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Ponte a line skirt pattern Q's

duffle

Ponte a line skirt pattern Q's
« on: November 05, 2017, 10:23:44 AM »
I'm thinking of making some ponte a-line skirts today. I am thinking of drafting my own pattern, so could I just take my waist and hip measurements and use them on the pattern and have neutral ease (is that the right term?) or should I add a little ease so that it is not to tight?

For the waistband take off an inch off my waist measurements so that it stays up and just add a few inches at the bottom to get the A line shape?

When I made A line skirts from cotton I was cutting and spreading patterns at the hem to the hip line - can I avoid that with this? I just want to do some very quick sewing today :)

BrendaP

Re: Ponte a line skirt pattern Q's
« Reply #1 on: November 06, 2017, 21:20:18 PM »
As there have been no replies to this I'll throw in my two penn'th of non expert advice.

Drafting an A-line skirt isn't quite as simple as you make it sound. :'(

The waist generally needs to be snug but not so tight that you can't breath.  With a stretchy fabric like ponte an inch or so of negative ease would be OK, but you don't want negative ease in the hip area.  That means that you need darts - or a very wide A-line shape to get the necessary increase in width.

When you made A-line skirts by slashing and spreading you will have introduced a curve into the hemline.  If you cut straight across you will end up with a skirt which is longer at the sides than at front and back.  Apart from fitting alterations, which only add or subtract a small amount, the length of a skirt from waist to hem should be the same all round (unless it's a deliberate high-low hemline).  The wider the A the more curved the hem will become.

Brenda.  My machines are: Corona, a 1953 Singer 201K-3, Caroline, a 1940 Singer 201K-3, Thirza, 1949 Singer 221K, Azilia, 1957 Singer 201K-MK2 and Vera, a Husqvarna 350 SewEasy about 20 years old. Also Bernina 1150 overlocker and Elna 444 Coverstitcher.
http://paternoster.orpheusweb.co.

Missie

Re: Ponte a line skirt pattern Q's
« Reply #2 on: November 07, 2017, 12:16:33 PM »
Personally, I would check the stretch of your ponte as although a knit fabric, it is fairly firm.  I have some and there really isn't much stretch in it all.

I echo what Brenda said.  You will need to have waist darts, which you would close by slashing through to the hem of the skirt and joining the dart edges (which will close the dart and give some extra width to the hemline (and so making it A-line).  And you will definitely need ease at the hip.

toileandtrouble

Re: Ponte a line skirt pattern Q's
« Reply #3 on: November 07, 2017, 21:01:04 PM »
For the waistband, back/interface it with a non-stretch material.  I bought some jeans in stretch denim with the stretch running around the waist. They need a very tight belt!
Yarn down:  1000g
Fabric down:  29m