Stretching fabric a little bit... or a lot...

[Kathleen MacLeod]

I was shopping the red tags at Joann's Sunday and happened across a bolt of absolutely gorgeous home dec fabric for $6 a yard. The little tag said there were still plenty of yards on the bolt, so I stuck it in the cart even though it didn't feel like there was nearly that much. As I carted it around the store with me over the next couple of hours (because who can really spend a short time in the fabric store?), I fell completely in love with it and decided it would make a perfect rain day dress for faire. The pattern I was going to use it for was Simplicity 3782, meaning I needed just a little less than 7 yards. I took it up to the cutting table... and found there was only 3 1/3 yards left. I bought it anyway.

Now I'm at a loss as to how to use it. I bought it thinking that I could use it for an underskirt and tie-on sleeves and use a different fabric for the big part of the gown... but I don't want to I was trying to figure out if it would be at all possible to stretch it and cut stuff out and make it work even though there's not nearly enough. I already figured I could take two panels out of the skirt, which probably saves a good yard 1/2-2 yards. I don't want the waist tabs and I'm not making the shoulder rolls, so that saves a little bit, but not a ton. I was already thinking I was going to shorten the skirt panels and put a strip of a darker fabric along the bottom, so that will save some, too. I know a lot of you are familiar with that pattern--how many panels could I take out of that skirt before it just looks ridiculous over my hoop?

Do you think it's at all possible that I could make this work? I know it would make more sense to lay it out and measure it all, but I don't think I can bear to unfold it all and look at it and then not be able to make a gown from it

[gem]

How wide is the fabric? If you are more or less average size, you ought to be able to get a bodice from less than 1 yard of fabric, and if the fabric is wider than you need your skirt length to be (ie, the fabric is 50" wide, but your skirt only needs to be 35" long or whatever), you can cut the bodice pieces from the excess. You should be able to make a decent kirtle with ~3 yards of fabric, although the skirts won't be as full. If you make a split skirt, your options open way up.

Check out this post from the Renaissance Tailor, to see how she made a doublet gown from about that much fabric:

http://www.renaissancetailor.com/errata_gallery4.htm

Pay specific attention to her cutting layout.

Good luck!!

[gem]

Oh, and also: have them check other JoAnns in your area. I picked up a roll of home dec cotton damask this spring (about 4 yards) and found a second bolt of the same fabric at the store across town! If you don't have another local store, if you have the SKU for the fabric they can contact other regional/state stores that share the same warehouse.

[Kate XXXXXX]

You could always make a bodice, sleeves, and forepart wih his and a plain overskirt...

[Kathleen MacLeod]

Check out this post from the Renaissance Tailor, to see how she made a doublet gown from about that much fabric:

http://www.renaissancetailor.com/errata_gallery4.htm

gem... You. Are. My. HERO. THANK YOU so much!!! That's exactly what I was looking for 

[operafantomet]

You have to use all the dirty tricks in the book. Apart from the ideas you've already presented (taking out some skirt panels, skip tabs and shoulder rolls), you could continue with that "add a strip of another fabric at the hem" idea".

Could you possibly sew the center front of the bodice of another fabric and cover it with wide trims (as the golden gown of the pattern package has)? Could you do the same for the skirt front? Could you make the shoulder straps of the same broad trim (possibly with another backup underneath)? Could you make the split in the front bigger, showing off an elaborate underskirt? Could you possibly have a broad trim (with another fabric backup) for the hem, looking similar to this English and Spanish portrait?

http://www.naergilien.info/interesting_costumes/acoello1.jpg
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fc/Elizabeth_I_Steven_Van_Der_Meulen.jpg