01 September 2010

It's Okay to be Biased...

...when you're a skirt.

I welcome you to day one of
September Sewing Celebration!!

and give you:


What is bias?  It is fabric that has been cut at a 45 degree angle which helps to give it more flexibility and stretch.  Men's neckties are cut on the bias so they tie nicely.  Piping is cut on the bias since it's usually used around the edges of items:  


Sometimes an entire piece of clothing is made on the bias, aiding in a specific type of fitting and draping, as well as creating a different pattern, like the Better Homes and Garden's Cookbook:
New Cook Book, 75th Anniversary Limited Edition

Another beneficial quality to fabric cut on the bias is that the edges don't fray, so you don't have to do any type of finishing technique.  They may get a little bit of a feathered look, but you can't pull the threads off like something cut on grain.  So, how do you cut something on the bias?  If you have a cutting mat, there are guidelines as to where you would cut your fabric, lining the selvage up with the edge of the mat.  You can also fold the corner of your fabric into a right triangle [do you remember your geometry?] like this:


What you'll need for A Very Biased Skirt:
1-2 yards of 3 or 4 varying hues of fabric*
A cutting mat/rotary cutter--optional, although very useful in cutting your strips of fabric
3/4" elastic

*I got my fabric at the cheap $1/yard table and they are varying contents, and weights, but stick to the "lighter" types of fabrics including sheers, light cottons, and linings 


For the skirt base, you can either use a pattern, or trace a skirt you already own.  What will work for this project:  a lightly gathered skirt, an A-line skirt, or a straight skirt.  
I traced a simple A-line skirt and added 1/2" on the sides for a seam allowance.

For your bias strips, once you've made your initial cut on the bias, you can fold your fabric in half for ease of cutting and cut several 2" wide strips



Hem skirt by folding under twice and stitching.  This doesn't have to be perfect, because it will be hidden by the bias strips.


Continue sewing the strips up as high as you desire.  I purposely made my strips different widths apart, overlapping them at different spots.  Sometimes I sewed two on at the same time.

Cut your waistband 3" wide and the same length as the skirt plus 1" to account for the 1/2" seam allowance.  Sew the waistband seam 1/2".

Press seam allowance open, fold the bottom of the waistband up 1/2" and press.

Sew waistband on with 1/2" seam allowance, fold down waistband inside so you now have a 1" band showing and pin.  I chose to hand stitch it on the inside so there wouldn't be any stitches showing on the right side, but you can certainly machine stitch the waistband.  Be sure to leave 2" open in the back for your elastic.

After inserting elastic, overlap the ends and zig-zag stitch to hold in place.
Stitch through all thicknesses at pins.  Stitch opening shut.



I love the slight ruffles in the back created by gathering the back of the skirt.
I have enough material left over to make an adult size...
Mother-daughter matching skirts?
Now play with this technique.  A jumper?  Some cute bloomers?

Post your photos at our Flickr group, 
"a big dill" here,
or link to your project here.


ps
Look forward to a very SHARP giveaway tomorrow!

71 comments:

  1. This is absolutely gorgeous. Love the colour too, grey and silver are underused in children's clothing. Stunning.

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  2. Magnifique! Beautiful! I love it! what a brillant idea and a lovely combination of tints and colours! I might start looking for matching linings and light cottons to make myself one. Thank you!

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  3. Looks good! And did you paint the star? I had a feeling that it wasn't going to back up the same color it came down.

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  4. I love it. It's so gorgeous. You have to do one for yourself! And I love the idea of September Sewing. I might get more organised and join along. :)

    www.modelmumma.blogspot.com

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  5. I LOVE THIS!!!! I will be digging through my stash today!!

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  6. The skirt is cute, but your model is just about the sweetest thing I've seen today.

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  7. Sew great! What a wonderful start to the sewing month!!!

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  8. This month is going to be so much fun! I love this skirt! I'm going to try it when I get a sewing machine one day.

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  9. Love love love that you take something ordinary and make it extraordinary with a simple technique!

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  10. Lovely! You didn't even mention the awesomeness of her matching headband!

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  11. One more thing--is that grass in your yard? It looks heavenly. I have super scrappy grass and miss luscious tufts of the nice green stuff, like yours.

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  12. Wow the skirt is AORABLE!! I am looking forward to this month since I have already learned something new. Thankyou!! I think this would be a fun technique to use on pillows!!

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  13. As always, I want one in my size. Lovely start to September.

