Latest Design: Holiday Party Skirt

11/21/2013

My latest sewing project is a holiday party skirt. What makes it holiday? Definitely the fabulous fabric. What makes it a party skirt? Every skirt is worthy of a good party in my eyes.

The following are some of the design elements and techniques used to construct this holiday party skirt.

Design Elements

Centered Zipper

Inserted in the center back seam to avoid bulk, a zipper is the easiest skirt closure out there.

Hook & Eyes

Hook & eyes are a fantastic closure choice on top of a zipper to ensure the opening lies flat. I used two sets as my waistband is 2 inches in height.

These are fully hand sewn.

Fully Enclosed Waistband

Top of waistband was cut on fold of fabric, then all seam allowances pressed in and slip stitched shut to avoid any exposed raw edges.

If you are not adding any lining to the skirt, this is the best technique to keep all your mess (threads, fraying fabric, etc.) hidden.

Hand Gathering

Prior to attaching waistband onto skirt, a running stitch in the longest stitch length possible was sewn in the seam allowance area.

By hand, I pulled the ends of the threads until an even gather that matched the length of the waistband was achieved. My tip is to take your time so you don't snap the threads!

Bound Seam Finish

My fabric frayed just looking at it, so the best way to hide ultra fray rate fabric is to apply a bound finish to the seams. In this case, I also bound the zipper tape to the seam allowance for a clean finish.

PS-I will be releasing a blog post on how to create your own binding and how to sew a bound seam finish soon!

Slip-Stitch (Blind Hem)

One of my favorite ways to finish a hem is a blind hem in a slip-stitch finish.

Click HERE for my video tutorial.

Final Design

I've sewn this entire skirt on my Juki industrial sewing machine and a hand sewing needle.

Want to learn how to create your own holiday party skirt? BOOK time in the studio now with me.

Happy Sewing!
Designed, photographed and written by Sheila Wong Studios

1 Comment

Annette Adam

11/22/2013 12:38:20 am

When I took a sewing class a few years ago.
for running stitch real neat idea
to sew 2 lines parallel half inch apart all across desired length.
then sew again in between another line of thread that way you can evenly pull your plier and avoid snapping your thread. Then you can remover the lower sewed line. May sound like lots of work but makes such nice finition.