The Sewing Place

Ease

Acorn

Ease
« on: June 23, 2019, 12:01:41 PM »
I am about to start making the Style Arc Sorrento skirt.



I am intending to base my size on my hip measurement (and adjust the waist as necessary), and, helpfully, Style Arc give full tables for both their sizing and the finished measurements of the garment for this pattern.

If I choose my actual hip measurement I will end up with a stonking fourteen inches of ease on the hips.  My fabric is a linen-look, just a touch lighter-weight than linen.  Washed linen is one of the recommended fabrics, although the others are much lighter - silk, rayon or 'a knit'.

That isn't going to look good, is it?!?  It's a new pattern, and nobody has reviewed it yet on Pattern Review - or anywhere else as far as I can see.
I might look as though I'm talking to you, but inside my head I'm sewing.

Lizzy777

Re: Ease
« Reply #1 on: June 23, 2019, 12:36:27 PM »
Looking at the pattern on the Style Arc page here https://www.stylearc.com/shop/sewing-patterns/sorrento-skirt/
I don't think I would describe it as an A line skirt (as they do here).

It has an elasticated waistband and appears to be very loose fitting with gathering and folds. If you look at one of the pictures with the model wearing the yellow/mustardy skirt made up, you can see the effect of all that excess fabric at the
front. Not exactly flattering IMHO.

You could always reduce the waist measurement and use less elastic or no elastic at all, then adapt the pattern to use less fabric for the gathers?  That should then eliminate some of the excess ease around the hips?

I would tend to use a thinner more drapey and fluid type of fabric so it doesn't end up looking too bulky or too heavy?













« Last Edit: June 23, 2019, 12:45:32 PM by Lizzy777 »

Helen M

Re: Ease
« Reply #2 on: June 23, 2019, 19:31:34 PM »
I'd make it at least a size smaller and then maybe adjust the seam allowance if it is still too big. The only thing you'd need to watch is that the waist is still large enough to go over your hips.

I've seen this style in the shops but the fabric looks finer than linen, more like a rayon I think.
« Last Edit: June 23, 2019, 19:34:46 PM by Helen M »
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BrendaP

Re: Ease
« Reply #3 on: June 23, 2019, 19:48:10 PM »
If the fabric is light and drapey enough I think you will be OK with the large amount of ease.  If you choose a heavier fabric you'd be better going down a size and I don't think it would work well at all with a crisp or stiff fabric.

I would describe it as a dirdle  dirndl skirt with a flounce, not A-line, with or without the flounce.
« Last Edit: June 23, 2019, 22:03:43 PM by BrendaP »
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.

Acorn

Re: Ease
« Reply #4 on: June 23, 2019, 20:01:32 PM »
I'm thinking at the moment that I will go down at least one size.  I don't think I will put on the separate waistband - I'm never very keen to gather onto a waistband which then has elastic through it, and not having it will remove one sizing complication, because I won't have a problem with the narrower waist that the smaller size would otherwise have.

I do agree that it isn't an A-line skirt, but when you see the shape of the main skirt pieces you can see why they have described it as A-line...

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... and I think that the flare of the skirt means that I really do need to go down at least a size or I'm going to have a lot of extra work with those flounces if I need to take the sides seams in by much after making it.
« Last Edit: June 24, 2019, 08:09:51 AM by Acorn »
I might look as though I'm talking to you, but inside my head I'm sewing.

BrendaP

Re: Ease
« Reply #5 on: June 23, 2019, 22:04:16 PM »
Yes, dirndl.  Mea culpa.
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.

Acorn

Re: Ease
« Reply #6 on: June 24, 2019, 09:35:38 AM »
Having done some measurements on the pattern I've discovered that the top of the skirt pieces - ie the bit directly below the waistband - has 8 inches of ease, which seems reasonable for a skirt with an elasticated waist.  I have cut the pieces with the waistband at my normal size, and gone down two sizes cutting down to the top of the first flounce, so the hips are roughly one size smaller, and at the level of the flounces it is two sizes smaller.  I think this will give a silhouette that is closer to the picture.

