October 11, 2012

CARNIVAL OF SKIRTS ... WHAT A DIFFERENCE A WEDGE MAKES...

...Ahhhh to be back in my space again - priceless!  I'm finally back in my sewing room and it's soooo pretty. Just a few more things need to be strategically placed or corralled, and the move will be complete.  Ahhhh to be back home - priceless!

The Skirt Carnival  continues and I've added one more to the procession   This addition is actually a re-make of the animal print jean type skirt that I made last November.  Truth be told, I've gained weight and that skirt just does not fit well anymore.  But since I liked having the animal print skirt and had also embellished a sweater to match, I decided to make another one. I found a similar faux suede fabric at Joann's and this time used McCall's 3830 to make a pencil skirt. 





THE WEDGE:  There was one other thing about last years skirt that bothered me - the way it kicked up in back making my hem appear uneven.  I was reading Lynn's blog at You Sew Girl and she mentioned that she had altered her skirt pattern pattern by inserting a wedge in the skirt pack pattern piece to eliminate this same problem.  I was a little ashamed of myself for not know about a full seat alteration, but I'm very happy that now that I know how to use it, an uneven back hem will never be a problem again.  Here's a picture that illustrates the 1 1/2" wedge pattern alteration. It made a really big difference in the way my skirt fits. 


I'll be using this alteration on skirts and dresses from now on...


17 comments:

  1. Aaahh! Thank you so much for this fabulous post. I sew for my daughter and have had this problem with her skirts. Now it make total sense, I feel like a dummy for not putting 2 and 2 together before. Thank you again!

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    1. Beth I felt the same way when I found out about the alteration. Why had I not figured this out before or at least found it in one of my fitting and alteration books. But I'm happy that I found out about it - thanks to Lynn.

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  2. I should add this wedge in, too. Some of the patterns I am using at the moment are shaped over the butt area, so this isn't a problem but on my TNT pencil skirt this will make a massive difference. Thank you!

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    1. Carol you are so welcome! I'm thankful to Lynn and her enlightening post on altering patterns for a full seat.

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  3. Great job Faye. I add about 1" wedge all the time when am making skirt or dress because of my high back hip aka kaboos....the little alteration makes a huge difference . Love your fabric choice

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    1. Thank you Aminat. Wish I had known about this alteration a long time ago.

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  4. Great post Faye! I have skirts on my ever growing list of things to make, so I will bookmark this for future reference.

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  5. That skirt is beautiful ! I will be using the wedge adjustment next time I make a skirt too. Thanks for sharing it.

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  6. Looks great, Faye. I am so envious of your return to your sewing room. Mine is still in an uproar but it will be done soon. In the meantime I will vicariously enjoy your new space.

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  7. Another great skirt Faye! I really, really love your fabric choice for this one too! Great job and don' feel bad about that alteration...I didn't know about it either! :)

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  8. That wedge is so helpful! I didn't need it when I was younger, but tried Sandra Betzina's large rump adjustment (wedge) and am so pleased. Both skirts look great!

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  9. I love it when I discover new fitting techniques. Great skirt!

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  10. Glad you are back in your space!

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  11. Aaaah, the wedge! I am so glad it worked out for you! I think the technique works on every type of skirt pattern. I don't sew full or multi-pleated styles much, so I am not totally certain. That said, it's great way to prevent the dreaded 'hike-up' at the back!

    Faye, because of your fabulousness I can't get skirts out of my mind! I picked up several pieces of wools from a arts & crafts store and all I could think was, 'oooo, this will be a cute skirt!' I'm off to the sewing room now.

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  12. A wedge, a wedge... What is a wedge? I will be reading the link you share with us coz I have a sneaking suspicion that one of these days I might need a wedge myself... Right now I'm going to look for some other easier skirt pattern to make to your carnival! :)

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  13. Thank you Faye! I was directed here by Shiela. :)

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