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Kate Flared Skirt Dressmaking Pattern | Guest Designer Jenniffer Taylor
Moderate |
Quick Links: What you'll need Project steps
We’re delighted to welcome the author of Your Skirt, Your Way, Jenniffer Taylor, to the club for Dressmaking Week!
This fabulous flared, 1970s-style, mid-length skirt utilises a beautiful scrap piece of African printed fabric as a peekaboo detail. Jenniffer shares: "By adding details like the yoked pocket with flaps, lined waistband and bound hem, I was able to incorporate a special piece of fabric into the make, and do a little stash busting too!"
What is a block?
This skirt has been made with a block. A block is the starting point from which all clothing patterns are made, including skirts, bodices, dresses, and trousers. Blocks usually come in standard sizes like high-street clothing, but we will use your own body measurements to create a made-to-measure block. Once drawn, your block will form a very basic shape. To check that the block works, we will make a toile first before cutting into, manipulating, and altering it to design a wide range of skirt styles.Tips and techniques
To make this skirt, you'll need to follow a selection of Jenniffer's photo tutorials. You can find these in the panel named 'Tips and Techniques' in the right-hand side of this page. We've also included these within your download pack.How much fabric do I need?
Several factors will influence how much fabric you will need for a project: how tall are you, what size are you, does the fabric have a pattern repeat, and what is the fabric width? Another way of thinking about it is: how long is the skirt you want to make? If it is a full-length skirt, a good gauge is to double this length (as you have a front and a back), then add a little extra for seams, hems, or pattern matching. As you are drafting your own skirt patterns, you have the advantage of testing out the design with a toile first.To find out exactly how much fabric you will need, place your unpicked toile along the floor, ensuring your pattern pieces don’t go outside the fabric width. Once all pieces are laid out as if on the fabric, measure the required length. If your chosen fabric has an obvious repeating pattern, measure the repeat and add this to your total to allow for accurate pattern matching. As a general rule of thumb, I always buy 3m (3 yd) of fabric, as this will cover most garments, and any leftover fabric can be used for other projects.
Your Skirt, Your Way
This tutorial has been extracted from Your Skirt, Your Way by Jenniffer Taylor. In this title, Jenniffer will show you how to design and sew your own gorgeous, unique skirts, with no need for shop-bought patterns. Start by creating your own block and toile using just four body measurements. Then select your skirt shape, add the fittings, fastenings and details you want, and put the whole thing together with ease.Exclusive Member Discount
Don’t forget – you can enjoy 30% off Your Skirt, Your Way with your exclusive member discount code.MEMBERS ONLY: To gain full access to the Half Yard Club projects please login or sign up
You will need:
Equipment
- Tape measure
- Pattern paper
- Pencil and ruler
- Tailor’s curve
- Paper scissors
- Fabric scissors
- Pins
- Sewing machine
- Zipper foot
- Iron and ironing board
Materials
- Main fabric (approx. 3m as a general guide)
- Contrast fabric (for pocket lining, waistband lining, and binding)
- Interfacing (for waistband and pocket openings)
- Zip
- Thread (matching your fabric)
- Bias binding (or fabric to make your own)
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Project steps:
Step 1
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Step 2
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