The Sewing Place

Cutting chiffon for circle skirt

Heikedog

Re: Cutting chiffon for circle skirt
« Reply #15 on: September 08, 2017, 16:59:58 PM »
Thanks, CarolC!

This particular chiffon skirt is a full circle, not a half or quarter. Would I cut the next one and hang it by the waistline to let it drop?

Is there any benefit to hanging chiffon before cutting, or was that just wasted time?  The chiffon for skirt attempt #2 should arrive any day now.

BrendaP

Re: Cutting chiffon for circle skirt
« Reply #16 on: September 08, 2017, 17:15:23 PM »
Yes, hang from the waistline to allow it to drop.

With a full circle skirt part of it will hang in the warp/lengthways direction and that part is unlikely to drop much, if at all.  Part will hang in the crossways direction, that might drop a little but probably not much.  The rest will hang diagonally/on the bias and those are the areas which will drop most; sometimes several inches on the length of a skirt, and it will drop regardless of how you might have hung the fabric prior to cutting. 

There are two bias directions in a length of fabric and it's impossible to hang with both biases vertical at the same time, so sadly yes, you did waste your time, but it did no harm and it's a lesson learned for next time.
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.

CarolC

Re: Cutting chiffon for circle skirt
« Reply #17 on: September 08, 2017, 18:26:40 PM »
Brenda beat me to this, but as she says, yes, hang from the waist or attach to the waist of the dress and then let it hang.  Don't try to cut the edge or hem until you have the whole garment made up.

And no, no need to hang before you cut unless you can hang it diagonally as it stretches on the diagonal/bias grain, so hanging along its length or width won't do much good.

Aside from a bit of time, nothing else is wasted and it sounds like you could rehem the original one if you wanted to.  :)

Roger

Re: Cutting chiffon for circle skirt
« Reply #18 on: September 11, 2017, 20:58:35 PM »
Wow.... who knew that Chiffon was such a  :fish: to work with... :S
A bit of a vintage sewing machine nut! Singers: 500a, 401g, 48k Elnas: lotus SP & grasshopper, Bernina 530-2 F+R 504, Pfaff 30, Cresta T-132