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  14. This is beautiful! I love the greys and the contrast of materials. I can't wait to make one!

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  15. Love it! You could even just use an a-line skirt you already own and are tired of to use for the base.

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  16. This is the prettiest skirt I've seen in a long time (possibly ever)! I had no idea that cutting on the bias can save you from hemming. Thanks for the lovely tutorial. I can't wait to try it. And you should make one for yourself. :)

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  17. Is the skirt base itself cut on the bias also?

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  18. I LOVE LOVE LOVE your blog. I'm just a beginner but you've got me so excited and motivated to try new things with sewing! Thank you for your tips and tutorials. I can't WAIT to try them!

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  19. @Jane-great question. No. the skirt is cut on the grain, though cutting on the bias would certainly work as well!

    @Jessica-the grass is probably not as soft as it looks :)

    @Astorga Crew-well. what can I say? you have me pegged.

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  20. Gorgeous. I love the effect of the different sheens of the fabric.

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  21. I was excited to see what september held for you, but this is beyond my imagining! I am making one in my size! Soooo cute!

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  22. Seriously cute, I love the silvery greys and the simplicity...def on my to do list:) sang(at)gci(dot)net

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  23. beautiful! and you can tell she's truly a princess in it.
    i may have to try it on some bloomers before i attempt a skirt.
    and i think a matching mother skirt would be just the ticket:O)
    thanks for explaining *why the bias is the bias!

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  24. LOVE IT!
    And you're going to show us how to make that headband too, right?? =)

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  25. BRILLIANT! LOVE it! Can't wait to try this out. I LOVE the gray/black varying shades, looks so classy.
    Thanks!

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  26. i love this!! it's definitely going in my "to-do" pile. i think the mommy-and-me idea is perfect!

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  27. So fun!! I am REALLY into grey lately.

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  28. I love that!!! She looks adorable and I love the way it gathers at the back too. Very chic!

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  29. Olive is darling, and that skirt is killer! I am going to forward your September celebrations to some ladies in our branch. They'll love it.

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  30. sniff,sniff.. I hate being a totally lost cause when it comes to sewing.. This skirt is killing me OH WOW... I love everything esp. about it including the color and the idea of a mama & DD OH dream a little dream..

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  31. That skirt is wonderful. The grays are so classy looking. I want one for me! Great job.

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  32. ok-- i need help. this skirt is amazing. ah-mazzz-ing! i just inherited my first sewing machine(!) and i want/need to make this skirt. could you do a pdf pattern for an adult..oh and dumb it down for the beginners? i would love that. thanks!

    jessica

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  33. I just picked up some fabric today to make this...can't wait for the kids to go to bed to get started! What do you suggest as far as laundering? Dry cleaning?

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  34. love love love this. I totally vote for matching mother-daughter anything.

    I'm going to dig through my stash tonite and look to make one for me and my daughter.

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  35. This is such a FABULOUS skirt!!! I linked to your tutorial over at Craft Gossip Sewing:
    http://sewing.craftgossip.com/tutorial-very-biased-skirt/2010/09/02/

    --Anne

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  36. amazingly beautiful--one of my favourites ever! TFS

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  37. This is so beautiful! I love it! The pictures are amazing as well!

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  38. very cute! Katie. Love the color choice!

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  39. dumb question....but do the layers of cotton strips NOT fray because they're cut on the bias? I'm perplexed.

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  40. @Dana-Correct. Since the weave of the threads does not follow the edge of the cut, but rather extends at a diagonal into the fabric strips, they won't fray. Now, where the bias strips end and I've overlapped them, they will fray a bit, but not along the long edges of the strips.

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  41. Super cute! I can't wait until I can get to the fabric store and get the fabric to make this. I think a mother and daughter matching skirt is a great idea!

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  42. Oh! I forgot to add that I really like how you did the elastic with the gathers in the back leaving a smooth front. I am going to try this technique next time I make a skirt (probably this one). Thanks!

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  43. Oh wow- it's gorgeous! I want to make one for myself. I just clicked over from Craft Gossip and would LOVE to link to this if you didn't mind.

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  44. So I have a ? Do you measure your elastic the same as you would with any skirt and just push the fabric to the back, or do you only put a small piece of elastic in the back. Also, would you be willing to share what types of fabric you used in more detail and where for $1?

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  45. I have never seen skirt made that way! Beautiful job! I'm your newest follower.

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  46. the grey is delightful! now i want to make mother/daughter bias skirts :)
    thank you for sharing your creativity! you inspire me.

