Londa’s ‘Coastal Curtsy’ Skirt Directions
One of the most exciting ‘fabric’ finds at the Houston Quilt Market was a booth devoted to the infamous ‘Ruffle Fabric’. Not that Ruffle Fabric is anything new, but these 3 things WERE new – at least to me and my associate/friend, Carol.
two – 10” strips of this crosswise ruffle fabric matched and stitched together to create a l-o-n-g scarf…how EZ is that???
FLAT Ruffle Fabric – there are (currently) just 2 colors: Heather Grey and Heather Taupe – both are $21.95/yard, 100% soft poly and 60” wide. Ruffles do run crosswise and are approx 1” wide. However, because these ruffles don’t really ‘ruff’, but lie flat, it is a more ‘tailored’ look, if you know what I mean. Here are photos to give you the idea of this great new fabric.
This great ‘Coastal Curtsy Skirt’ on a poster in the booth – which, when I inquired, was told it was a simple Blog post one seam skirt.
Here is the post and a great photo (using the typical more ‘ruffled’ fabric) of the model-slim creator: http://thedillspiel.blogspot.com/2010/09/coastal-curtsy-skirt-tutorial.html
Big Dill’s Coastal Curtsy Skirt
The things unique about this design are:
#1 the horizontally oriented ruffles go vertically in the skirt’s front yet angled at the skirt back, meeting, yet appearing to chevron at the center back.
It takes like MAYBE 30′ – 45′ to create it! There is ONLY one seam!!! NO hem! Elastic at the waist. And with my recommended notions – it is SEW EZ!!!
BEWARE though – this fabric creates both TEXTURE and DIMENSION, and the author is obviously quite SLIM. This is a great skirt for the young, the flirty and the ‘in shape’ slim-hipped gal…. IMHO!
I Luv, LUV, LUV the yonger set diving in and creating, designing, as this Blog author (I believe her name is Katy) has done. What I have to offer in addition is my ability to test and write thorough directions…sew, that is what I offer here – kinda what I’ve called in the past: ‘Londa’s 2 Cents Worth’. I’ve taken my own photos for this tutorial addition for Katy’s great design.
1. Katy says to just use 2 yards. According to my testing, this is NOT adequate. Instead, calculate your yardage needs this way: Waist measurement less 1” (as it is a knit and stretches) + double your skirt length + 1/2” for seaming to the elastic. For my DD, this calculated to 78.5” . Calculated as follows: 31” waist less 1” equals 30” plus skirt length of 24” doubled = 48” + 1/2”. Total needed in inches then 78.5” is = 2 yards + 6.5” – so one would really need 2 1/4 yards (2 yards + 9”).
Cutting is THIS simple!
OH MY GOSH!!! Couldn’t sleep last night – and thought about it – realized that as long as the front skirt length is not more than half of the width of the 60” fabric, you could do this same thing on the other end of the fabric and get 2 SKIRTS out of the yardage as figured above!!!!!!!!!!!! One for you – one for a friend….!!!!
2. Fold your yardage in half , along one of the cross grain ruffles. This is easier to do if the fabric is folded right sides out.
Align the ruffle lines, matching them at the right edge. Place some pins to hold the ruffles matched and together.
3. Waist measurement less 1” divided in half is the distance to mark DOWN from the fold (as at the top of this photo). See yellow flower headed pin at the right side where the tape measure begins. From THIS PIVOT point, mark the skirt length (24” for this example) .
4. Next, just place the fabric RIGHT sides together and stitch the seam – which is the center back seam, from the pin marking the waist to the lower edge. This is like matching LOTS of stripes. Katy says that the ruffles will be going in the same direction, but this is impossible! The ruffles will be going in OPPOSITE directions. Think about it: you have a ‘nap’ fabric actually, which you have just folded in half, so the layers are opposite!!! That’s OK though – you still need to MATCH the ‘ruffles for this ONE seam. The solution? WONDER TAPE. Honestly, I’ve sold and known about Wonder Tape for years, but rarely used it. I treated myself to a fresh package. This is a 1/4” wide double sided sticky tape that WILL WASH OUT at the first washing. It comes in a plastic package that you really should save to in which to store it. There is a piece of slick paper around the roll – and you should KEEP and re-apply that piece to protect the outer layer of your double stick tape, once you cut off what you need.
Wonder Tape with protective strip
Keep Wonder Tape in protective plastic case
Apply Wonder Tape close to selvage center back edge. Pull tape off.
5. Stick the Wonder Tape a smidgen away from the selvage edge – on the right side. Pull off the cover on the tape. Then CAREFULLY match up the ruffle edges, matching WHERE YOU WILL BE SEWING, NOT the very edge. Stick together.
6. Stitch – using a width of ZigZag .5 (that is 1/2”) width and 3 length with polyester garment construction thread.
7. Cut Stretch Banrol to a comfortable length as you pull it around your waist. (Personally, I like and cut my elastic 3” less long than my body.) Therefore, I cut it 32” – 3” = 29”.
8. Butt the straight cut ends of the Stretch Banrol to each other on a scrap of lightweight fabric and securely zigzag stitch them together. This is a much better technique to join elastic than lapping or seaming it, as it creates less bulk. I ALWAYS use this technique.
Stitching Stretch BanRol into a circle.
Stretch BanRol Butted and zig zagged onto lightweight scrap of fabric.
9. Fine and mark half points on the elastic and the center front on the skirt. Mark with pins. Match these points together, placing the elastic on the RIGHT SIDE of the skirt.
Match center front of skirt to 1/2 point on on Stretch Banrol and butted joining of Stretch Banrol to the center back seam on the skirt.
At the center back, pull the seam apart and remove the Wonder Tape for a few inches to allow the seam to be pressed open.
Press center back seam open. When stitching, stitch across the folds of the center back seams.
10. Stitch Stretch BanRol to skirt in 1/4” seam using a narrow zigzag stitch .5 (that is 1/2) wide and 3 long.
Flip Stretch Banrol to inside, miraculously wrapping the top edge .
11. Next, the Stretch Banrol flips to the inside. This miraculously wraps the top edge of the Stretch Banrol…a VERY nice finish. All that’s left is to secure it into place at the center back and center front.
Stitch in the ‘ditch’ of the center back seam to secure Stretch Banrol into place.
12. Stitch in the ‘ditch’ of the center back seam the width of the elastic to secure Stretch Banrol into place. Do the same at the center front, and the sides seam ‘locations’ if desired.
This skirt WILL have an asymmetric hem – the center back will hang approximately 4”’ longer than the center front.
I can’t wait to try this skirt out of a nice ‘plain’ ponte-type knit. Watch this blog for updates………and new versions of this super skirt!