Thread: How to enlarge a skirt pattern...

A friend and I are going to be doing a duet together in early March. We are vastly different in size (like I'm very plus size, and she's very not ), and I think we've pretty much come to the conclusion that we're going to have to make costumes. We've found a skirt pattern that we can work with, however the skirt pattern only goes up to a size that is two sizes to small for me.

Is there a way to enlarge the pattern pieces as I'm cutting them out? Like just cut the shape of the pattern, but bigger, using the size guidelines between the different sizes to determine how much more I should be adding?

Thanks for your help!

I am a plus size lady, and I often make my own costumes to accomodate my curves, because it's cheaper and easier than trying to hunt down the rare costume that is in my price range and accomodates size 18 hips.

I would definitely try upsizing the pattern and see how it looks, but try it in a cheap fabric first, like an old sheet or some cheap jersey knit (depending on whether you're doing stretchy or non stretchy). Also be aware that your shape may be very different to the pattern- I always have to add more ont he waist than on the hips as i'm very apple shaped.

What sort of skirt is it?

Originally Posted by luvnafctn

A friend and I are going to be doing a duet together in early March. We are vastly different in size (like I'm very plus size, and she's very not ), and I think we've pretty much come to the conclusion that we're going to have to make costumes. We've found a skirt pattern that we can work with, however the skirt pattern only goes up to a size that is two sizes to small for me.

Is there a way to enlarge the pattern pieces as I'm cutting them out? Like just cut the shape of the pattern, but bigger, using the size guidelines between the different sizes to determine how much more I should be adding?

Thanks for your help!

This should be possible - to enlarge the pattern I mean - but - I wouldn't do it as I was cutting.

First, I'd carefully measure myself - not just around but at various points - hips, knees, and upper hips etc - but also in terms of length - most of us vary from waist to floor, upper hip to floor, to knee, knee to ankle etc.

THEN I would get a great big piece of paper - brown wrapping paper would do - and carefully mark these points, then lay your pattern out on the paper and draw around the pattern, adjusting for height if necessary.

THEN I would cut a test pattern, baste it together and try it on.

Mermaids - if it's a mermaid - ? - you might also need to adjust for length and where the skirt flares out relative to your height/length of leg - this is true of any skirt but fitted skirts - you really need to be aware of height as well plus the roundness of your body. That in itself will take up length so you'll have to make an allowance.

So yes it's definitely possible but the whole thing starts with accurate measurements plus you'll have to do some visualizing and maybe some free-hand drawing - using the outlines of the pattern as a guide.

If you aren't experienced with this stuff it might be worth it to find somebody who is - there are good seamstresses around who would help you and it would be reasonable.

In any case I wouldn't cut into the good fabric without all these careful steps including a test skirt in cheaper fabric!

Hope this helps!

I've had to recut stuff myself so I've learned the hard way to take time BEFORE I cut my good fabric.

Originally Posted by luvnafctn

A friend and I are going to be doing a duet together in early March. We are vastly different in size (like I'm very plus size, and she's very not ), and I think we've pretty much come to the conclusion that we're going to have to make costumes. We've found a skirt pattern that we can work with, however the skirt pattern only goes up to a size that is two sizes to small for me.

Is there a way to enlarge the pattern pieces as I'm cutting them out? Like just cut the shape of the pattern, but bigger, using the size guidelines between the different sizes to determine how much more I should be adding?

Thanks for your help!

This is called pattern fitting. Do NOT adjust the pattern pieces as you are cutting them out. What will you do if you are wrong? Instead, put the pattern pieces down on top of tissue paper and use measuring equipment and straight edges to add to your pattern.
For example, read this from the Idiot's Guide to Sewing.

However, what you do depends on:

1. The cut of the skirt. Sheath? A-line? something else? Elastic waistband or zipper?
2. Where you need room. Just the waist? Waist and hips? Length?

This technique has you measure the pattern to determine the final size of the garment less seam allowances (DO NOT just trust what it says on the envelope, it is often wrong. Measure the pattern) and compare to your own measurements to figure out what to add. After you adjust the pattern, then you may cut. It's a good idea to make one out of a cheap fabric of similar stretch first, as advised above.

Do not go "quick and dirty" on this. If you take a little time and do it carefully, you will have a pattern you can use again that you know fits you.

