Sometimes it is hard to find the exact striped fabric you have in mind. Be it the width of the stripes or the colours, the fabric is not always what you want it to be. Well it doesn't have to be difficult, since you can make your own striped fabric!
In this blog post I will walk you step by step through the changes I made to Orla dress skirt pieces to make a black and white striped skirt.
Tools needed
- Paper, any paper you use for tracing patterns. I use medical paper.
- Pencil
- Eraser
- Ruler
- French Curve (not necessary, but makes things easier)
About Stripes
I am all for sewing your own striped fabric! You can really play with width of the stripes and the colours. The only suggestion I have is to use either identical fabric in different colours or fabric of same or similar weight and drape.
Steps
You will need both your front and back skirt pieces. The changes you make to the one side will be identical to the changes you make on the other pattern piece. As usual,
mark your seam allowances in, or be wary of them because otherwise it will throw off the calculations and slightly change the look of the stripes. Orla's seam allowances are 3/8" or 1 cm.
Just a note, my hem seam allowance is 2 1/2".
I will show you the steps on the front skirt pattern piece, and you will have to repeat them for the back skirt piece.
Start off by marking points 1-4 on one of the side seam of the skirt pattern piece. The distance for the points is as follows:
1 - 4.5" from the top
2 - 4" from point 1
3 - 2 1/4" from point 2
4 - 5 3/4" from point 3
If my calculations are correct, this results in the bottom stripe being 3 1/2" wide, not including hem allowance of 2 1/2".
Draw the lines through each point, parallel to the waist line.
Your stripes are ready! I marked each stripe with the stripe number and colour, so that everything is super clear.
Now you will need to trace each stripe out as a separate pattern piece. Add seam allowances back in and a hem allowance to the bottom of Stripe 5.
Do not forget that the front stripe pieces will be cut on fold, and the back stripe pieces will be cut 2 of each stripe.
There you go!
If you want to learn how to change a sleeved bodice into a sleeveless bodice, go
here.
If you want to learn how to draft inseam pockets, go
here.
If you want to learn how to draft facings, go
here.
Tomorrow I will be back with the instructions on how to put the whole thing together. As usual, feel free to ask questions!
Until then,
Anya
