Thread: Skirt surgery...Need help!

Hi Ladies, I need some help from you seamstresses out there. I bought a used costume and I knew the skirt was several inches too short. I thought I could just make an underskirt for it and it would be fine...especially since I knew the skirt was a little on the sheer side.

I can't find the right color chiffon so I bought yellow (I plan on lining it with the orange trim stolen from the veil to make it flow. I made an underskirt and attached it to the original skirt. The only problem is I can't get the hem of the skirt to fall correctly! I've been trying for hours and hours. This skirt has to be finished by the 14th! (I see a vacation day in my future).

I am about to throw a tantrum. I have never needed a dress form more in my life.

Anyway, any and all help is appreciated! Thanks!

FRONT:
It's really short in that one spot above my left leg...


SIDE:


BACK:


FLOOR:
The hem looks a little more even, but not quite.



Tell me now cause I am going to Joanns tomorrow anyway, do I need to buy new fabric and start from scratch? How do I avoid making the same mistake twice?

ETA: Should I scrap the underskirt all together and try to lengthen skirt with the veil? I know that will affect the resale value of the costume, but I am desperate.

It appears to me that you are doing almost everything correctly, except one thing...waiting for the fabric to 'hang' (the bias needs to stretch).

Please hang the skirt up for at least 24 hours (some let the skirts hang for a week), then try hemming it.

You may have to re-hem it again in the future, because the bias will still stretch out.

Your skirt is beautiful!!!
:-)

Ooh, I just noticed the short spot, do you have fabric in the same color to add a ruffle or 'piece' it?
I still love it though!

One way to speed up the bias shifting is to get the underskirt totally wet and hang it to dry two or three times.

The colours do look nice together. Is the belt attached to the skirt? Is there any way you can lengthen the original skirt from the top by adding a band to go under the belt bit?

I third what they said about bias and letting it hang. However, I'm not sure why it's so short in the front at your left leg. Did you cut two half circles, making their edges parallel with the selvage? Usually my skirts (after hanging) are shortest right in the middle and at the edges of each panel, longest where the diagonal or bias stretches.

I briefly had my hands on one of these costumes and needed it longer, too. The veil is not big enough to make an underskirt.

To save what you have, add enough to the waist/hip band at the top to make the shortest section long enough. You will probably be adding 3-4 inches at the top, from what I can tell in the pic, and it should still be hidden under the belt section plus all the orange chiffon. Then let it hang a few days and trim the bottom to hem.

Before I got my dress form, I used a floor lamp that had a fabric shade and I could pin the skirt waist/hip band to it. Then I would measure from the top edge and mark it with pins at the bottom every five inches or so (making it a little longer in the back to accommodate my rear end). Next, cut and hem.

I like the yellow and it definitely can work here, but I would still keep an eye out for a coordinating orange, even if it's a lighter orange, like sherbet or an orange creamsicle since the sequins are iridescent.

Originally Posted by ozma

One way to speed up the bias shifting is to get the underskirt totally wet and hang it to dry two or three times.

Also, add clothes pins at the bottom for weight. this will help with the stretch.

{{{HUGS}}}

Thanks, everyone. This is helpful. I did get the skirt wet and let it hang....knowing I didn't have time for the full bias stretching.

Also, when I first noticed that the hem was hanging weird, I laid the circle skirt out and lined up all the bottom hems. Then I folded it over a few times and cut the top so it was even (plus I had to make the circle a little bigger to go around the skirt). So in theory, it should all be the same length. Sigh.

Kiyaana, I went to Joann's and the only orange they had did not match. Also I like your lampshade idea. I am also afraid that lengthening it from the top will be noticeable under the orange because that fabric is so thin. Oh and with the veil, I was thinking about just extending the bottom a few inches and not doing an underskirt.

Maybe to save your time and sanity, you could take it to a seamstress and ask her advice? Maybe seeing the skirt in person she would be able to figure out the problem.

Myself, I would probably try to lengthen the short section from the top.

If you wanted to start over, I think red would look fabulous under that orange. You could add some ruched pieces of the same fabric to the top of your bra cups to pull everything together, as well as use some for a head band. If the JoAnn's orange fabric is close enough in color to your top skirt, you could use a small piece to add to the red for your headband. For that matter, you could do the same thing with the yellow. : ) You could go really wild and use purple.....

Chiffon is an evil creature. Several times I have cut skirts and had this happen. I finally realized that even though I thought I had the fabric laid out perfectly straight, it had shifted in spots before or during cutting. Now when messing with this stuff I lay it out on the floor (either a wood floor or one with geometric linoleum) - I line the edge of the fabric with the seams in the floor, and then put weights on the edge. I carefully make sure the grain is straight, checking each foot and adding weights as I go when I am sure its straight. THEN I cut it.

If I dont have time to piddle with all that, I cut the whole thing 6-8 inches too long, and trim it to the correct the length when its finished (and after hanging it out, of course).

Another option if you can't get the fabric to hang out enough (either because it isn't going to budge, or you don't have time to wait until it hangs itself out ) would be to buy more of the yellow fabric to make a matching pair of harem pants, and then rotate the short part of the yellow underskirt to the side and do the old-skool tuck where you stuff the hem of the skirt into the sides of the belt. You can adjust the flounce to hide the hem discrepancy, and rather than spending hours rushing to undo and fuss with what you've already done, you got a new pair of harem pants to show for your efforts and plenty of time to fix things later.

