Thread: Costume Skirt Alteration Help

So I bought the most gorgeous costume ever (in my opinion) but I had to settle on it not quite being my size. I know just a few alterations and this one will be great (lotsa padding + moving the bra hooks). The problem is the skirt. It's a mermaid-style skirt with heavy beading and while it stays in tact when I'm standing still I'm not about to try it out while performing without any backup. I heard that sometimes dancers sew elastic onto these kind of skirts, if so, do you have any tips or tricks for doing so? Do you just "tac" the skirt on every couple of inches, or sew it all the way around? Do you sew anything over the elastic? Thanks in advance!

I don't know how mermaid skirt top lines are. Are they a band? fitted? zippered? or elastic? Knowing how it already is will help with your question. Also how much do you want to take it in?

Will the top of the skirt be covered with anything or is the top of the skirt the part that shows? (this is what I'm assuming)

Costuming Tip: Elastic with Thread Casing - Belly Dance with Karolyne

i recently altered a heavy skirt for my friend using this method. i use elastic all around the skirt. i doubled the elastic because i want it to be stronger.

the skirt is made of a stretch velvet top that wraps around the bum and then chiffon skirt. after the elastic, i used a stretchy cotton tank top, cut the straps off, fold the tank top in half, and sewed the whole thing inside the velvet part of the skirt, and then cut it where there's a zipper on the skirt and sewed down where i cut.

my friend loves it. she said the cotton top kind of wrap around her tight but she's comfortable because it's stretchy and she doesn't have to worry about heavy skirt falling off.

Originally Posted by wingaki

the skirt is made of a stretch velvet top that wraps around the bum and then chiffon skirt. after the elastic, i used a stretchy cotton tank top, cut the straps off, fold the tank top in half, and sewed the whole thing inside the velvet part of the skirt, and then cut it where there's a zipper on the skirt and sewed down where i cut.

my friend loves it. she said the cotton top kind of wrap around her tight but she's comfortable because it's stretchy and she doesn't have to worry about heavy skirt falling off.

This is also agreat way to line a skirt which has cut outs or is see through like some of the lace Abla's.

{{{HUGS}}}