Quantcast
Channel: Handmade by Carolyn
Viewing all articles
Browse latest Browse all 828

adding lining to a skirt; some tips

$
0
0
Plenty of skirt patterns do not come with separate pieces nor instructions for adding a lining to the skirt.  And often you want a lining; particularly in a winter skirt that you wish to wear with tights.
In a nutshell: my own method for adding this is now to generally to cut a skirt lining using the same pattern pieces as the skirt, and -- critical difference -- sew them together using narrower seams.  So your lining has a wider girth than the skirt itself, i.e. a nice dose of extra wearing ease... this is a small thing but makes a big difference for slimline or pencil skirts particularly!  Why? well, a few ripped linings later...! haha! I jest! but seriously; in my experience sometimes I would find that linings would habitually start to pull away from the zip tape right at hip level.  I re-stitch them back on, only for them to pull away yet again.  
old skirt
When I did start making my linings just a touch roomier than the skirt itself, this pesky little problem has not recurred!
I just sew the side seams using the narrowest possible seam allowance, around 6mm(1/4").  For a plain skirt pattern with a standard 1.5cm (5/8") seam allowance, this alone gives around 3.5cm (1 1/4") extra wearing ease in there.
Another, equally viable option would be to cut the lining just one size bigger instead.  
The CB seam of the lining; stitch with a 1cm (3/8") seam allowance up to the bottom edge of the zip opening, then re-enforce the stitching line at the lower edge of the zip opening with stay stitching; stitching each side separately and keeping the seam allowance free of the stitching.  Snip into the corners, fold the seam allowances under and press.
With wrong sides together, pin the lining to the skirt at the side seams.  Pin the zip opening of the lining skirt to the tip tape of the skirt.
Also; do not stitch waist darts but merely fold the excess widthof the lining at the waist dart point into a pleat and pin.  As expected, thanks to those narrower seams, these will be slightly deeper pleats than the skirt darts.  Pleating the wait darts rather than stitching them down also builds just a touch more ease into the lining.
Hand-stitch the skirt lining to the zip tape around the zip opening.
Attach the waistband as normal, and hem.  I generally hem a lining to 2.5cm (1") shorter than the skirt, but this is a matter of personal taste.

Viewing all articles
Browse latest Browse all 828

Trending Articles