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From: nutohut
Date: 03-11-2005, 07:49 PM (1 of 3)
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I bought a "simple" skirt pattern. elastic waist type. The problem is it comes down past my ankles. I am 5'6". Anyway I would like to know how to take it up about 1 foot. Anything I Try (fold and look) looses too much of the flair of the skirt. I am too scared I will ruin it if I cut. Help please. 
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User: nutohut
Member since: 03-11-2005 Total posts: 1 |
From: paroper
Date: 03-12-2005, 01:26 AM (2 of 3)
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Generally speaking the shorter the skirt, the narrower the bottom. The best way is to fold the pattern to shorten and remove the excess. Although you would be removing some of the perceived fullness, by doing a straight redraw of the line, you actually maintaining the design lines of the pattern (eventhough it doesn't seem so.) If you think about this though you will realize that if you were a smaller size, the pattern would be narrower at the bottom. This is the same idea only you are a shorter size than the pattern. The alternative is to redraw the line from the hips downward in outward direction from the hips. Because of the amount that you are removing, I still would not go as far out as the original width at the bottom, but you could add some to the width at the bottom from what your alteration would be. Be careful when you do this though because you don't want any strange humps or bumps in your dress line. This would be more like a pivot from the hips. One advantage of folding your pattern allows you to keep the correct ratio (curve) in the hemline which is always best. The only changes I would make to this advice is if the skirt were not a-lined but tulip, then you are "messing" with a totally different type of skirt line. In a case like that you would try to remove the excess in the straighter portion of the skirt (same with a straight skirt). Since you are talking about fullness, I doubt that either of these are your skirt type. If the skirt is gored, you would do the same basic thing. Be sure at all costs that you do not alter the grainline of your skirt. pam
Bernina 200e, Artista V5 Designer Plus, Explorations, Magic Box, Bernina 2000DE & 335 Bernette Serger, Bernina 1530 Sewing Machine, Bernina 1300 DC Overlock (with coverstitch) |
User: paroper
Member since: 02-03-2004 Total posts: 3775 |
From: bunzino
Date: 03-15-2005, 10:10 PM (3 of 3)
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Definitely fold. I would do it in 6 places on the pattern, thus maintaining the shape. Each fold would be an inch, so 2 inches/fold= one foot. HTH, nancy |
User: bunzino
Member since: 08-16-2002 Total posts: 119 |
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