It's for circle skirts... says her barely 5 foot duet partner.

Holy....

Schnizzle...



I did not think that it would be that involved... I'm okay with sewing, but this may be a little over what I am capable of.

Maybe a better question would be: Does anyone have a fairly idiot-proof way to make a circle skirt?

I really appreciate all of the above input. I have a feeling I would have majorly "effed" up had I tried to short-cut!

Thanks, ladies!

Originally Posted by luvnafctn

Holy....

Schnizzle...



I did not think that it would be that involved... I'm okay with sewing, but this may be a little over what I am capable of.

Maybe a better question would be: Does anyone have a fairly idiot-proof way to make a circle skirt?

I really appreciate all of the above input. I have a feeling I would have majorly "effed" up had I tried to short-cut!

Thanks, ladies!

D'oh! A circle skirt!! No problem!!

A circle skirt is just a bunch of math. Don't use a pattern! That's more confusing!

1: decide: a circle skirt (two half circles) or more (three half circles, four...?)

2: to do: measure your hip to the ground and around you at the hip line.

3: read http://www.shira.net/costuming/skirt-circle.htm

or http://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Full-Belly-Dance-Skirt

nice diagrams here: http://www.madamexcostumes.com/newpages/ttcostumes.html

It's all math, figuring out the radius of your circle (length of skirt) and how big a hip opening you need.

Advice: do NOT skip the part about hanging the skirt for a while before hemming if you ever want to wear it again.

Good luck!

^^^what she said

circe skirt = most forgiving least pattern needed thing- and totally completely customizable to thyself

:)

do the math- and walla- I made enough of them I made a newpaper copy- need to make it out of something more sturdy though so it will last.

I also prefer to do a full half circle- trying to move around a 1/4 circle on 2 yards of fabric is not my thing and I never EVER get it right.

Another option, in a totally different direction, would be to make complementary costumes out of matching materials, but not duplicate outfits. There is a risk when duet partners vary substantially in size, wearing the same clothing can create the "Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny DeVito in 'Twins'" look, when it might have been better to use the same materials to make two different outfits that flatter you more individually. In other words, your partner might wear a circle skirt and your's would be a trumpet style, and you could each pick a style of armband/gauntlet out of the same fabric that flattered you. You'd both still match in a sense, because the fabric would be the same, but you wouldn't invite direct, visual comparison because you'd be wearing different things. If you think about how bands like TLC or Destiny's Child used to coordinate outfits, that would be the vibe you want--clearly you go together, but you don't look like you called up Dahlal and ordered the same costume in a size 4 Petite and a size 16 Tall.

Originally Posted by tigerb

Advice: do NOT skip the part about hanging the skirt for a while before hemming if you ever want to wear it again.

Good luck!

you can speed this part up a little bit by getting it wet then hanging it, the extra weight from the water speeds up the grain shifting just a bit. ^_^

Originally Posted by raqFariha

you can speed this part up a little bit by getting it wet then hanging it, the extra weight from the water speeds up the grain shifting just a bit. ^_^

That's a cool trick... I wonder if that works equally well on all fabrics? Now we need to find somebody obsessive enough to test it out and measure for us.

Originally Posted by luvnafctn

We've found a skirt pattern that we can work with, however the skirt pattern only goes up to a size that is two sizes to small for me.

You're getting a lot of advice here... hope we have not freaked you out too much.

May I ask what type of fabric the two of you have decided to go with? If you reveal that, you may get more helpful tips specific to that information.

Originally Posted by Tourbeau

better to use the same materials to make two different outfits that flatter you more individually. In other words, your partner might wear a circle skirt and your's would be a trumpet style, and you could each pick a style of armband/gauntlet out of the same fabric that flattered you.

If we're talking basic sewing skills, making a trumpet skirt and a circle skirt out of the same fabric is not going to be an easy or wise task. Generally circle skirts work best with non stretch fabrics and the easiest fabric to make a trumpet skirt out of is a stretch fabric. Non-stretch of course >can< work for trumpet skirts, but it involves more sewing skills for the zipper and fit issues.

Depends on the fabrics and the patterns. A stretch satin wouldn't be particularly difficult for either, although the circle skirt would probably require a drawstring waistband to hold the weight. As long as you are not using a very form-fitting trumpet skirt (more of a sheath at the top and a flare at the hem), you don't always need a zipper. For example, if you extended the hem on one of the variations for New Look 6463, it would give you roughly a trumpet shape in a light- or mid-weight woven without a zipper.

