A woman should always look beautiful, no matter where she is: in the office, theater or at home. Her attractiveness is emphasized not only by well-chosen makeup, but also by her clothing style. A chic dress for a corporate event, a formal office suit or comfortable, discreet-looking loungewear must be made impeccably, with the correct cut of the fabric and neatly stitched details. The slightest violation in the position of the stitching or an incorrectly processed design element can ruin even the most sophisticated outfit.
Incorrectly placed slots during pattern calculation or sloppy stitching can ruin all the designer’s work. Therefore, before starting to design a circuit, you should familiarize yourself with the design rules.
Models of straight skirts
Many people, when thinking about a straight skirt, imagine a gray office option that can turn an attractive look into a boring and indistinct one. Modern fashion opens up wide scope for imagination, and also allows you to combine incongruous things. Fashionable, practical and beautiful options that deserve to be included in every woman’s wardrobe:
- A straight-cut skirt tapering at the bottom is the “pencil” style beloved by all women, which suits everyone without exception. Otherwise, you should experiment with the length of the skirt and the print on the material. The classic option for this style is dense fabrics that do not stretch. Modern manufacturers offer a lot of colors that add freshness to a classic wardrobe element.
- The midi skirt is a trendy model this season, the length of which varies from the knees to the middle of the ankles. The originality of the idea is complemented by prints: women with long legs can afford a horizontal pattern on the fabric, everyone else should pay attention to vertical geometric and floral patterns.
- The front vent is a real trend among fashionistas this year, while provocative side slits are reserved for cocktail and evening dresses.
- Draperies are a spectacular and stylish option that will suit a woman of any age. They look good on summer skirts with bright patterns. Designers recommend draping the fabric from the hip line up to the center of the waist.
- A leather skirt is a chic thing that does not need additional accents. Just add a snow-white shirt and a discreet handbag to your look.
- The smell on a long straight skirt is a special chic of this season. For evening looks, dense material is used that holds its shape well. There are no restrictions for everyday outfits: any fabric can be used, including knitwear.
- A maxi skirt with a leg slit is an option that will never go out of style.
- Pleated small pleats are back in style. In combination with a straight cut skirt they give a wonderful effect.
How much fabric will you need?
The material should be selected in accordance with the purpose of the skirt. Festive events and office work require different fabrics. It is important to consider your experience in tailoring. For beginners, it is advisable to choose materials that do not stretch and do not crumble at the cut points.
Suitable fabrics:
- knitwear;
- crepe;
- jacquard;
- tweed;
- gabardine;
- velvet;
- atlas;
- artificial leather;
- velours;
- jeans;
- cotton;
- linen;
- georgette.
A pencil skirt with a front or back slit will require almost the same amount of material. A little more will be spent on a model with a slot, since there one part overlaps slightly with the other.
You need to measure your waist and hips, as well as the desired length of the finished product. For OB up to 140 cm, you need to add 15 cm to the desired length of the skirt; from 140 cm, add double length and 20 cm.
The fabric can have different widths. The standard figure is 150 cm, but sometimes it is 110 cm. Therefore, it is not always possible to place the pattern on a small section. Sometimes you need to purchase more canvas. Especially if there is a pattern on it that will have to be adjusted.
To calculate the required amount of fabric, you need to take measurements, and then draw a rectangle on paper indicating the fabric, and try to place the parts of the required size on it. Only in this way will it be clear how much matter is needed.
It is always better to take extra fabric to insure against inaccuracies in calculations. Some fabrics shrink. Therefore, you need to buy more of them at once by the percentage of possible reduction in size. And then wash it before cutting out the parts.
A piece of cloth can be used to test behavior during washing. Does it shed, shrink or not?
Sew or buy
Shops and boutiques offer a wide range of products. However, many ladies continue to face the problem of choice related to their body shape. The average sizes accepted everywhere fit differently on each figure, but you always want to look good.
If you sew a skirt to order, there is a guarantee that the item will fit well. At the same time, all the little things will be taken into account, such as the shape of the pockets, vents, smell, cut, etc. An experienced craftsman will build the ideal style, after which he will model it and sew the item. The timing and quality of execution are purely individual and depend on the seamstress.
You can sew the item yourself if you have a sewing machine and an iron at your disposal. Even if you don’t have an overlocker, you can process the seams in a studio; fortunately, it costs less than sewing a custom-made skirt.
Preparing for sewing
Before making a skirt pattern, you need to decide on the basic style and take measurements. These are the numerical values needed to construct the drawing. Outside help will be required, since a person is not able to take the necessary measurements of himself. Constructing a skirt pattern will require the following numbers:
- Half waist circumference (St).
