Draft it yourself!! 8 Gored Skirt Tutorial.

Mad Quilter's


Draft it Yourself!
8 gored, elasticated waist, skirt.

Don't be scared to have a go at drafting your own patterns.
There are many benefits to doing this.
1. It's your pattern so no one can tell you what you can and can't do with it!
2. It's fun.
3. It will fit.
4. You don't have to wait for the pattern to arrive.
5. You can make it just as you want it!
6. I'm sure you can come up with more reasons why you would want to ;)

Drafting the Pattern

You need to start with measurements.
You take measurements around the waist and hip, from waist to hip and waist to skirt hem length.

Lilly's waist was 60cm.
Hip was 64cm
Length of waist to hip 18cm
Waist to hem 38cm

1. Start by drawing a line down the paper which is the same length as waist to hem.
Put a mark at the waist to hip measurement

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2. At the top draw the waist line which is the length you calculate by,
taking the hip measurement adding some ease and dividing that number by 8 ( the number of gores the skirt will have)

So in Lilly's case..
Her hip was 64cm and I added 8cm for ease and got 72cm.
I divided 72 by 8 gave me 9 cm
So the waist line at the top of my pattern had to be 9cm long.
I put halved that to 4.5cm so 4.5cm of the waist line was on either side of the waist hem line.
I used the hip measurement to calculate my waist so that the elasticated waist band would fit easily over the hips when pulled on

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3. The hip line is the same length as the waist line in this pattern draft.
Draw that line in.

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4. Draw the hem line.
I just doubled the waist measurement I calculated.
So mine is 18 cm.
If you want a more flared skirt make it longer.

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5. Draw the side seam.
Draw a line that joins the ends of the waist hip and hem line.

6. Add the hems, casings and the side seam allowance.
I used:
1 cm for the side seams
3cm for the casing
2cm for the hem.

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6. Cut out your pattern.
I folded mine in half along the waist Hem length.
This makes certain the pattern is symmetrical.

Fabrics
Woven fabrics are used.
If you want the skirt in stretch you will draft the pattern with less ease.
I used some vintage polyester which I bought at an op shop.
I used 2 fabrics but you could choose one or four or eight different fabrics.
Try and ensure the fabrics are all the same weight and fiber as different fabric will wear and wash differently and distort the garment.

Cutting
Cut out 8 pattern pieces.
I cut four of the blue and four of the floral.

Construction

I sewed a blue to a floral right sides together.
Keeping the same fabric on the top is the trick to making sure you have them in the right order!
I sewed 4 pairs of gores then joined them into panels of four.
Then joined the panels of four together.
At this stage I went back and zig zaged all my seam allowances to finish them.
Give the skirt a good press.



Join the remaining seam and finish the seam with a zig zag.


Make the casing at the top for the elastic.
Fold over 1cm then over again 2cm to create the casing.
Pin at each seam.
Leaving 2cm unstitched, sew all the way around the casing at the folded under edge.
The opening left is used to insert the elastic.
As this is a very slippy synthetic I'm working with and didn't like my iron. I elected not to iron!


Next finish the hem.
I folded 1cm then folded over again 1cm.
I pinned at each seam allowance then in the middle of each gore.


I added two more pins between the seam and the middle of the gore.
All this pinning is necessary to ease in the extra fabric at the hem.
Sew the hem carefully close to the folded edge.
It takes a little wiggle and a few little tucks to get it there.


Using the waist measurement cut your elastic and thread it through the casing.
Sew the ends together and sew the opening up.

Now go search out your model...


( And yes..once more her hair is as wild as she is!)