Originally Posted by Tourbeau

Depends on the fabrics and the patterns. A stretch satin wouldn't be particularly difficult for either, although the circle skirt would probably require a drawstring waistband to hold the weight. As long as you are not using a very form-fitting trumpet skirt (more of a sheath at the top and a flare at the hem), you don't always need a zipper. For example, if you extended the hem on one of the variations for New Look 6463, it would give you roughly a trumpet shape in a light- or mid-weight non-woven without a zipper.

I think we're going to have to agree to disagree on that particular example. New Look patterns are created specifically for Misses sizes. The largest size that pattern comes in has a 32" waist and a 42" hip. This might well put the original poster right back at where she started, needing to make pattern fitting alterations she doesn't know how to do. A better example might be the similar Petite Plus 504. But notice in each case the patterns are calling for very lightweight fabrics: challis, chiffon. Which is why I asked about what fabric they had in mind.

I was only linking the New Look pattern, because I knew offhand that it was an example of a slimmer silhouette for a non-stretch without a zipper, not because I knew it would(n't?) fit the OP. Other than the size issue, how are we disagreeing? They're both very similar patterns for the same sort of fabrics that would also make up nicely for a circle skirt (georgette, challis, charmeuse, etc.), which addressed Ozma's concern about finding a way to make both skirts in the same fabric without needing complicated sewing skills.

Originally Posted by Tourbeau

Depends on the fabrics and the patterns. A stretch satin wouldn't be particularly difficult for either, although the circle skirt would probably require a drawstring waistband to hold the weight. As long as you are not using a very form-fitting trumpet skirt (more of a sheath at the top and a flare at the hem), you don't always need a zipper. For example, if you extended the hem on one of the variations for New Look 6463, it would give you roughly a trumpet shape in a light- or mid-weight woven without a zipper.

Stretch Satin can be a pain for beginners to sew. I'd also worry about how much bias shift you'd get on the circle skirt and how strong you'd have to make the waistband seams.

But, generally, the OP came here with a specific question about how to make a circle skirt larger, because she and her partner had decided on circle skirts...so us debating this not-so-related fabric issue about "Well, maybe you don't want to do what you are doing and want to tackle two different types of skirts" is kinda moot.

I am not a giant fan of circle skirts and *even I* say that no belly dancer can EVER have enough circle skirts. They are incredibly versatile and seldom if ever wrong. You can do all manner of clever things with tucking and layering, and they are the classic look for BDers. They're like, I dunno, a crisp white blouse. They go with everything and can be made to look quite different depending on styling.

Shira's pattern works a treat. Plain old satin also works a treat. Anything non-stretch, non-transparent that drapes nicely and doesn't wrinkle easily will make you a nice go-to circle skirt that you can use again and again. FACT.

Originally Posted by Tourbeau

Another option, in a totally different direction, would be to make complementary costumes out of matching materials, but not duplicate outfits. In other words, your partner might wear a circle skirt and your's would be a trumpet style, and you could each pick a style of armband/gauntlet out of the same fabric that flattered you.

I agree with this advice. I like it when ensembles choose costuming that looks as though they come from the same village as each other, but NOT as though they tried to match every detail.

Hi All!

Here's what we ended up deciding...

We're going to stick with the circle skirt idea, because we're both comfortable wearing that type of skirt. We are both going to do whatever color we can, and then accessorize each costume similarly (i.e. black choli top, and some type of hip scarf or coin belt).

We were both (sorta) able to get satin circle skirts. I say "sorta" because what I ended up doing was purchasing two of the same color (since just one is too small for me), with the idea of cutting each down the seam (the skirts I purchased only had one seam), and then sewing them together.

So here's my new problem... I got two white skirts - however they must be from different dye lots, because one has a slightly pinkish hue. From far away, it won't be noticeable (had several people check this for me at troupe rehearsal on Sunday), but I'm wondering if it is possible to dye the skirts a darker color (I was thinking like a sapphire blue).

New problem - new question...... (sorry guys!)

The tag says the skirts are 100% viscose. Can I dye that?