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  47. This skirt is AWESOME...I love the fact that you only put the elastic in the back. It gives the front a lovely finished quality. I am totally going to make one for one of my many girls...I have 3

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  48. This skirt is gorgeous thanks for the idea

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  49. WOW girl. YOU have got it goin on. so glad designmom posted about you so I can gush gush gush all over and try some of your goodies. ps, I come from a fam of 6 girls. (To answer the Q you surely hear all the time too: 3 bathrooms.) ;)

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  50. beautiful.....I wanna make the headband too....!

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  51. the skirt is wonderful... i'll make a skirt for myself... its so girly and beautiful... thank u so much for sharing the idea...

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  52. The tutorial is great. Thank you for giving the blog world another project to work on.

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  53. I love that skirt! It is beautiful! I'm happy for the tutorial so I can make one for my daughter. Thank you!!!

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  54. So great! Good job on such a sweet little outfit! I think I need to make this like tomorrow but I have one question, how do you know how much elastic to use compared to how large the waist opening is before the elastic is inserted? Or i guess how do you know how much larger to make the waist opening than the actual waist size?
    THanks so much! You are really creative!

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  55. This is such a beautiful skirt - I will be putting this one on my list to make for my grand-daughters.
    One thing I have been doing to their skirts is adding buttonhole elastic to the end of the regular elastic so their is growing room - and it helps since they don't live close.
    Thanks for a great tutorial.

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  56. Thank you sew much for sharing this wonderful skirt project and tutorial! I can't wait to sew some biased skirts for my daughters!

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  57. Job charm! Must porobovat first for my daughter, then maybe for yourself:)
    I wanted to find out what the fabric? Do not fray the edge?

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  58. Love this tutorial! Thanks for sharing!

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  59. So I bookmarked this a while back and finally, tonight, I got to making it! My waistband did not come out like yours (couldn't get the fabric to smooth out in the front like you did) and I used a denim (against your recomendations, I know, I know) so that my daughter could wear it to school and it turned out quite nice if I do say so myself. I'll post a pic on my blog and link to you there. Thanks a million for such a great idea! (and tut ; )

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  60. It came out so pretty , saved it in my to do list, gotta make it.

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  61. Somebody posted this to Pinterest where I found it (http://pinterest.com/pin/27993057/). Thank you for such a dear little dress. It doesn't matter that I have Just The Four Boys - there are other little girls I can sew for!!
    Is that your daughter? She is such a sweetie, very cute with her ruffled head band, too (did you also make that?).
    Thank you, Jasmine in Oz

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  62. Thankyou so much!! LOVE this!!

    i had a go myself...

    http://www.smallbirdie.com/2011/06/biased-skirt.html

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  63. I'm crazy about sewing with bias strips and am currently working on a post with links to my favorite tutorials. I would like to use your first photo and link it to this tute. I'm a beginner blogger and your blog is very inspirational! Please check out Ricochet and Away!
    www.ricochetandaway.blogspot.com
    Best,
    Rikka J.

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  64. Love this technique and have just 'borrowed' it on the side panel of my skirt. The comments from others when I wore it are brilliant - thanks to you.
    Check out my skirt at...
    http://doobee64.blogspot.com/2011/08/biased-skirt.html
    Happy sewing....

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  65. thanks Katy for a great idea, and a wonderful tutorial! I had a go and am very delighted with the outcome - a gorgeous skirt!

    http://sewnforyou.wordpress.com/2011/08/13/my-take-on-the-very-biased-skirt/

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  66. I just posted a tute about bias strips and linked to this awesome tutorial. You can find it at http://ricochetandaway.blogspot.com/2011/08/bias-ruffles-godsend-for-ruffle-addicts.html

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  67. I have linked up this skirt tutorial as part of my Sew Skirts Celebration! It is scheduled for 11th September 2011. Thanks for sharing this tutorial. Hope your new bundle of joy has arrived!

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  68. Where has this been all my year? I'm just now seeing (and LOVING) this skirt. It's on my to-do list now. Gorgeous!

    Jen @ eatingmycandy.blogspot.com

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  69. My sister found your tutorial for this skirt. We love it and made 10 of them for all the little nieces for my brother's wedding. We used their wedding colors fuchsia, orange and purplish pinks. They came out so darling. Thanks for the great idea! The girls were like walking decorations!

    http://crafty-sister.blogspot.com/2011/10/bias-strip-skirts-and-bow-ties.html

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