Thread: Question about gores and trumpet skirts

Hi All,

I was wondering if anyone has made a trumpet skirt (mermaid, etc) without using the "strips" method? The pattern that I know of for making trumpet skirt is to cut the fabric into long strips, sew it length wise to about half way (knee length), then add gores.
I was wondering why can't you just cut a large rectangular piece of fabric (length of skirt x measurement of waist + extras for seams etc), then cut the fabric half-way length wise, then insert the gores? Wouldn't it also save time? I suppose darts may be needed to fit the bootie...
Anyway, I have this fabric that I want to use to make a trumpet skirt, but it has a swirly pattern, so I would rather not cut into strips, and just make the whole thing as continuous piece. Just curious if this is doable, and if the resulting skirt is wearable.
Anyway, I hope this question makes sense.......

Thanks!

-E

You can do that but the problem comes in when you get to the top point of the gore as you dont have any seam allowance to work with. It takes some practice to make the points look neat and even.

I made a skirt like that once, I did screw up the top of the gores. Didn't think about practicing making them without seam allowance, like alibelly said.
But I covered the outlines of the gores with decorations, a row of sequins worked for me because the screw ups were small.

You could also cut the point in the skirt rounded, you can work with seam allowance that way. I think I've seen that on the big splits in Bella's trumpet skirts.

I made a skirt like that once for somebody who had already cut out the rectangles and wanted me to put in the gores. It does work. I recommend first making a finished edge on your rectangle by turning the seam allowance under and stitching in place. Then add the gores on the wrong side. It is very difficult to get the gores to look right at the point with this method. Hopefully your rectangle fabric is a knit. That will make it easier. If you don't like the way the points look when it's finished, you could always add a small applique on top of each one to disguise any uggliness.

I don't know exactly what the swirly pattern looks like, but sometimes a minor disruption in the pattern at a seam adds subtle vertical lines and 'texture' that can be flattering. Have you considered folding the fabric along the line where you want to insert gores, stitching a narrow seam (since you haven't cut the fabric it will stay 'matched up' except for the part hidden in the seam allowance), then cut the seam open and insert the gores?

Even when using the strips+gores method, it can be difficult to get your points to come out even and each one laying exactly the same at the same distance from the waist. Some fabrics are more temperamental than others, and if you're using a knit, the method you are proposing may be prone to running.

If you are concerned about interrupting the pattern of your fabric, maybe you need a different style of skirt, not a different method of construction for a trumpet skirt. Perhaps your fabric would work better as a panel skirt with high side slits, or a skirt with a single, large gore in the back like a dragless train. You could modify either of those designs from the straight skirt patterns that you can find in the formalwear section of most pattern books.

I have done it this way, I made a tube out of stretchy velvet, with elastic at the top (it was quite tight, so I didn't bother with booty darts) I zigzagged the gores straight onto the velvet, laying the chiffon underneath. Instead of a normal seam, where the right sides are together I sewed one on top of the other like a cutout if that makes sense. then I covered it up by sewing strung sequins over the seam. I will try and dig out a picture of the skirt I made.

Here you go...
You can't really see the seams in the picture, but it hangs perfectly well. I would recommend starting at the top point when you sew both seams so the fabric doesn't get rumpled.


Perfectly wearable, I'm sure you'll agree!

Wow, that is EXACTLY the kind of skirt I've started right now...

firefly, you did a greaaaaaat work :)

ecnyx : I found in a french forum a thread that explains how to make a trumpet skirt as you proposed :

Originally Posted by ecnyx

you just cut a large rectangular piece of fabric (length of skirt x measurement of waist + extras for seams etc), then cut the fabric half-way length wise, then insert the gores?

As I don't know the french terms of sewing, you can easily imagine the english terms are even more difficult to understand.
Anyway, I'm trying this method (do you think I'm lazy?) and I hope it will end as "wearable" (understand : "perfect") as firefly... without the cutouts (Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof)

Your plan will work, but there's a couple of things to watch out for.

As others have said, it's very difficult to get the points of the gores to look neat, so plan on a decoration to hide them if they turn out messy.

Also, if the fabric is not stretchy and you want a fitted look, you'll need to shape the side seams and add a zipper. Zippers on curved seams can be tricky, too. But if the fabric is stretchy enough you should be able to just pull it on and off with an elastic waist band.

it's more than just covering up looks- the point can be a weak spot, so I'd reinforce that point even before covering it with decorations.

I've been doing mine this way. Some fabrics are far more forgiving than others. I have found, though, that I get better results if I extend the seam from the point up into the body of the skirt.

I cut the slit approximately 1/2" and pin the godet at the 1/2" mark and sew it in. Then, I fold the fabric and sew the remaining 1/2" on an angle to 1/2" ABOVE the end of the slit. The last stitches run off the fabric.

Basically, it's a dart. It's tricky to pin, but it does give decent results.

Not a gored skirt at all, so not a direct answer to your question, but how about this:

Cut the skirt as if it were a circle skirt, except that the area from the hip to the knee is slim, rather than full. This leaves you with a bias-cut skirt that fits closely (as closely as you want), but has alot of movement in it.

You'd need to allow it to hang for some time before hemming, but you would definitely save your lovely swirly fabric pattern.

Deborah

While I think your proposed method would probably work for some, I know it wouldn't work for me. I need those separate skirt panels so I can adjust the seams and make the skirt fit me correctly. Otherwise I'd be spending an awful lot of time on darts. :-D

Thanks everyone for your replies! I think I understand where the difficulty comes from. I was just wondering why the strips method is the common method.....Thanks to firefly5 for posting the photo! Your skirt looks great!!

I may try and wing this to see how it goes!

Thanks!

-E

I think tapering the bottom of the 'rectangles' into points would be really pretty so the gores would almost meet at the hem.

Originally Posted by firefly5

Here you go...
You can't really see the seams in the picture, but it hangs perfectly well. I would recommend starting at the top point when you sew both seams so the fabric doesn't get rumpled.


Perfectly wearable, I'm sure you'll agree!

Oh! Wozza! ,r:;

That picture is worth a 1000 words for me! Thank you for sharing!

Qamar