Thread: Line a panel skirt?

I'm finally going to make one of those triangular paneled "Turkish" skirts I've been blabbing about for years. Should it be lined? It seems to me that the panels might hang better....

I've made a couple of them and haven't lined them. There's a photo of me wearing one in my gallery. I'm sitting on the floor with it spread out around me. Is that the kind of skirt you're talking about?

I didn't line it, but I did make all the vertical seams French Seams so there wouldn't be any raw edges of fabric hanging out. I just kept adding panels 'till I was happy with it. It took forever. I can understand why they cost so much. I just used leftover fabric scraps to make mine, but the hours I had in it were crazy.

Like the one from this thread?

http://www.bhuz.com/forum/belly-danc...part-deux.html

My gut instinct would be to line the triangular part and the leave the ruffles w/ a nice rolled hem. I am curious what others would say though.

Good luck and share pics please!

Oh, I totally misunderstood what Zorba was asking about. I've never made one of those skirts, so I'm afraid I have no advice to offer, though it does seem the advice from 1shadylady is good.

I've made rectangular panel skirts, and getting the lining and the outer fabric to play nicely together is not a trivial matter. If I had to do it over again, I think I would try for more of a "floating" lining like what you see on some overcoats and blazers, where it isn't attached all the way around but anchored at the top and just loosely basted in place at the sides and bottom.

Whether you need to line depends on the fabric, what you wear underneath, and the overall effect you're trying for. You could get by with a sheer fabric over opaque harem pants, or go with a heavier fabric that wouldn't need lining but might lack some drape. I guess the bottom line is to know whether you're aiming for what my grandmother called the "Wait Til the Sun Shines, Nellie" effect or not. In other words, decide up front if you want only side-leg visibility or you want the audience to see a chink of light between your knees through the skirt when you're on stage, and then go from there.

If you do decide on lining, you might want to consider going with an opaque tricot used specifically for making (lingerie) slips because it will give maximum light blocking, minimum bulk/static cling, and a nice drape--you might have to special order it, though. Consider yourself warned that the sort of acetate linings that you buy in the "Linings" section of a fabric store can be an unraveling, static-y hell for inexperienced tailors. Another option if you can find it might be a fusible knit interfacing--it'll interfere with the drape some, but not as much as regular fusible interfacing. The clerks at the fabric store can advise you on what would work best with your fabric if you decide to line.

Thanx much everyone!

I'm just waiting for my darn serger to get out of the shop so I can start!