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From: Sews4kate
Date: 08-04-2007, 07:01 PM (1 of 13)
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I was asked to make a dress like this one http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v357/Wendy523/misc/yhst_17102259411242_1962_18447507.jpg I've made lot's of shirred sundresses and am comfortable with doing that part. My question is, how do you think the fabric is cut? I usually just sew up a rectangle shaped piece of fabric. This one looks a lot fuller in the skirt than the ones I've made. Which is the part that is liked. I usually do about 2x's the chest measurement. Do you think it is cut differently or maybe it is more than 2x's the chest measurement? They like how the dress is very full in the skirt and I want to make it like that. Any advice is more than appreciated!! Wendy
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User: Sews4kate
Member since: 08-20-2005 Total posts: 182 |
From: esrun3
Date: 08-04-2007, 09:58 PM (2 of 13)
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Looks to me like it is all one piece of fabric so my guess would be that you have to make the top more than 2x the chest measurement. But....is it possible to make the top part and then add a skirt on separately and still have it look good? Then you could make the fuller skirt and do the top as usual.
Lyn
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User: esrun3
Member since: 12-02-2004 Total posts: 2345 |
From: AndreaSews
Date: 08-04-2007, 11:36 PM (3 of 13)
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Good question...I've never made a shirred dress, but to me it looks like there's more fullness at the bottom than could have been gathered into the bodice. Really, though, you can't tell for sure from this single picture. My first hunch before reading esrun3's post was that it might be in two pieces, and cut in the shape of a funnel. After cutting the bodice part, I'd widen it for the skirt. Then I'd have the model wear it to measure an even hem.
Andrea
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User: AndreaSews
Member since: 02-18-2005 Total posts: 1007 
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From: Sews4kate
Date: 08-05-2007, 08:06 PM (4 of 13)
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It does appear to be all one piece, but I just can't figure out how I'd do that. So I think, like you all suggested, I'd have to make it in two pieces. My thought is to cut a circle skirt with the waist measurement at 2x's the chest measurement. And make the bodice the regular rectangle, sew it together and then shirr it. Think that would work?
Wendy
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User: Sews4kate
Member since: 08-20-2005 Total posts: 182 |
From: temom
Date: 08-05-2007, 09:17 PM (5 of 13)
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I don't know anything about shirring, but if you can control the "shrinking" factor, can you do a muslin using a rectangle as before, but change the amount of shirring to see the results? Or is that a huge labor intensive ordeal that wouldn't really help?
Theresa
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User: temom
Member since: 01-19-2007 Total posts: 410 
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From: MissTaraTara
Date: 08-06-2007, 11:56 AM (6 of 13)
| Is it possible that the dress uses more than one width of fabric, maybe 1 width and 1/2? Or could it just be the way the dress is laying . . .all fanned out like that? It can sometimes be hard to tell when there isn't anyone inside. |
User: MissTaraTara
Member since: 01-24-2006 Total posts: 227 |
From: LeapFrog Libby
Date: 08-07-2007, 05:36 PM (7 of 13)
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Have you tried putting the elastic thread into the tension gizmo in your bobbin instead of bypassing that step?? .. That is how I get the tighter shirring .. (which gives you a fuller skirt.)
Sew With Love
Libby |
User: LeapFrog Libby
Member since: 05-01-2002 Total posts: 2022 
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From: toadusew
Date: 08-08-2007, 08:46 AM (8 of 13)
| I don't know if it's still available or not, but I used to see fabric like that in the fabric stores. It was already shirred/smocked at the top and all you needed to do was cut the length you needed, sew up a back seam, hem it, add the shoulder ties, and you had a dress! You might check to see if this fabric is still being sold in fabric stores in your area. |
User: toadusew
Member since: 01-08-2005 Total posts: 369 |
From: Mom of Six
Date: 08-08-2007, 09:06 AM (9 of 13)
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since it is a childs dress they may have used the width as the dress length & then you can make it as full as you want buy buying the length longer.
Barb
Happiness is having time to sew!! |
User: Mom of Six
Member since: 11-03-2001 Total posts: 1115 
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From: Sews4kate
Date: 08-08-2007, 09:13 AM (10 of 13)
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Thank you for the ideas! I'm going to do some experimenting this week hopefully (as long as the kids go to bed at a decent hour LOL)
Wendy
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User: Sews4kate
Member since: 08-20-2005 Total posts: 182 |
From: paroper
Date: 08-08-2007, 11:25 AM (11 of 13)
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The min. standard for gathered "things" is 2 1/2-3 times the width with 2 1/2 times being the min. standard. The lighter the weight of the fabric or the longer the item, the more you need to give the same effect. I did some short skirts a few years ago where for a 25 inch waist the fabric was 120 inches to be gathered but that was chiffon. The most I have gathered was 12 yards of netting for a skirt. In this case, the fabric is rectangularly cut. You couldn't curve the fabric and get the amount of width you would need and a bias cut would look different. It is probably at least 3X the width...might be slightly more. It is probably shirred with elastic thread. You could do it with small elastic or with casings too but you would see more seaming with casings. 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: Sews4kate
Date: 08-08-2007, 12:00 PM (12 of 13)
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Thank you! I will try 3x's the width, I have always been afraid it wouldn't gather tight enough with that much fabric to fit nicely. I suppose I could pull on the elastic thread to gather it more if needed. I think that will be the first thing I try, thank you!
Wendy
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User: Sews4kate
Member since: 08-20-2005 Total posts: 182 |
From: LeapFrog Libby
Date: 08-09-2007, 06:07 PM (13 of 13)
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If you do as I said earlier and put the elastic thread on the bobbin and insert it in the tension slot , It will gather tighter anyway, and then of course you hold the iron above it and steam the stitches (not touching them) and the steam makes the elastic gather even tighter..
Sew With Love
Libby |
User: LeapFrog Libby
Member since: 05-01-2002 Total posts: 2022
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