Help with easy skirt!

[Raelyn Fey]

Last year I made a super easy skirt that was great. 3 yards of fabric with the short ends sewed together. Made a casing on the top and used elastic for the waist band and hemmed the bottom. It was fine for a last minute skirt, but the top was really thick when bunched together. I'm wearing a corset this year instead of a stretchy cinch belt. I'm afraid this will be too uncomfortable having that pressed against me all day. What is the best way to eliminate the bulk at the top that will be under my corset?

[stonebiscuit]

Basically, the closer the measurement of the top of the panels is to your waist measurement, the less bunching you will have. I also recommend doing a waistband rather than elastic, especially if you're going to use heavier fabric.

[isabelladangelo]

This is the reason they didn't wear their skirt beneath their corsets in the 19th Century.   


In the 16th C, stays were structured differently.  You could tie the skirt to the bottom edge of the stays.   Pleat the skirt with most of the bulk to the sides and back.  Add this to a thin waistband.  Pull the ends of the waistband through the lacing to tie it into a bow.  This should help. 

[gem]

If you want to keep the skirt as is (a straight tube of fabric), then I'd take out the elastic casing, make a waistband, and then cartridge pleat the existing yardage to fit the waistband. We have an excellent thread on cartridge pleating in the sewing forum. (You could also knife pleat or box pleat it. All of these techniques are designed to condense volume so it won't feel so bulky/bunchy at your waist.)

If you are interested in taking the skirt apart totally and starting fresh with the yardage, you can cut gored panels, which will also reduce the bulk at the waist. It's a little more construction work, but a lot more comfortable than what you have now. This skirt will do fine with an elastic casing waistband.

Both gored panels and pleated straight yardage are period, so you can choose whichever one strikes your fancy! I use both almost interchangeably.

[Raelyn Fey]

Thanks for the tips. My costume isn't period accurate at all, so that's why I'm having the dilemma with the skirt. I'm going to the Pirate weekend and fell in love with a corset I couldn't live without. Next year I'll be buying/making a bodice which will allow me more freedom with period pieces, but this year it's about fun. I'm probably going to look at Jo-Ann's for patterns since I'm not very good with making things up as I go. I'm a DIY failure 

[gem]

My go-to gored skirt pattern (that I use for all my peasant skirts) is an old, OOP Simplicity pattern. I'm sure any of the Big 4 will have an equally easy-peasy equivalent (go on the 99 cent pattern sale days). I am the world's slowest seamstress, but even I can make one of these from beginning to end in an afternoon.

[Butch]

Go here:
http://www.theweebsite.com/sewing/index.html
Go to the right side, cloaks..gathered
Go to the bottom of that page, and click on the hyperlink "Learn more about Gores here"

Good luck!

[Raelyn Fey]

Are there any Jo-Ann's patterns you guys like to use or modify? Simplicity and Butterick are the favorites for costumes at the store right now.

[gem]

For just a basic peasant skirt, any of the Renaissance fair costumes should have one. The one I use is out of print now, but these all look pretty similar:

http://www.simplicity.com/p-2009-costumes.aspx#t-0
http://www.simplicity.com/p-1943-costumes.aspx#t-0
http://www.simplicity.com/p-1547-costumes.aspx#t-0
http://butterick.mccall.com/b6196-products-2202.php?page_id=916

My MIL has used the Simplicity Scottish-style pattern with nice results, and it's been in print for ages, so presumably it's a popular one. The two Simplicity noble gown patterns are pretty good, if you want to add some more historically accurate items to your stash.  I didn't study any of these terribly closely, mind you; if they call for zippers, just ignore that bit! What you really need are the pattern shapes and some instructions for a waistband.

Good luck!!

[Raelyn Fey]

Thank you! I had been eying the Butterick one for a while. I'm about a yard and a half short on fabric, so I'll need to hope I can get more.

[Rowan MacD]

  On the IWG site a few years back there was a simple skirt that used all the fabric in a length.  You just need a yardstick and a length of fabric.
   You get a series of gored panels like this (pardon the improvised graphics) I would go 12" on the narrow ends and however wide you want the bottom to be:
_____________________________
   /      \                  /      \                 / |
  /         \              /          \             /   |
/            \          /              \         /     |
/ _______\___/ ________\___/___ |

You get the idea.
Sew the narrow ends together and along the edges and you have a basic gored skirt; narrow on the top and full at the bottom. No wasted fabric.  Use a strip off the end to make a waistband.  make a button hole with button, or two button holes and lace the waist.

[isabelladangelo]

Another idea:

Why not an a-line tunic with a lot of lace ruffles at the hem?   I'm thinking something along the lines of version d in McCall Pattern M4490 or like a bilaut but with a lot of ruffles and trim added to the hem.  This way, you'd have a dress beneath the corset.  Add some puffy pants, hitch up the skirt with ribbons, and you'd have a fantasy pirate look. 

[gem]

(Hijacking Irish's thread for a moment; sorry!)

Isabella, it's funny you should say that. I'm working on a Valkyrie ensemble inspired by the Met costumes. A local armorer is making me a scale mail bodice, and I honestly haven't decided what I'm wearing under it yet. They recommended a knit tank or shell; I'm using M6698 as the base for the skirts and I'm thinking of just going ahead and making the whole dress.

'Cause, you know, always looking for opportunities to minimize the layers!

[isabelladangelo]

Definitely the whole dress, Gem.  The dress will hang from the shoulders - taking away the need for a shirt- but also minimizing the bulk at the waist.  You'll be happier - besides, based on the picture, it looks like a dress beneath the armor to me.  You can see gray straps in the same color as the skirt. 

[Raelyn Fey]

I don't have enough fabric for a whole dress. I already have my corset and chemise, so I'm just working on the skirt right now. I tried my skirt on from last year just to try everything on together, and the waistline didn't bunch as much as I had thought it would. If I can't get my act together and make a new skirt, I'll just use my old one. However, there is still plenty of time for me to work on a new one with your ideas. Thanks guys! I just need to figure out my accessories and some kind of purse.

Nice costumes by the way hijackers! =P