that's fine...though I wouldn't recommend it if you decided to go the route suggested by jaborwhalky above! ;)

[identity profile] prettyshrub.livejournal.com 2010-01-28 01:04 am (UTC)(link)
What sort of fabric was the striped sheet? I'm guessing not cotton.

[identity profile] valdary.livejournal.com 2010-01-28 01:05 am (UTC)(link)
That is a very smart and pretty skirt. Buttons are a really sweet touch and well worth the trouble you took with them.

[identity profile] tinkerbell86ca.livejournal.com 2010-01-28 01:07 am (UTC)(link)
Snazzy!

[identity profile] maudelynn.livejournal.com 2010-01-28 01:20 am (UTC)(link)
here is one that I think you might think is neat... just made it for you... don't feel obligated, though.

[identity profile] indigo-tide.livejournal.com 2010-01-28 01:32 am (UTC)(link)
i love stripes, awesome!

[identity profile] akumaxkami.livejournal.com 2010-01-28 01:33 am (UTC)(link)
That is just gorgeous!

[identity profile] wererat.livejournal.com 2010-01-28 01:51 am (UTC)(link)
Thats amazing! :D so cute!

[identity profile] meiow.livejournal.com 2010-01-28 02:15 am (UTC)(link)
For creating/gathering the ruffles, I used the very scientific method of scrunching/folding the fabric up as I was sewing them on. Yes, I'm serious. (This is where my friends who are talented designers and seamstresses ::facepalm:: and shake their heads at me.)

My grandmother had a trick to gather the ruffles easily and quickly:
1) run a basting stitch along where you want it gathered, leaving extra thread when cutting it off
2) tie something to the thread on one side (grandmother used a safety pin)
3) squish the fabric to the desired length along the thread, adjusting the gathers as needed

This works particularly well if you do it with a machine, as it keeps the basting stitches even, which keeps the "gathers" even. Just be sure not to skip step 2, so it won't just pull out of the fabric when you do step 3!

Of course, this might be what you did. :)

[identity profile] javagoth.livejournal.com 2010-01-28 02:19 am (UTC)(link)
Very cool skirt. As fast as you were able to do those buttons when I was over last week, I can see why you like to add them. :)

[identity profile] raincollector.livejournal.com 2010-01-28 02:57 am (UTC)(link)
It's fantastic! Looks perfect construction-wise from here. May I ask how you learned how to sew? I really want to learn, but not sure where to start.

[identity profile] bijouxdejais.livejournal.com 2010-01-28 02:57 am (UTC)(link)
It really looks great; you did a nice job. I like the way you did the ruffles on the sides...so cute! Is it challenging to work with stripes? I'd be afraid of making them crooked.

[identity profile] fenrirhyde.livejournal.com 2010-01-28 03:09 am (UTC)(link)
Holy muffins, your skills are amazing.

[identity profile] corvidaen.livejournal.com 2010-01-28 04:27 am (UTC)(link)
you've inspired me to attempt this amazing bustlerufflescrunch technique.

[identity profile] sistawendy.livejournal.com 2010-01-28 05:25 am (UTC)(link)
Purty! Damn, I need to get to work on a blue corset.

[identity profile] cupcakegothmom.livejournal.com 2010-01-28 05:31 am (UTC)(link)
Try putting elastic thread on the bobbin to gather them. Thats what I used to do to gather ruffles and sleeves for square dance dresses and skirts back in the former life.

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