Otherwise I'm going to take my husband's suggestion, and position the skirts (once they are cut) so that one is in front, and one is in back, so that it is less noticeable up close that the colors are slightly different.

Originally Posted by luvnafctn

Hi All!

Here's what we ended up deciding...

We're going to stick with the circle skirt idea, because we're both comfortable wearing that type of skirt. We are both going to do whatever color we can, and then accessorize each costume similarly (i.e. black choli top, and some type of hip scarf or coin belt).

We were both (sorta) able to get satin circle skirts. I say "sorta" because what I ended up doing was purchasing two of the same color (since just one is too small for me), with the idea of cutting each down the seam (the skirts I purchased only had one seam), and then sewing them together.

So here's my new problem... I got two white skirts - however they must be from different dye lots, because one has a slightly pinkish hue. From far away, it won't be noticeable (had several people check this for me at troupe rehearsal on Sunday), but I'm wondering if it is possible to dye the skirts a darker color (I was thinking like a sapphire blue).

New problem - new question...... (sorry guys!)

The tag says the skirts are 100% viscose. Can I dye that?

Otherwise I'm going to take my husband's suggestion, and position the skirts (once they are cut) so that one is in front, and one is in back, so that it is less noticeable up close that the colors are slightly different.

I found you an article about dyeing viscose ie rayon:

http://www.pburch.net/dyeing/FAQ/rayon.shtml

Originally Posted by luvnafctn

The tag says the skirts are 100% viscose. Can I dye that?

Otherwise I'm going to take my husband's suggestion, and position the skirts (once they are cut) so that one is in front, and one is in back, so that it is less noticeable up close that the colors are slightly different.

DANGER WILL ROBINSON! (flails robot arms)

Though the skirts are made of (presumably) dyeable viscose, the thread holding it together probably isn't and would remain white. Look carefully at where the stitching is. If any of the seams were sewn with a coverstitch (two parallel rows of stitching visible on the outside), that will be extremely noticeable if it does not take dye. (Most commercial garments are sewn with poly-blend thread.)

Sub-danger part the 2:
Things that start out different colors will probably end up different colors when dyed unless they are dyed a fairly dark shade.

Sub-sub-danger part the 3: if you do decide to dye the skirts, do it right away... so you still have time for a fallback plan. If a dye job does not work out as planned, it's pretty hard to "fix" it.

Good luck!

May I just say I love all you levels of danger.
And thanks so much for the help.

viscose rayon... yummie stuff-chemically intensive to make with nasty effluent ...

ask me how I know...

based on that- I would imagine trying to dye it would be a complete PITA... let me know how that goes!

Could you find some kind of overskirt to mute the difference, rather than mess with trying to change the skirts' color? Dahlal's "Dancer Designs" is always full of ideas for making costume pieces out of other costume pieces.

Originally Posted by Basha

viscose rayon... yummie stuff-chemically intensive to make with nasty effluent ...

ask me how I know...

based on that- I would imagine trying to dye it would be a complete PITA... let me know how that goes!

Dyeing rayon garments that are PFD (prepared for dyeing) isn't too bad although they are stubbornly clingy to each other and seem less delighted to bond with fiber reactive dye than cotton is. I've dyed several of these, and they turned out okay, but not spectacular. But rayon doesn't seem to be all that strong, so the garments don't hold up all that well (in my limited experience).

Originally Posted by KelsNasim

May I just say I love all you levels of danger.
And thanks so much for the help.

Happy to flail robot arms as needed!

luvnafctn, aren't you glad you asked?

Originally Posted by Elibelinde

luvnafctn, aren't you glad you asked?

You know it!

Seriously, though - I know that many of you have had experience with this kind of stuff, and for someone like me who is really indecisive (and unknowledgable about things like this), it helps to find out what has worked for others.

Okay, so I think what I'm going to do is keep them white (and offish pink ) until after our performance in March, and then I may try to dye it a deep blue - or just suck it up and get a satin skirt made just for me from L.Rose....

Thank you all for your help!

Hola, peoples!

I just wanted to post the video (click the photo below to see the video) with what we ended up doing for the costumes. I ended up just going with the skirts white for me. Then I made what we've dubbed "booty covers" in a black stretch jersey type of material, and put some rhinestones down the front.

I think they turned out pretty well!

Thanks again for everyone's input and help!