Let’s Sew Along – Skirt – Tutorial 2 – Cutting Out
Good morning! Today we will be using the pattern to cut the pieces of the skirt from our fabric. You will notice on page 1, a Cutting Diagram, where it is recommended that you fold your fabric in half, selvedge to selvedge. I am going to demonstrate a different method and explain why I am changing it.
Here I have followed the instructions and my selvedges are together. You will notice the excess fabric where I am pointing.
You will have 2 pieces left over, the same size. When you have been sewing for a while, you learn how to use your fabric wisely. I should say here that I only have 1 metre of my fabric.
In this photo, I am only folding the selvedge across far enough to fit my pattern – so on one piece I will have no scraps and the other ‘left over’ piece will now be as large as it can be and it will be in one piece.
You will notice that my fabric is Non- Directional too. This means that I can turn my pattern pieces as long as I keep them on the grain. (the grain runs parallel to the selvedges and across as a perpendicular from one selvedge to the other)
So I will cut my 2 skirt pieces from this width.
You may follow the directions given but try to follow what I am doing as an alternative!
I am now going to turn my waistband so that it will fit along the ‘scrap’ piece.
Mmm I will need to join a piece so that I have enough so I’ll do that first. These are the two halves that I need to join.
I can see the same flower here
and here
So by careful placement of my pattern, allowing a seam allowance, I will join through that flower:
There you go – not perfect but I think it will pass inspection!
I will cut the back waistband from this piece.
The pattern also asks for a 4” width to add to the top of the skirt. I didn’t have 4” widths left and I couldn’t see any real reason for the band, so I decided to make a facing instead. I did this by using the top of the waist band pattern. (If I had read it properly in the first place, I would have just added that 1″ to the top of the pattern before I cut the waistband pieces)
I cut the same shape along the top of the pattern (which is on the fold) and down the side to the width of the scrap and then continued that width around the bottom of the facing.
That is all the pieces cut out – time to make a skirt!!!
Until next time
Nanny xx
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