Hoop Skirt Heaven! (and wondering how to keep skirts from sticking)

[insidiousraven]

Just wanted to say that I got my hoop skirt in the mail today from Abraham's Lady, and it is awesome!  I think I found the recommendation from Gem in a different thread.  The first thing I did when I walked in the door with the package was run up the stairs and put it on with my skirts!  Not a single hoop visible through the skits.  So relieved.

One question though... How do you keep your skirts from riding up / sticking to the hoop skirt?  I don't think its static exactly, but something about the cotton layers that get stuck together.  Any ideas?  Thanks!

[ArielCallista]

I'm not the best person to answer as I don't wear hoops much, but maybe if the hems of your skirts were weighted...or you could (tho it would be a hassle I'm sure) safety pin your skirts to the hoops from the inside...tho thats just a temporary solution. Perhaps tiny snaps on the inside of your skirts and the outside of the hoops to hold them in place. Do you think its possible that the shape of your skirts aren't quite the same as the hoops? If they're different, or if the skirts are a tiny bit smaller, they may be riding up. I'm not sure how you could fix that tho.

[insidiousraven]

The only thing I could think of was some sort of petticoat that was slippery material, but I want to try to stay to natural fabrics.  Maybe its just one of those frustrating things one has to deal with.

[Lady Kathleen of Olmsted]

My oldest Farthingale is made of Silk and is 45 years old. I bought it at a second hand store in 2002 for $40.

The onther one I made is 100% cotton. Neither is a problem when wearing my underskirts with my Noble Garb. No static cling.  Easy to wash.

[McGuinness]

What is the skirt that is sticking made out of? I've never heard of anyone having that problem; usually, noble skirts are heavy enough to stay down. I would suggest some sort of silky petticoat too. If you get material like slips are made out of, it should be heavy enough to make much of a different that its not "natural".

You might want to try contacting Abraham's Lady too - maybe they have a solution or reason.

[gem]

I'm afraid I can't take any credit here; I've never heard of Abraham's Lady!

And I don't have a solution for you, but I *can* tell you that I have one cotton chemise that clings to my legs, wraps itself around them as I walk, and in general causes much annoyance. I don't know what causes it, but I suspect you may be on to something--the layers of cotton don't like to play nicely together. Does yours have ruffles? I wonder if that might be part of the issue, too.

I agree with Colleen's suggestion to contact the original shop and ask if they have suggestions.

Good luck!

[insidiousraven]

I honestly dont think it has anything to do with the hoops construction, as this skirt has always been kind of twisty around the legs as Gem mentioned. The skirt is pretty light weight, so that's probably why.  I'll have to see how it acts when I get my heavier split skirt on top of it.

[ArielCallista]

If you do make a petticoat, I'd agree with Colleen fabric wise. Usually slips are made of tricot, its a kind of knit that's super slippery. It wouldn't really add any weight, but would probably help the layers lay on top of each other properly. I'd test it out with your split front over it first just to see before sewing anything else tho. No use buying fabric for a petticoat if it works just fine without one.

[insidiousraven]

Thanks for your ideas everyone!  I'll have to experiment more and figure out how to get it just right.

[gem]

this skirt has always been kind of twisty around the legs as Gem mentioned. The skirt is pretty light weight, so that's probably why. 

Ok, hmmm. Now I'm wondering if the fabric for the skirt might be off grain. I've never checked my chemise for this, but I've definitely had some off-grain mundane clothing that behaved oddly--twisting and such. I would hang the skirt up from a hanger somewhere high (shower curtain rod or doorframe) and see if it hangs straight down, or if it twists a little on the hanger, too. Unfortunately, if something is off grain, I don't think there's anything you can do to fix it.

[McGuinness]

Abraham's Lady is a Civil War reenactor's store in Gettysburg, PA. I live near Gettysburg and have been there a couple times, plus their online store.

http://www.abrahamslady.com/

[isabelladangelo]

Abraham's Lady is where I buy a lot of my sewing supplies from. 

The twisty thing without a hoop skirt is how you walk.  Most women walk like you are still wearing pants -long strides- while you are supposed to walk like you have a fishtail skirt on.   It doesn't help completely because yes - it's a bias thing- but it does help a lot.  Also, bloomers help with that too.

The with a hoop skirt - I can honestly say I've never had that happen.   Either the skirt isn't quite long enough, has a stretchy material in it (have you done a burn test?), or has a slightly odd construction.   I've worn everything from velvet to "brocade" to lightweight linen over mine so I doubt highly it's a weight thing.