Sew-Along #3 – Bella Skirt - Lesson 3

The Bella Skirt

Please note that I am not following the exact order and directions on the pattern. I do however encourage you to read the directions all the way through before starting to familiarize yourself with the steps.  I also want to remind everyone that if you would like to enlarge any of the images posted in this blog, just click on them.  Finally; if you have any questions, suggestions, or tips to share; please make sure to post them on our Facebook group.

Please note that all seam allowances are 1/4" for this pattern.

1. Attaching Lower Ruffle to Tier #2.

A. Grab your Tier #2 piece.  You created this earlier out of fabric B.  Press side seams to the back.  The two seams will be at the sides of your skirt.  Mark center front and center back. 

B. Grab the long lower ruffle you made from Fabric A. 

Size 1-2: The seams on the ruffle will match up to the side seams of your Tier #2 piece.  Find the center front and center back and mark them.

Size 3-4 and Size 5-6: You created this ruffle out of three strips of fabric.  Pick one of the seams to be your center back.  Now find the center front and mark it.  Next, find the two sides and mark them as well.  The two sides will NOT be at the seams.

C. You should have already ruffled this fabric in a previous lesson.

Now, with right sides together, attach this ruffle to the bottom of Tier #2 matching up the center front, center back, and sides.  You might need to pull up or loosen your gathers a bit to make it fit correctly.

D. Stitch the lower ruffle to the bottom of Tier #2.  Serge or zig-zag finish the edge.

Press the seam up, towards the top of the skirt.

E. Topstitch catching the seam underneath.  Remember to lengthen your topstitches a bit to give it a more professional look.

2. Preparing and attaching the Petticoat to Tier #2.

A. First you will need to decide which fabric you want to be the front of your petticoat layer.  I chose fabric D for mine.  Find the center front and center back and mark them.  Find the two sides and mark them also.

Now, press all side seams to the back of the petticoat layer.

Next, press under the bottom edge of the petticoat layer 1/4", then press under 1/4" again, forming a narrow hem.

Stitch the narrow hem in place.

B.  We will be sewing top edges of Tier #2 and the Petticoat together.  Find the center front of your Petticoat layer and the center front of Tier #2.  With right side facing up and the hem at the bottom, lay your Petticoat layer down on your work surface.  Next, with right side facing up and the bottom ruffle at the bottom, lay your Tier #2 piece on top of your Petticoat layer, matching up the center fronts. 

Pin in place.

Repeat for the center back and the sides.  Continue to pin Tier #2 to the Petticoat layer.  These two pieces should be the same size, but you may have to ease in the Petticoat layer if not.  If your not sure how to do that, you may find this YouTube video to be helpful.

Stitch the Petticoat to Tier #2 using a set of long gathering stitches.  You might   Stitch these gathering stitches 1/8" and just under 1/4" from the edge of the fabrics.  You might want to use upholstery thread (or any strong thread) if you have it.  We are going to gather this Tier #2 and Petticoat together to attach to Tier #1.  I am going to use the gathering stitches to gather instead of my serger to reduce the amount of bulk in this seam.


3. Attaching Tier #1 to Tier #2.

A. Turn Tier #2/Petticoat layer inside out.  Turn Tier #1 upside down and tuck inside Tier #2/Petticoat.  With right sides together, match up center back, center front, and sides, pinning into place.  Pull up gathering threads and pin the tiers together.

B. Stitch Tier #1 to Tier #2/Petticoat.  Serge or zig-zag stitch the edges.  Press seam to the top.

If you are not going to add any trim to the seam between Tier #1 and Tier #2 then you will need to topstitch the seam down.  If you are going to add trim, you can skip the topstitching if you like.  I did a quick topstitch with a long stitch length just to hold my seam in place and to give myself a clear line to add my trim too.


4. Attaching the Ruffle-Rac or Rick-Rack (optional).

Starting at the side (or the back) of your skirt, pin the ruffle-rac or rick-rack to the seam created by joining Tier #1 and Tier #2.  Leave about 1-2 inches loose at the beginning. 

You can either continue to pin the trim all around the skirt or just hold it in place as you stitch.  I find it easiest to just hold it in place.

Starting at your pin and using a matching thread color, stitch the trim in place.  With the ruffle-rac just stitch right over the existing stitches.  With rick-rack you will need to stitch right in the center being careful to keep your stitches on the rick-rack.  Go slowly and make sure the trim and skirt are both laying flat.  Also make sure you are keeping the trim lined up in the center of the seam.

When you get about 1-2 inches from the end stop your machine but keep your needle down.  

While keeping your needle down, you will now need to cut off the trim tails at the beginning and end making sure the trim overlaps.  Also make sure you leave enough so you can fold the trim under on itself.   

