To Gore Or Not To Gore...

[Rose N. Crantz]

Here's the deal: I've always made my own skirts. Drawstring, which gives me lots of room for my curves, but tends to bunch up at the waist (because I wear two skirts). Would a gored skirt still hide my tummy and give me "twirl" without bunching under my bodice? I normally wear a Pendragon bodice and love love LOVE it, but the bunching of my skirts makes me love it less. Suggestions?

[Gremco]

I find that gored skirts actually "twirl" better and have a lot less bulk around the waist. Gored skirts can be flattering because it creates a longer line to the ground.

[Caitriona]

I love gored skirts, they remove the bulk at the waist but allow the fullness at the hem. And best of all, they are easy to make...

[Rose N. Crantz]

I keep hearing they're easy to make, but I'm leary. A lot more sewing is involved in gored skirts than drawstring....any tips?

[Caitriona]

Check out this link ...

http://home.aol.com/lclacemker/goreskirt1.html

It's the instructions I've been using. I've made skirts for myself and friends.

if you have any specific questions, I'd be more than happy to help.

[emalia]

I like full circle skirts too.. But I use a bit of elastic at the waist and they are quite full.. but then again, it is a whole lot of skirt.

[Rose N. Crantz]

I love the swishiness of full skirts. I'm just worried a gored skirt will make my tummy show :cry:

[Drea Beth]

I love the swishiness of full skirts. I'm just worried a gored skirt will make my tummy show :cry:

I find that gore skirts create less "tummy" than circle skirts, simply by merit of having less fabric at the waist to bunch up. Any new skirts I make for this season will definintely be gored. Now I just have to buy fabric and get sewing. :)

[Rose N. Crantz]

I still have to unpack my fabric :cry: (just moved here a month ago)...OR! (she says with an enthusiasm that will strike fear into the heart of her Rogue) I could go shopping for MORE!

[Drea Beth]

I still have to unpack my fabric :cry: (just moved here a month ago)...OR! (she says with an enthusiasm that will strike fear into the heart of her Rogue) I could go shopping for MORE!

Buy more, buy more!!!!! I was in Walmart last night and bought many lovely pieces of fabric... And all I went there for was six yards of cheap muslin. :lol: (Didn't get the muslin becuause they were all out. Did get some wonderful gauzy fabric for chemises though!)

[Rose N. Crantz]

*lol8 Oh I like you...you sound like my inner fabric demon :twisted:

[lauradake]

Personally I love full circle skirts. Less bulk at the waist, but HUGE amounts of swooshiness at the hem. :)

[Rose N. Crantz]

Personally I love full circle skirts. Less bulk at the waist, but HUGE amounts of swooshiness at the hem. :) And no seams from goring...hmmm...

[Jamianne]

Gored skirts are *GREAT*!! I went from making gathered to gored skirts last season and I *LOVE* them! I do the same thing you do-- wear two skirts and had problems with too much fabric gathering at the waist. The gored skirts have much less fabric in the waistband. No tummy showing and lots less fabirc bunching up at waist, and lots of swishyness! And they're *reaaly* easy to make...trust me, if I can do it, anyone can! :wink: Good luck! :D

[Rose N. Crantz]

That's it...I'm digging into these boxes to find my fabric...AND going shopping. Ladies, I'll be posting with various complainbts as I sew :)

[Caitriona]

now for what may be a silly questions, but I just don't know...

How does one make a circle skirt? Does anyone have instructions or a link?

I made a poodle skirt from a pattern, but since threw it away.

[Drea Beth]

I think I have a pattern somewhere in the boxes. Or... you could use the string method!

[Psyche]

I haven't made a full circle skirt in eons...
hmmm... *plotting*

I love gored skirts though. LOVE them.

[lauradake]

now for what may be a silly questions, but I just don't know...

How does one make a circle skirt? Does anyone have instructions or a link?

I made a poodle skirt from a pattern, but since threw it away.

http://www.shira.net/make-cskirt.htm

Simple geometry. :)

[Caitriona]

now for what may be a silly questions, but I just don't know...

How does one make a circle skirt? Does anyone have instructions or a link?

I made a poodle skirt from a pattern, but since threw it away.

http://www.shira.net/make-cskirt.htm

Simple geometry. :)

Thanks Laura. That's exactly what I wanted. I knew I had seen one, but I hadn't bookmarked it.

[Malina]

I've made enough skirts to fill up 3 Rubbermaid tubs :oops:

Out of all of them I've only made one "tube" skirt. Didn't like all the material at the waist.

All my other skirts are half-circle, full-circle, or gored. I love the gored but I'm not always patient enough to sew that many panels, mainly because I only like full-circle gore which is 8 panels for me.

Hmmmm...making me want to sew :wink:

[Kristianne the MerWench]

[quote="lauradakehttp://www.shira.net/make-cskirt.htm

Simple geometry. :)[/quote]

Ok, the pattern looks simple enough, but all I can say is CHIFFON IS NOT GOOD FOR BEGINNING SEWERS!!! (unless they are much more talented and patient than I am)

That's all.

[lauradake]

Ok, the pattern looks simple enough, but all I can say is CHIFFON IS NOT GOOD FOR BEGINNING SEWERS!!! (unless they are much more talented and patient than I am)

That's all.

Chiffon sucks ass. And I sew professionally. ;)

[justLori]

I find that it isn't whether or not the skirt is gored as much as whether I have a WAISTBAND in it.

With a waistband, The skirts (I also wear two, usually) lay flat on teh torso. And because my Pendragon rides up with wear, I have a quadruple waistband in the one I wear on top with that bodice, to ensure my chemise stays where it's supposed to.

Use waistbands. It's a Good Thing(tm).

just Lori

[Beatriz]

Having made both a circle skirt and gored skirts, I prefer the gored. I'm a plus-sized wench--which means I use Waaay more fabic using Shira's circle skirt directions than I use with Laura's gored skirt. With the gored skirt, *I* can control exactly how swishy and full I want the skirt (Eyes the 7 yards of grew silk that will be a skirt before the weekend is done). I like super-full but hate all the extra fabric bunched at my waist. Too lazy to put in a waistband, so I stick to gores and made sure the measurements I use when cutting out the gores provides for plenty of swish.

Another note on gores--yes, it is more sewing, but it's all straight seams. To me, it's easier to cut the gores and zip up the straight seams then wrestle a boatload of fabric into submission to cut out the circle skirt.

Now, if only I could learn how to hem 'em myself and not be crooked.

[Malina]

I do my hems myself. Husband used to help but I found it's actually easier when I do it.

I set my dress form up on the kitchen table (with the skirt on) then take tailors chalk and mark all the way around wherever I want. Then just trim and hem with french seam foot. I do the french seam because it takes up the least amount of material (usually 60" wide material is JUST long enough for me after cutting a full circle) and it's easy, no pinning just hold and sew, the foot turns the material itself! :aok:

To me it seems that the fuller the skirt the less noticable it is if the hem isn't 100% perfect.

I will admit, before I got the dress form it was a nightmare to hem skirts by myself.