Saturday, September 1, 2012

A Little Light Remodeling

This is a skirt I found at Savers the other day.  My sweet Hubby let me have all of last Saturday to sew to my heart's content.  That was very smart of him.  I have been a much happier wife ever since.  

This skirt, though not a super eye catcher, was so soft and flowy, I wished it were my size.  Sadly, it was nobodies size.  I checked the price tag at the second-hand store and realized it was less than what I would normally pay for one of Emmalee's skirts even from Walmart or Target.  Into the basket it went and at the top of my sewing pile it sat until Scott had his most kind gift of time to create.  

Emmer's skirts are usually about 12" long.  I think I went about 13 or 13.5 with this one so it would fit for a while.  How did I measure that???  Well, it certainly wouldn't hold up in a science lab, but this method of measuring works well for me.  I just lined up something like the 14" mark on the ruler {adding a little bit for seam allowance}and marked the skirt where the ruler ended back at zero.  I would move the ruler a little bit along the bottom, point the zero on the ruler back towards the top, and make another mark.  I continued in this fashion until I had an arch-like row of markings at what would soon be Emmalee's waist.  

I ran my cutting blade along the arch, and set aside the extra skirt.  One other nice thing about this skirt was it's buttons.  It has these cute little crystally, diamond shaped buttons that Madison has already staked her claim on.  

OK, so I ran a running stitch along the top edge to hold the top skirt to the bottom skirt.  My plan is to fold the top under twice, stitch that in place, and then run elastic through the waist.  If this were for Madison, and if I had SAS Fabric nearby that I could run to, I would have just sewn 2 or 3" elastic to the top and called it good.  Since I was really going for a twirly kinda skirt, I just went with what I had in my sewing box and used 1" elastic inside the fold-over casing.

Now, I don't think I have introduced you to my best friend in the whole wide world.  I know I have wanted to for YEARS, but the idea of a step-by-step tutorial exhausts me.  I could post on this universal ruffler foot every day for a month and not run out of things to tell you.  It is totally fabulous and is awesome for SO MANY PROJECTS!!!  Anyway, this particular skirt had an underskirt.  I decided, while holding it in my hands in the isle of the thrift store, that the underskirt needed a ruffle.  No surprise.  I think EVERYTHING needs a ruffle.  I really wanted a green lace ruffle.  Lace is an "IN" thing right now.  Something soft and feminine was exactly what this neutral skirt needed.

This is how I used my ruffler foot...I placed the under skirt under the ruffler foot, right side up {picture above} 

Next, I tucked a piece of 2.5" {I don't recommend using 2.5"....don't go over 2" if you are sewing a ruffle on this way...Just so you (and I) know for future :0} lace into the middle of the ruffler foot.  The real trick with the ruffler foot is lining the fabric up at the appropriate spot, then feeding the different fabrics through at different speeds.  Naturally, the lace {which is being ruffled} will run through faster...duh...cause it is being used twice as fast.  

On the far right you can see a metal plate that bends up and over the lace.  It is keeping the lace from bunching up or getting under the needle.  

I know I didn't do a very good job of explaining how to use this monster of a sewing machine foot, but I will just have to bite the bullet and get down and dirty next time.  

I ruffled the bottom of the skirt.  With the ruffler foot it took maybe 3 minutes.

Here is the before again...

and, the after!  Don't you love it!!!  I do.  Sorry about all the wrinkles :0)  I may sew, but I am far too 
La-Zeee to iron unless I have too!



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