- Half thigh circumference (Sb).
- Length to back waist (Lts).
- Product length (Dizd).
- Length of the skirt to the floor in front (L yu to n sp).
- Length of the skirt to the floor at the back (L yu to n w).
- Length of the skirt to the floor at the side (L yu to n sb).
To take measurements, you need to prepare a sheet of paper on which you can carry out the necessary calculations, a pencil, a meter tape and a control belt. The latter can be any lace no more than 1 cm wide and long enough to be tied around the waist.
How to build a drawing of an element
To create a spline drawing, you should decide in advance on some subtleties. First of all, it is necessary to clearly indicate its location. One or two slots can be used. Their number affects the tailoring of the product.
An important parameter is the depth of the element. It directly depends on the density of the fabric. For thin material - about 4-5 cm, for dense material - 6-7 cm.
The depth of the front fold of the relief seam is created towards the far side of the skirt. In the central seam you can make a slot turned in any direction. The direction doesn't matter much. If two splines are planned, then they are located symmetrically, regardless of location. On the front side they look like folds turned in different directions. But from the wrong side - the depths of the folds are directed towards.
The next indicator is the length. The main condition is the obligatory distance from the upper edge of the fold to the hip line of at least 15 cm. On average, the height of the vent is about 22 cm. The longer the skirt, the longer the part in question.
The required values are transferred to the pattern, taking into account all the above conditions. In this case, hatching is used for marking to separate the slot from the main template. Most professional craftswomen who know how to sew a vent on a skirt do not highlight it on the pattern at all. However, novice seamstresses are advised not to neglect the preliminary image of the element.
Mark the location of the splines
Determine element depth
Select length
Transfer details to skirt pattern
Taking measurements
The control belt must be tied at the narrowest point. Then you need to make sure that it passes tightly over the body, but does not dig into the skin and does not tighten it. It is best to take measurements along the body, and not over clothing .
- Art. A measuring tape goes around the waist along a tied belt. The result obtained is divided by two.
- Sat - along the most convex part of the buttocks at the back and at the widest point of the thigh at the side, while in front the tape lies flat. If the figure has a convex belly, a rigid ruler is placed under it in front. The result is also divided in half.
- Dts. The tape runs from the seventh cervical vertebra along the spinal column to the control girdle. The seventh cervical vertebra is where the neck meets the back.
- Disd. This measurement is determined arbitrarily, according to the style, from the control belt.
- D u to p sp. The tape runs from the control belt along the stomach and then vertically down, without touching the leg, to the floor.
- D u to p sz - from the waist, passing along the most convex point of the buttocks, parallel to the leg and to the floor.
- D u to p sb - from the girdle through the widest point of the femur, parallel to the leg, to the floor.
In addition, you will need to know additional indicators - increases in waist and hip. These numbers are necessary because when sewing clothes, as a rule, the need to move in them is taken into account. For skirts, the increase at the waist can range from 0 to 1 cm, at the hip - from 0.5 to 3 cm.
The specific figure depends on the material from which the item will be sewn and on the size. The closer the figure is to recognized standards, the smaller the increase may be. If elastic material is chosen for clothing, the increase can also be minimal.
Spline processing technology
Before you start working directly on the spline, first prepare the necessary tools.
You will need:
- sewing machine;
- completed form of the product;
- needles, pins, threads, scissors;
- sewing chalk;
- ruler;
- adhesive tape.
First of all, the position of the slot for cutting is marked. To do this, on a manufactured classic format, an allowance of 50 mm for the hem is measured from the bottom line of the item and ironed along the entire bottom.
From the ironed strip on the underside of the right shelf, the length of the recess itself is measured and the upper point of its beginning is marked. The left side is also outlined.
Attention! It is necessary to check the accuracy of the location of both points on the pattern - they must be in a mirror image.
On the right rear panel, a folding width of 50 mm is measured from above and below (for thin woolen fabric, this figure increases for thicker ones) and is carried out strictly at a vertical level. An indicator of 8 cm is also measured on the left side. It is carefully cut vertically, then a diagonal cut is made, not reaching the middle seam of 2 mm.
Next, the material is folded along the line, secured with pins and ironed. The cooked tenderloin is sewn together. The rear center stitch is laid strictly to the top of the slot.
Two strips are cut out of adhesive material (non-woven fabric or the like): the first is 4.8 cm wide, the second is 7.8 cm. The first sticker is glued to the right rear shelf from the inside out, and the 2nd - to the left.
Important! It is necessary to ensure the accuracy of the stickers: they should lie strictly along the center line of the fold and not reach the edge of the cutout by 1-2 mm.