Isn't it crazy that they have all those colors in the Casa Collection, but no orange?!?!?! Finding matching chiffon can be really hard. I completely lucked out recently finding a matching blue for another skirt-is-too-short fix.

I recently extended a Hoda Zaki skirt by adding to the bottom. I stitched thin ribbon in the same color as the skirt on top of the seam to hide it. (Pics in October's Working On thread.)

Good luck!

Originally Posted by andalee-oriental

Kiyaana, I went to Joann's and the only orange they had did not match. Also I like your lampshade idea. I am also afraid that lengthening it from the top will be noticeable under the orange because that fabric is so thin. Oh and with the veil, I was thinking about just extending the bottom a few inches and not doing an underskirt.

I would go with the veil. Very few people actually use the sequin trimmed veils because they are too heavy to dance with and just odd looking.

Sew it in with a whipstitch so you can take it out if necessary.

Update: So I removed the underskirt and cut up the veil. It turns out that I didn't cut properly and not there is not enough fabric to finish the job. I am thinking I have to go back to Joann's to get some fabric and start from scratch. I am seriously depressed about this.

Belly Dance Store.com: gallery

buy an orange circle skirt and use the veil to add to the arm thingies, so the oranges will blend together...

just an idea

and i'm so sorry it's giving you a heartache of a time right now :(

I know this is not necessarily the most pleasing choice to everybody, but if time and patience run out, as the last resort, you could consider making a pair of pants to go other the original skirt, assuming that it is possible with the look of the costume. Maybe you can find silk essence in a matching shade, and the whole project will cost you a bit more than $10, and just a few satisfying hours.

I always wear pantaloons under my costumes, I have them in many colors, made from silk essence.

Originally Posted by steffib

I know this is not necessarily the most pleasing choice to everybody, but if time and patience run out, as the last resort, you could consider making a pair of pants to go other the original skirt, assuming that it is possible with the look of the costume. Maybe you can find silk essence in a matching shade, and the whole project will cost you a bit more than $10, and just a few satisfying hours.

I always wear pantaloons under my costumes, I have them in many colors, made from silk essence.

I was just thinking the same thing. If you can sew, make a pair of silk habotai harem pants and then you can dye them whatever color pleases you. I think harem pants poking out underneath a too short skirt is super cute and very vintage looking. Plus, it takes less yardage and therefore will be less expensive.

I'm hesitant to get pants or buy a ready-made skirt because this costume has cut-outs in the hip. :( Thanks for everyone's suggestions though.

Did you buy that from Dinah? You lucky girl I wanted it soooo bad. I got a bella from her though and it's awesome!
Ok - This is what you do.
Buy a cheap orange circle skirt and cut off the waistband. Pin it to the edge inside where the other chiffon stems from. Because you don't have a dress form you'll have to turn it inside out, lay it flat and experiment with pinning till it is the right length all around. Take any excess length off the top not the bottom. That way you won't have to hem it. Whip stitch it into place and then voila!
Should only take a couple hours.
Why are all the ladies in the midwest needing stuff by the 14th? I am making and shipping all kinds of stuff with that deadline. Competition or something?
P.S. No yellow! Go with orange. Any shade will work. You can also buy orange chiffon and cut 2 1/2 panels and sew the edges and do the same thing. Slightly more labor intensive. Too bad you should have sent it to me with your package.

You are probably sewing right now since you need it tomorrow. ..g.:

Today I went to JoAnn and they had "costume sheer" in a lovely orange - 6-7 yards. They also had a lighter orange with some sparkles on it (from the old "All that Glitters" collection), again, about 6-7 yards.

Let me know if you need either one - obviously won't work for tomorrow night, but just thought I'd post it, anyway.

Thanks all, I lengthened the skirt with the veil, it's just very patchworky! I am going to add an underskirt when I have more time. I also need to sequin the new bottom of the skirt, but I am not going to do that before tomorrow night. It's doable for a hafla.

Oh, and Kiyaana, thanks for the offer of the orange. I've scoured two local Joann's and none of the oranges work, so I doubt these will. I think Apricot or pink will work nicely as an underskirt, so I'll get some eventually. AND you are a genius for telling me about the lamp trick. You saved my sanity. It totally worked and was super easy! THANKS!

Glad the lamp worked for you. It saved my sanity many times, too. ..g.:

The photo you posted in the New Swapmeet Purchases thread is lovely!

Originally Posted by andalee-oriental

Thanks all, I lengthened the skirt with the veil, it's just very patchworky! I am going to add an underskirt when I have more time. I also need to sequin the new bottom of the skirt, but I am not going to do that before tomorrow night. It's doable for a hafla.

Oh, and Kiyaana, thanks for the offer of the orange. I've scoured two local Joann's and none of the oranges work, so I doubt these will. I think Apricot or pink will work nicely as an underskirt, so I'll get some eventually. AND you are a genius for telling me about the lamp trick. You saved my sanity. It totally worked and was super easy! THANKS!