Dear Linda;
Ok... I am starting square dancing and have taken 5 lessons with 15 to
go... I need a pattern(s) for one piece, blouses, and skirts. Can you help
me out on this! I graduate in 7 weeks and I want to get it made and be able
to wear it!
Sharon
Hi Sharon!
Oh, I remember a set of square dance outfits that I worked on with
one of my sewing students. We made skirts for both the student
and her sister, who took square dancing together.
We had such fun with them.
For the skirt, here's what we did. We used three colors for each
skirt, but you could do it in all one color, too. One lady did
shades of blue, and the other did red, black and white.
We bought the fabric in these quantities;
The top color - a half yard. (18" x 45")
Middle color - three quarters yard (27" x 45")
Bottom Color - one yard
Then, we cut the fabric into 9" x 45" strips.
We then opened the two light blue strips and sewed side seams.
That was the first layer of the skirt.
Then we sewed each of the other colors into long continuous loops, too
That's where we had fun. Instead of goofing around trying to gather the
layers together, we got a HUGE box of pins -- the kind with hundreds
and just started pinning the second layer to the first one.
First we
divided it into four and matched up to the sides and front/back of the
light blue loop. Then, we just divided and pinned and divided and pinned.
The poor thing looked like a porcupine when we had the medium blue
layer on the light blue.
Then we sewed very slowly and carefully using a long basting stitch
and pulling out the pins madly so we didn't sew over too many of them.
You could pre-gather if you want, and a ruffling foot would do wonders.
Once we had that first row of basting stitches on, and the pins all
out, we then sewed the seam with regular stitches.
Then we repeated the process to add the very bottom layer.
With four strips of fabric, it was 180" around - nice and full.
Then, we just folded over and made a casing at the top and
inserted elastic. All that was left was to try them on to
check length and hem. You could also stitch edging lace all
around the bottom.
They were nice and easy -- and looked really pretty!
For the top, we used Quik Sew 3233. You can see it online here;
http://www.kwiksew.com/Patterns/P3220_3237/3233.cfm
Happy sewing!
; )
Linda
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