To strengthen the gluing sections, iron the slots with an iron. Overcast fabric sections by hand or with an overlocker, sweep both halves of the product and iron seam allowances. The element located on top must be bent in the opposite direction. From the top spline point down at an angle of 45 degrees, draw a line for the fastening line, copying it onto the front line using a basting line.
To avoid shifting of parts during stitching, pin all layers together, lay a securing stitch and pull out the basting thread.
Creating a pattern
The best assistant in creating a straight skirt pattern for beginners is step-by-step instructions. The straight skirt pattern with a back vent and zipper is a classic style that can be transformed into a pencil skirt. The basic pattern is suitable for further shaped changes, so if you plan to sew on it, it is better to build the pattern not on paper, but on a more wear-resistant material. Some people use a laminate underlay for this. To begin with, you can use an old roll of wallpaper.
To work you will need:
- Sheet with recorded measurements, calculator, pen, pencil, eraser.
- Whatman paper or a piece of wallpaper.
- Ruler, square, long straight bar (iron threshold, etc.).
In order for the drawing to work, and to be able to cut out a real skirt from it, it is important to maintain the correctness of the lines. Perpendiculars should have an angle of 90°, etc. Advice for beginners: it is better to calculate all the given formulas step by step in advance, then the process will take less time and the likelihood of errors will be reduced .
- First step. Draw two straight lines intersecting at an angle of 90 degrees. The top is point H. From it, a distance equal to the length of the proposed product is laid upward - NT.
- Second step. From point T, move down point B. TB = 1\2 Dts - 2. Draw a perpendicular to NT from point B.
- Third step. Along the drawn perpendicular from point B to the right, place point B 1. BB 1 = Sat + Fri.
- Fourth step. A vertical is built through point B 1; at the intersection with the lower perpendicular it will give point H 1.
- Fifth step. Definition of side cut. BB 2 = (Sb + Pb) \ 2 + 0.5. If you add not 0.5, but 1, the front of the skirt will be wider. This is done when the figure has a tummy. For a figure with sharply prominent buttocks, 1 is not added, but subtracted. For a standard figure with equally convex buttocks and stomach, you need to add 0.5.
- Sixth step. Through point B 2, build a vertical - this is a side seam, which, at the intersection with the bottom line, gives point H 2.
- Seventh step. Draw a waist line. Primary calculations: D yu to p sz - Dizd = Difference; D u to p sp - Difference = Front length of product; D u to p sb - Difference = Side length of skirt; H 2 T 2 = Length of the product at the side; H 1 T 1 = Skirt front length; T, T 2, T 1, connected by one segment, represent the waist line.
- Eighth step. Determine the difference between the waist and hip. Formula: ∑ = BB 1 - (St + Pt).
Determine the amount of tuck solutions:
- Lateral = 0.5 * ∑.
- Front = 0.15 * ∑.
- Rear = 0.35 * ∑.
Dart position:
- The side dart is located on line B 2 T 2. Its length, as a rule, does not reach the hip by 2 cm.
- Front dart = 0.4 * B 1 B 2. Its length: 8-10 cm.
- Back dart = 0.4 * B 2. Its length: 12−15 cm.
The sides of the side dart are divided into two, and at the division point an external deflection of half a centimeter is made - to obtain the correct rounded side cut. The darts are laid off from the seam: the back dart is laid off from T to the right, and the front dart from T 1 to the left. The pattern is ready. To check the correctness, you need to make sure that the distance in the drawing BB 2 B 1 in total gives Sb, and the distance from T to T 1 minus all the amounts of darts - St.
In this diagram, the back half of the skirt is located on the left, that is, it is a figure with the vertices of HTT 2 H 2. The front half is located on the right. T 2 H 2 is the side seam, and TN and T1H1 are the middle line along which both the vent and the zipper will be located. The size of the slot is determined arbitrarily, but in the classic version its length is equal to a third of the length of the skirt. The right side is 4 cm wide, and the left is 8. You need to decide on these numbers in advance in order to cut the material correctly.
Spline sizes
The size of the skirt's vents varies depending on its model. In this case, it is necessary to take into account the upper point of the beginning of the open fold, since if the position is too high, when using ready-made midi skirts, areas of the body that the user would like to hide will be revealed.
And if it is too short, the width of the step becomes limited and uncomfortable. Nevertheless, there are standard indicators: the length corresponds to 1/3 of the length of the central stitching from the waist to the bottom; the width of the right part is 5-7 cm, the left part is 8-10 cm, depending on the thickness of the panel.