Fold each raw side under while trying to match up the "humps".  

Continue to stitch through the beginning stitches, securing your trim.  I then carefully tucked any raw edges of trim that were poking out and stitched down the width of the trim to secure these raw edges and prevent them from fraying.

 

5. Finishing The Waist

Your final step it to insert your elastic in the waist.  Once you have the elastic inserted, if possible, check the fit with the new skirt's owner.  Then, overlap your elastic, secure the ends together, close up your casing, add a tag if you like, and your done.  

Congratulations, you just created an adorable Bella Marie Boutique Bella Twirl Skirt!  Isn't it cute!!

Thanks for sewing with me,

Danielle Storm

www.whimsicalfabric.com

Sew-Along #3 – Bella Skirt - Lesson 2

The Bella Skirt

Please note that I am not following the exact order and directions on the pattern. I do however encourage you to read the directions all the way through before starting to familiarize yourself with the steps.  I also want to remind everyone that if you would like to enlarge any of the images posted in this blog, just click on them.  Finally; if you have any questions, suggestions, or tips to share; please make sure to post them on our Facebook group.


1. Seaming and Preparing the Ruffles.

Please note that all seam allowances are 1/4" for this pattern.

A. Grab your top ruffle piece.  This should be a single strip of fabric cut out of Fabric D.

With right sides together, stitch down the short end forming a circular band.

Set aside.

B. Grab the Lower Ruffle fabric pieces.  You should have cut 2 for size 1-2 and 3 for all other sizes out of fabric A.

Stitch two of the ruffle pieces together by placing the right sides together and stitching down the short ends.

Size 1-2: With right sides together, stitch the two free ends of this strip of ruffle fabrics together, forming a circular band.  Make sure you have no twists and turns in your band before stitching it closed.

Set aside. 

Size 3-4 and Size 5-6: Add the third ruffle piece to the long strip by placing the right side together with the right side of the long strip.  Stitch the short ends.

Finally, with right sides together, stitch the two free ends of this long strip of ruffle fabrics together, forming a circular band.  Make sure you have no twists and turns in your band before stitching it closed.

Set aside.

C. Press open all of the seams on the two ruffle bands.

Then, with wrong sides together, fold each of the ruffle bands in half lengthwise and press well with an iron, using a few good shots of steam to make nice, sharp creases. 

You should now have two ruffle bands that have both of their raw edges together.

D. Next, you will be gathering your ruffles along the raw edges.  Their are many ways to do this.  You can gather using basting stitches like we did in steps E/F #9-10 here and then pulling the bobbin thread to gather like we did in step H #5 here.

You could also use a ruffler foot.  I have done that for this pattern in the past and it works well.  Here is a link to a great tutorial on using a ruffler foot.  

I decided to use my serger to gather my ruffles for this project.  If you want to use your serger, simply set your differential feed to 2 and overlock the raw edge of your fabric down the length of the ruffle.  Your fabric will softly gather under the presser foot.  If it doesn't look very gathered, don't worry, we can just pull on the needle threads and gather it up some more when we are attaching it to our skirt pieces.

Set aside your ruffles.


2. Finishing Seams

A. Grab all four of the skirt pieces; waistband, tier #1, tier #2, and petticoat. Finish all seams on all four skirt pieces by either zigzag stitching over them or using a serger to overlock stitch them.

3. Waistband

A. Press the waistband seam to one side.

B. Mark the two sides and the center front at the bottom of the waistband.  This is going to help later as you put the pieces together.

C. Form the casing for the waistband by folding over and pressing 1/4".

Fold over and press another 1".  Use some shots of steam if you have it to make crisp, sharp folds.

Stitch the casing down by stitching 1/8" from the edge of the fabric.  Make sure to leave an opening in the back for inserting the elastic.  The instructions do not tell you to do this and it is totally optional, but I also stitched very close to the top edge of the waistband to create a more finished look.

If you want, you can insert the elastic now.  I am going to wait until I am finished with the skirt as I find it easier.

D. Grab your top ruffle piece and mark the two sides and center front.  We will be matching these up with the marks we made on the waistband piece.

With right sides and raw edges together, pin the ruffle to your waistband.  Pull up either, your bobbin threads if you did gathering stitches or your needle threads if you used your serger, to ruffle your ruffle fabric as you pin into place.  Make sure you are matching up the back seam on the ruffle and the back seam on the waistband.  Also make sure you are matching up all of the marks you made on both.

Sew your ruffle onto your waistband.  Set aside.

4. Tier #1

Grab your Tier #1 piece.

