Heya Peeps,

[reynardo]

I'm about to make a skirt from McCall's 5056 skirt with gores/godets. It'll be in a cotton poplin so it's got a bit of body to it, and I want to put a band all the way around the hem once I'm finished.

It'll be like this band, except less depth and the skirt will be longer. The two fabrics are very close in weight (although the plain blue is a little heavier). I'm also changing the waistband slightly to make it a shirred elastic rather than a tie.




These are my rough pics of the skirt a) without the band and b) with the band. The godets are striped and the straight bits are plain blue.

My question is - as the godets are slightly curved at the end but the bits in between are straight,should I make the band

a) as just a long band cut on the grain of the fabric?

b) as a bias-cut band

c) shaped to match the bottoms of the pattern pieces - some straight, some slightly curved?

Comments

[vegancat.livejournal.com]

I like the look of the one on the left. Not as "heavy" looking as the other. IMHO

[panacea1.livejournal.com]

I'd omit the bottom band or, if I really felt it was necessary, go as narrow as possible and on the bias. I think a straight cut band would hang funny on a skirt with that much flare.

[nefaria.livejournal.com]

Just buy something scary from Build-A-Bear like I do. They have all the latest fashions.

[frou-frou.livejournal.com]

Firstly, I recommend that you use two fabrics of the same weight, ideally, the same fabric in different colours - to use different weights is going to make life hard as they won't sit very well with each other, unless you want to back the lighter fabric onto to a heavier fabric to even them up.

Secondly: assuming they're the same weight, you're best to either cut the band to fit the pieces - tricky, as it needs to be on the same grain and cut in a curve to match the panels - or cut a strip on the bias and use a slimmer band. A big band like you have on the bias isn't going to work very well.

Personally, I would find two fabrics the same, plain and printed and ditch the band on the bottom as it's going to be hard to do without a pattern. I can help you draft a pattern if you like, or show you how to adapt an existing one.

[frou-frou.livejournal.com]

Actually, I've just looked at the pattern - this skirt has a lot of fabric in it and won't work with a heavier fabric, you need a lightweight fabric or instead of gently draping, it will stick out and be quite big. Of course, it may be that's the look you're going for...

[psychowoof.livejournal.com]

If wide, I'd go w/band on grain. On the bias w/large band would hang funny.

I'd also match the curved edge of the godets as well as continuing out the wedge shape when determining final circumference of the band. Trying to make the band too small in circumference may make the godets hang funny when the skirt is finished.

Would a visual band trick work of sewing the solid band to the bottom of the godets, lengthening the solid color straight pieces, and then assembling the skirt as originally patterned?