LuckyStitches A-line Skirts, originally uploaded by zannestar.
Well – we finished! Having missed a class due to a snow storm, we met at a student’s home (thank you!) and finished out skirts! The A-Line skirt is really ultra fabulous because it is perfect for so many different body types.
First – we drafted a basic skirt sloper onto paper using our individual measurements. Then – we traced our patterns onto muslins and stitched them up. It was really fun to see everybody’s expression when they tried their muslins on – and they fit! There were a few minor alterations, but those were transferred back to the paper pattern.
Now, with our new paper patterns, we slashed and pivoted, closing the darts (this is a fitted waist A-Line skirt – and I love how they look without darts…) and creating our A-Line. This new pattern was then transferred to the muslin and stitched up. Another fun facial expression time….they still fit! and they were the shapes these girls had been dreaming of!
Now we were ready for our final fabric. We had a few curves to smooth out so our final was fab…and once that was done we cut them out. One cool trick that I learned in college (and haven’t looked back) is to cut the pattern out using the open piece of fabric, not fold the fabric in half – you wast so much fabric that way. And – we cut these on the bias. Who doesn’t love a bias skirt! Sewing was fun, I was able to share lots of fun tips and tricks and I think everyone learned quite a bit.
I do know that these skirts looked awesome on – and everyone has a pattern so they can make more…all year long. How awesome would these be in wool!!!
Skirts are fun for summer – there are two skirt-a-longs that I know of going on right now – so it’s the perfect time to GET YOUR SKIRT ON!
Check these out:
Sew, Mama, Sew!
Sew What? Skirts sew-a-long
I need to learn the “slash and pivot” technique. I am too curvy to a straight seam on my a-lines so I need darts at the waist, but I’m not good at them and I don’t really like the way they look. All of these skirts turned out great!
Hi Sandy,
I heart “slash and pivot” big time.
I’m sure there are some books out there that could help you. In college, we used this book.
I am way too curvy to not use curved lines in my patterns. Also – what aids in a flattering look for me is moving the side seams forward 1/4 inch. Amazing what that does!
Another thing to remember about darts – it’s what happens around the dart that matters. That’s where all the shaping is – the dart creates the wonderful shape. With slash and pivot you can keep the shaping in the same spot – just move the dart to the hem of the skirt – giving you an A-Line. I think this method really allows for a more customized and tailored fit.