A. To reduce bulk, press all seams away from the skinny fabric pieces and towards the larger fabric pieces.

B. Mark the center front, center back, and the sides according the the instructions.

Using the method you prefer, sew gather stitches on the top edge of tier #1.  Make sure that your seams stay pressed to the sides and that they do not get bunched up in your gathering stitches.  It helps to stop as you get to a seam, make sure the needle stays in the fabric, raise the presser foot, and smooth the seam down flat.

C. With right sides together and sandwiching the ruffle in between, pin tier #1 to the waistband.  Make sure to match up your center back, center front, and side marks.  Pull up either your bobbin threads if you did gathering stitches or your needle threads if you used your serger, to gather your tier #1. Pin well all the way around.

Sew Tier #1 to the waistband.  Overlock or zigzag stitch over the seam.
Press the seam up towards the waistband.

Topstitch 1/8" from the seam.  Don't forget to catch any thread tails under the seam and to lengthen your topstitches.

You have finished lesson #2.  Congratulations.  We only have one more lesson left to finish the skirt.  

Thanks for sewing with me,

Danielle Storm

www.whimsicalfabric.com

Sew-Along #3 – Bella Skirt - Lesson 1

The Bella Skirt

Please note that I am not following the exact order and directions on the pattern. I do however encourage you to read the directions all the way through before starting to familiarize yourself with the steps.  I also want to remind everyone that if you would like to enlarge any of the images posted in this blog, just click on them.  Finally; if you have any questions, suggestions, or tips to share; please make sure to post them on our Facebook group.


1. Drawing Out Your Pattern Pieces.

All of the pieces for this skirt are rectangles.  You can skip this part if you wish, but I find it helpful to draw out all of my pattern pieces onto freezer paper.  The freezer paper patterns make it super easy to cut out your fabric and can be reused over and over.  It will also help you visualize placement of the pattern pieces on your fabric so that you don't cut anything incorrectly and end up not having enough fabric.  You will need freezer paper, a straight edge, and a sharpie marker.

A. Carefully create your pattern pieces according to the specified sizes listed in your pattern.  You will be making the following.

• Waistband
• Piece #1 for Tier #1
• Piece #2 for Tier #1
• Tier #2
• Upper Ruffle
• Lower Ruffle
• Petticoat 

Make sure to transfer all information onto your pattern pieces for quick reference.

B. Cut out your pattern pieces.

2. Cutting Out Your Fabrics.

A. Before you start cutting out your fabric it might be a good idea to either print out from our website the picture that has each fabric labeled A, B, C, and D or if you didn't buy a kit from us, make sure you note what each of your fabrics are.  This will help you keep it all straight when you go to cut out your fabric pieces.

B. Make sure all of your fabrics are ironed well.  Once you have finished pressing, it is time to iron on your freezer paper pattern pieces.  Following the cutting directions on your pattern, iron each pattern piece onto your fabrics.

Beware: If you are using a print with a direction, such as the Fly A Kite line, you want to make sure you line up the pattern piece along the print, so it is straight and not upside down.

Beware: The amount of Fabric A needed for the size 5/6 skirt is just enough. If you are making a size 5/6, please be careful when cutting your pattern pieces.  Make sure you have enough fabric to get ALL of the pieces that you need.

Beware: Please make sure when you iron the freezer paper onto the fabric that the glossy side is down, ie. the glossy side should be touching your fabric.

DO NOT touch the iron to the glossy side of your freezer paper! It will melt and make a mess of your iron.

Run the iron along the freezer paper until it is stuck to the fabric.  Once you are done use scissors or a rotary cutter to cut out your fabric pieces.

3. Sewing Together the Pieces

Please note that all seam allowances are 1/4" for this pattern.

A. Grab your waistband piece.  This will be a single piece of fabric and should have been cut from fabric A.

With right sides together, sew up the short sides of the fabric forming a circular band.  Set the waistband aside.

B. Next, grab your two piles of Tier #1 pieces.  You should have 6 small pieces from Fabric B and 6 larger pieces from fabric C.

With right sides together, sew a smaller piece to a larger piece.

Keep adding pieces to the strip, making sure right sides are together, and that your fabrics are going in the direction you want.

When you get to the last strip, sew it on and then sew the whole strip together forming a circular band like you did with the waistband.  

Set Tier #1 aside.

C.  Grab your Tier #2 pieces.  This will be two long, thin pieces cut from fabric B.

With right sides together, sew up the two side seams forming a circular band.

Set aside Tier #2.

D. Finally, grab the 4 petticoat pieces.  You should have 2 cut from Fabric A, 1 cut from fabric C, and 1 from fabric D.

Sew together the four pieces forming a long, circular band.  Sew the seams on the short ends of the rectangles.  Make sure you sew the two Fabric A pieces so they are not right next to each other.

That's it.  We are all done!  Congratulations on finishing lesson one.

Thanks for sewing with me,

Danielle Storm

www.whimsicalfabric.com