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From: June Harlow
Date: 06-07-2005, 10:09 AM (1 of 27)
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Hi: I have some wonderful printed fabric that's 45" wide. The trouble is I'd like to use it to make an ankle-length summer skirt, but all my patterns call for 60" wide fabric. I'm tempted to sew two pieces together at the selvage edges, then lay the pattern on it to cut it out as specified. I know this will make a couple of diagonal seams through the skirt, but I don't think it'll show too much if I'm careful. Has anyone tried this, or does anyone have any suggestions ? Thanks 
June ~
"If only I could find that missing pattern piece!" June sews on a Pfaff 1209 and a Babylock 5180 serger |
User: June Harlow
Member since: 05-30-2005 Total posts: 100 
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From: AndreaSews
Date: 06-07-2005, 09:41 PM (2 of 27)
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Are these A-line, or wider skirts? Do you think you could wing it and adapt one of your patterns to be a straight skirt and put in a side slit for ease of walking, etc.? Here's the one I'm working on, View A. I'm going to make mine ankle length. http://www.smartcart.com/1sew/cgi/searchindex.cgi
Andrea
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User: AndreaSews
Member since: 02-18-2005 Total posts: 1007 
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From: weezie
Date: 06-07-2005, 11:12 PM (3 of 27)
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Hi Andrea, your link did not give the pattern number you are using for your skirt.Could you please give us the pattern number so that we can see which one you are going to use?? Weezie weezie
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User: weezie
Member since: 01-01-2002 Total posts: 34 |
From: June Harlow
Date: 06-08-2005, 07:18 AM (4 of 27)
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Hi Andrea: It's kind of a long, slim skirt (Butterick 4025 (http://store.sewingtoday.com/cgi-bin/butterick/shop.cgi?s.item.B4025=x&TI='4025'&page=1) ) and it really calls for 60" wide, since the edge of the one pattern piece runs about 4" off the edge of the 45" fabric. However I think I may cheat a little and rotate the pattern so it's a little off grain to make it fit. Sacrilege, I know, but I just love the fabric so much and I can't find what I want in 60" width. June ~
"If only I could find that missing pattern piece!" June sews on a Pfaff 1209 and a Babylock 5180 serger |
User: June Harlow
Member since: 05-30-2005 Total posts: 100
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From: DorothyL
Date: 06-08-2005, 07:31 AM (5 of 27)
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Rather than cut off grain and risk losing the beautiful drape, do you have enough fabric to just patch a piece on along the edge that falls over? The way styles are today I would just look like a design feature. Dorothy |
User: DorothyL
Member since: 12-09-2002 Total posts: 3883 |
From: esrun3
Date: 06-08-2005, 09:24 AM (6 of 27)
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Or purposely join a strip down each side and cut your pattern so it looks like the double seam down the front is intended?
Lyn
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User: esrun3
Member since: 12-02-2004 Total posts: 2345 |
From: paroper
Date: 06-08-2005, 09:35 AM (7 of 27)
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What would happen if you cross-cut the skirt. You really shouldn't shift the grain. If you do I don't think you'll ever be happy with it because it just won't ever flow right. If you cross cut your grain will be a little different, but I think that you might get away with it so long as it doesn't "mess up" your fabric design. I've done a lot of circular skirts for color guard and cheer leaders by cross cutting with no problem, even in satin.
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: June Harlow
Date: 06-08-2005, 10:25 AM (8 of 27)
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Pam, by 'crosscutting' do you mean sewing on an extra piece along the selvage edge, in the same direction as the grain of the original ?