Although the pictures seem to suggest that the skirt is gathered onto the waistband, it isn't, so I will do the waistband as a separate piece.
I might look as though I'm talking to you, but inside my head I'm sewing.

Acorn

Re: Ease
« Reply #7 on: June 24, 2019, 16:27:32 PM »
Well.  It's a perfectly nice skirt, but everso ordinary.

I have tried to take a photo - in fact I took about a dozen - but the mirrors in this house are badly placed and you could see practically nothing of the skirt.  And that's actually one of the problems.  The flounces just don't show.  They're not flouncy enough.  I did manage a picture of the skirt on its own.

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I made my normal StyleArc size (which would normally require a small amount added to the waist - I didn't this time) and graded down two sizes to the point at the top of the flounces.  After trying it on I had to take another 3-4 inches off the waist, graded out to the top of the flounces.  Even after that the waist is far more gathered than I would like.

I have to say, though, that my overlocker was a dream, and it was a very nice pattern to make once the enormous flounce pieces were cut out.
I might look as though I'm talking to you, but inside my head I'm sewing.

Acorn

Re: Ease
« Reply #8 on: June 24, 2019, 17:56:55 PM »
If you have enough fabric I would do the slashing and spreading.  I'm sure my fabric hasn't helped, although it was on their list of recommended fabrics.  A finer fabric could also have a lettuce hem to give it a bit more flounce.

It would probably work quite nicely in three different colours of the same weight of fabric too - graduated colours, maybe.
I might look as though I'm talking to you, but inside my head I'm sewing.

Bodgeitandscarper

Re: Ease
« Reply #9 on: June 24, 2019, 18:37:23 PM »
Oh, that's a shame that your flounce doesn't flounce.  It's looks to be much the same flared-ness as the skirt, and needs to be more flared/circular.  Still looks a nice wearable skirt though.

Catllar

Re: Ease
« Reply #10 on: June 24, 2019, 20:37:43 PM »
Being a bit of a flounce queen and having seen the results I don't reckon the flounce patter pieces are drafted correctly. I'd be tempted to redraw them for serious flounces- make some donut flounces - take your skirt body linear measurement, divide it into sections and use that as your internal hole as it were :S  and then you can make your flounces as flouncy as you like. The smaller the hole the  more flounce movement.
If life gives you lemons, add to gin and tonic !

Lizzy777

Re: Ease
« Reply #11 on: June 24, 2019, 20:54:43 PM »
@Acorn . Can you put the pattern pieces up so we can see them or is that not possible?  I had a look around to see if anyone was showing the pattern pieces for this skirt but there doesn't seem to be any. The line drawing on style arc page definitely shows the flounces more flouncey yet on the made up example on their page, it isn't as flouncey as the line drawings. But you should be able to make them more flouncey on your made up skirt. Which fabric did you use?

I like the colour of the fabric and the skirt looks good all the same, as it is as well. 
« Last Edit: June 24, 2019, 20:58:07 PM by Lizzy777 »

Acorn

Re: Ease
« Reply #12 on: June 24, 2019, 21:23:44 PM »
I think I'd better not put the pieces up as it would theoretically be possible for someone to enlarge and use them.  They aren't as curved as I think they probably need to be to give a good flounce.

My fabric is a linen-look - possibly a remnant from Abakhan.  It's slightly on the lighter side for linen.

It is a very well drafted pattern - there is undoubtedly too much ease, and I'm not sure how representative the sketches would be even with a lighter fabric, but still well-drafted.  The 'flounces' sit very nicely and it was very easy to sew, even with the easing in of the curves.
I might look as though I'm talking to you, but inside my head I'm sewing.

snoozi soozi

Re: Ease
« Reply #13 on: June 25, 2019, 08:29:14 AM »
I know nowt, but to me your skirt looks just like the others in the image. just saying
Let it sew, let it sew, let it sew