 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
 To become a member of our contributor/reader mailing list fill out the form below:
Visit Wo!'s MySpace:
|
DIY: Amateur Witchcraft Sewing 101 Melanie Hankewich has prepared these instructions on how to take a regular second-hand skirt and make it look fabulous with a bit of DIY stitch witchery. December 2006
1. The first step is to find an oversized skirt to alter. In my opinion, second hand is best. This way you can put your worries to rest over the four dollars you stand to lose if it doesn’t work out. 2. Start by fitting the skirt to your waist. Mark out the excess material that will later be fused and continue by marking the skirt the rest of the way down to the hem. Stick pins work great as you can get a good idea of what this may all look like in the end. Essentially, you should end up with a flap of material down the length of the garment (Fig 1- refer below). This will later fold over and give the appearance of a wrap skirt once the buttons are fastened. Let out the bottom hem and remove the lining if there is any. It will only serve to frustrate you later. Trust me. Best to just get rid of it now. 3. Lay the witchery between the wrong sides of the fold and iron to set the glue (Fig. 2). Follow the directions on the package and make sure you use a wet press cloth so as not to scorch the material. Hold the iron on the cloth for 10 to 15 seconds. Be careful not to move the iron as the material may shift and make you angry that the glue has adhered the wrong areas. Take your time and use plenty of tailor’s chalk to plan out your steps. 4. If your skirt wants buttons, now is the time to put in the button holes. Every sewing machine is different, so consult the manual if you don’t know how and practice a few times with a piece of fabric that is similar to the type your skirt is made of. Be sure to actually cut the button hole and check to see that the holes are the appropriate size. 5. To make the skirt look like it actually could unbutton all the way to the top I recommend working the bottom of the garment in a way that leaves it free to open. And if you’re making a skirt that is knee length or longer this will be the crucial step in allowing you to walk around without looking like your knees are tied together. Once you’ve planned how high you want the opening to go and marked it with chalk you can cut a slit up the material (Fig. 3). Lay the material out so the fused portion of the skirt, complete with button holes, is to the right. Make your cuts, ensuring you’ve left enough fabric to fold under and secure the raw edges with, yes, more witchery. 6. Its time to fold the old the flap over! Sew a seam down the length of the flap. It will serve a double purpose if your buttons don’t keep the skirt together properly. Solution? Sew over this seam to reinforce the garment which will secure the flap to the body of the skirt. I’d wait to sew the buttons on until after you’ve done this stitching. It’s generally easier to navigate the machine without buttons attached. It’s also wise to sew the buttons on after the flap is secured. You’ll have much better luck with making sure they match up to the button holes (Fig. 5). 7. Get out your witchery and re-hem the skirt. Isn’t this stuff amazing? Told you, like magic, only better.
|
Got an iron? If you do, I’ve got a couple of secrets to share: stitch witchery and tailor’s chalk. Sound cryptic? These are your two new best friends. If you can manage to sew on buttons and button holes then you’re all set to alter a skirt. With the addition of your trusty iron you’re a budding seamstress. Stitch witchery and tailor’s chalk can be found anywhere you can buy fabric and sewing supplies. Your tired old iron will not only be able to fuse fabric together, but will also remove the marks from the tailor’s chalk. The chalk allows you to draw all over your project and plan like a pro and then lose the evidence with the pass of a hot iron. It’s like magic, only better.