June ~
"If only I could find that missing pattern piece!" June sews on a Pfaff 1209 and a Babylock 5180 serger |
User: June Harlow
Member since: 05-30-2005 Total posts: 100
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From: paroper
Date: 06-08-2005, 10:45 AM (9 of 27)
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No, put open your fabric, fold it in the middle and your skirt across the fabric. This works when you have a seam in the middle of one piece. The piece with the fold is layed on the fold, the other piece is flipped and put next to that piece and laid lower so that the full part of that skirt is taken from the "left overs" of the first piece. You must lay the selvages together (straight) so that your fold is on the straight of grain...then you can measure the straight of grain of the second piece from the fold line. It can only be done on prints that do not have direction. You use the same method for cutting border printed fabric. If both pieces have a fold line you don't save quite as much fabric because you have to cut the fabric flat, but you actually can come out fabric ahead in some cases.
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: Emmy
Date: 06-08-2005, 03:30 PM (10 of 27)
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Hi Andrea: (Butterick 4025 (http://store.sewingtoday.com/cgi-bin/butterick/shop.cgi?s.item.B4025=x&TI='4025'&page=1) ) and it really calls for 60" wide, since the edge of the one pattern piece runs about 4" off the edge of the 45" fabric. However I think I may cheat a little and rotate the pattern so it's a little off grain to make it fit. Sacrilege, I know, but I just love the fabric so much and I can't find what I want in 60" width. Hi If you look at the envelope back you can see that there is no way to fit the bottom hem of view A or B into 2 piece of 45" fabric. However, if you cut view C or D, you can probably fit your skirt into the peice you have. The narrower skirt SHOULD fit, if you have sufficient fabric for the length. After all, the total hem length of these two views is LESS than 90", which is the total of two pieces of 45" sewn together at the selvages. SKirt A can also be cut from 45" fabric, IF you have enough of it. It would help if you could tell us the size you want, and if the pattern has a nap or pattern that you have to match up. Emmy
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User: Emmy
Member since: 09-01-2001 Total posts: 127 
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From: June Harlow
Date: 06-08-2005, 04:20 PM (11 of 27)
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Pam thanks very much for explaining. I think that may work for me. Emmy, thank you also. It's the "D" pattern I'm working on, sz 18. The two pattern peices have to lie almost at a 45 degree angle, so there's a small area that falls off the edge of the 45" fabric. The pattern is such that a small additional peice wouldn't show, so I think I'll try adding it in and live with the small seam. Thanks again everyone. June ~
"If only I could find that missing pattern piece!" June sews on a Pfaff 1209 and a Babylock 5180 serger |
User: June Harlow
Member since: 05-30-2005 Total posts: 100
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From: paroper
Date: 06-08-2005, 04:40 PM (12 of 27)
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Use a French seam on that little piece and it won't look bad if the skirt turns back.
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: DorothyL
Date: 06-08-2005, 04:47 PM (13 of 27)
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June -- Is there really a Frostbite Falls? Isn't that where Rocky and Bullwinkle live? Dorothy |
User: DorothyL
Member since: 12-09-2002 Total posts: 3883 |
From: paroper
Date: 06-08-2005, 04:55 PM (14 of 27)
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Dorothy! Next thing we'll hear that you don't believe in Rocky and Bulwinkle, Boris and Natasha!
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: June Harlow
Date: 06-08-2005, 07:32 PM (15 of 27)
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Dorothy !! I'm aghast that you'd ask if there's really a Frostbite Falls ! Next you'll be asking me if there's an Easter Bunny ! LOL And incidentally Pam, Natasha is always giving me her ideas for dress designs...lots of things in basic black that are simply drawn ! Thanks a bunch to all of you, you're making my sewing so much more fun
June ~
"If only I could find that missing pattern piece!" June sews on a Pfaff 1209 and a Babylock 5180 serger |
User: June Harlow
Member since: 05-30-2005 Total posts: 100
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From: June Harlow
Date: 07-01-2005, 08:56 PM (16 of 27)
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Thanks for the help everyone, here's a picture of how the skirt turned out. floral skirt (http://members.aol.com/_ht_a/juneharlow/images/2005%2006-28%20p0004237%20trim.jpg) It worked out fine using 45" wide fabric, with only a small part pieced together. The top was from a Vogue pattern, the design called for long sleeves, but I think they're almost too long LOL ! At any rate it's quite cool to wear during the dog days of summer !
June ~
"If only I could find that missing pattern piece!" June sews on a Pfaff 1209 and a Babylock 5180 serger |
User: June Harlow
Member since: 05-30-2005 Total posts: 100
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From: DorothyL
Date: 07-01-2005, 09:52 PM (17 of 27)
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It looks great. Dorothy |
User: DorothyL
Member since: 12-09-2002 Total posts: 3883 |
From: MaryW
Date: 07-03-2005, 09:32 AM (18 of 27)
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Yes it does, nice colours too.
MaryW
owner/editor of Sew Whats New |
User: MaryW
Member since: 06-23-2005 Total posts: 2542 
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From: dmoses
Date: 07-03-2005, 10:41 AM (19 of 27)
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The whole outfit is lovely!
Take care,
Donna |
User: dmoses
Member since: 02-22-2002 Total posts: 964 
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From: esrun3
Date: 07-04-2005, 02:28 PM (20 of 27)
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Great outfit June! Love it all!
Lyn
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User: esrun3
Member since: 12-02-2004 Total posts: 2345 |
From: June Harlow
Date: 07-04-2005, 09:57 PM (21 of 27)
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Thanks so much everyone !
June ~
"If only I could find that missing pattern piece!" June sews on a Pfaff 1209 and a Babylock 5180 serger |
User: June Harlow
Member since: 05-30-2005 Total posts: 100
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From: weezie
Date: 07-04-2005, 11:25 PM (22 of 27)
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I love the way your outfit came out and think it's the type of thing that you are apt to get alot of wear from.The combo of the long full skirt and soft feminine blouse is the type of thing that will always look good and fits in both as a casual about town outfit but will also be just dressy enough with other accesories to be great for a slightly more formal occasion.I really love the way your whole outfit came out. Weezie
weezie
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User: weezie
Member since: 01-01-2002 Total posts: 34 |
From: June Harlow
Date: 07-06-2005, 05:30 PM (23 of 27)
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Thanks so much Weezie. It's so nice to get the feedback on something I've been working on. People at work tease me about making things, and I think some of them may think I'm "cheap" for not buying clothes "off the rack". But sewing does give me a lot of pleasure, and I like to think I'm getting the benefit of better fitting clothes for all the time I invest. Thanks again everyone, it's nice to know I'm not alone in this
June ~
"If only I could find that missing pattern piece!" June sews on a Pfaff 1209 and a Babylock 5180 serger |
User: June Harlow
Member since: 05-30-2005 Total posts: 100
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From: paroper
Date: 07-06-2005, 07:01 PM (24 of 27)
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If that's what they think, they are dead wrong. By the time you buy your fabrics, notions, pattern and figure in your time, hand made garments are not cheap. They are satisfying and they fit better and they inspire imagination.
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: stitch2much
Date: 10-07-2005, 01:32 AM (25 of 27)
| You have probably already finished making your skirt, but I was in a similar predicament. I made 8-gore skirts. It is real easy to create you own pattern. http://patternsthatfityou.com/frskirtcl.htm My solution, not necassarily for everyone. |
User: stitch2much
Member since: 10-06-2005 Total posts: 22 |
From: esrun3
Date: 10-07-2005, 10:04 AM (26 of 27)
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Welcome to the boards stitch2much! Thanks for the site! It will come in handy for me!
Lyn
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User: esrun3
Member since: 12-02-2004 Total posts: 2345 |
From: stitch2much
Date: 10-07-2005, 02:38 PM (27 of 27)
| Thanks for the welcome. And you are welcome, I didn't read all of the posts before adding my 2cents worth. Your skirt turned out beautifully, great job! Seems to me there is alot of help on this site, looking forward to spending some time (when I am not sewing) with you all. |
User: stitch2much
Member since: 10-06-2005 Total posts: 22 |
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