How to Adjust your Skirt for a Tilted Waistline

 

Hello and welcome my lovelies. And thank you for joining me here for Day 4 in the series of Allie Faux Wrap Skirt posts.

If you have missed the previous days posts here are the links.
Allie Faux Wrap Skirt Inspiration and Influences 
Allie Faux Wrap Skirt Pattern Tester Roundup Part 1
Allie Faux Wrap Skirt Pattern Tester Roundup Part 2

When in testing phase for any of my patterns I like to help my roadies get the best fit possible for their garment.
It always means making a toile (test fit garment) so I can see – via pics – what adjustments need to be made to the pattern for their individual body constraints.

No pattern will ever fit someone straight from the get-go so fitting adjustments are always needed and generally they are quite easy to do.

I emphasize a toile should always be made – you just need the main pattern pieces – and then you can ascertain what is happening to the garment when worn on the body.

The garment will ALWAYS tell you what is going on via – angles, lines, puckers, or strain.

So I would like you all to say hello to our Sarah M who has her Allie Faux Wrap Skirt toile made up in a mid weight cotton. The above pic shows how the garment is hanging on her body – and you can see that the side seam is tilted towards the back of the body.

This is generally caused by a sway back – but can sometimes also be caused by a low sitting front waistline.
In Sarah’s case I see that she has a mild sway back.

 

Along with a tilted side seam you can also see by the above pic that Sarah’s waistline is also tilted or sloped. The skirt is sitting much lower at her C/F than her C/B.

 

And the hem of the skirt is also sloped or tilted to reflect what is happening both at the waistline and the side seam.
The whole garment is tilting towards the back.

 

Solution ? – the C/F of the garment needs to be lifted – so the side seam can re-align and the lower C/B hem can come back down to be on its natural horizon.
And how much to lift the C/F to ascertain pattern alteration ? – I asked Sarah to fold over 1.5 cms (5/8″) at her C/F and pin it (back to nothing at side seam).
And this was enough to lift her side seam back into place.

 

The pattern alteration is very easy for this adjustment and can be done in a few quick steps
Using the above image as a guide:
1. Measure down the C/F 5cms (2″) and mark
2. Measure down the side seam 2cms (3/4″) and mark.
3. Draw a straight line to connect.

 

4. Separate the 2 pattern pieces ensuring the dart stays attached to the upper section. You will have the “shadow” – or cut out – of the dart left as a gap in your lower pattern piece so you can just fill it in with scrap paper and adhesive tape.

 

5. Keeping the 2 sections of the pattern together at the side seam, pivot the upper pattern piece down over the lower pattern piece by the amount you have determined you need.

In Sarah’s case it was 1.5 cms (5/8″). The overlap is the total you have folded over on your toile. The right side image above shows the total that has been overlapped.

 

 

6. Then you draw the C/F as a straight line by continuing the existing lower C/F line to connect at the C/F – Waistline junction as above pic indicates.

 

This is Sarah’s toile after her adjustments. The side seam in now vertical and the C/B is not kicking up.

Here is our lovely Sarah modelling her finished Allie Faux Wrap Skirt. The side seam in lovely and straight and the hem is sitting level.
Sarah elected to make the overlay with decorative button option.

And wasn’t that easy. Altering the front so the side seam sits in its vertical position is quite simple. !!!

I hope that you have learnt something new today and you can add this to your fitting repertoire.

And the details of Allie Faux Wrap Skirt :

The Allie Faux Wrap Skirt  is for a sewing level of Confident Advanced Beginner and Above.

On Sale for a limited time only – $8.25 (US)
(AU/UK) 6 – 28
(US) 2 – 24
(EU) 34 – 56

https://designerstitch.com/shop/allie-wrap-skirt

Lots of love to you.
Cheerio xx
Ann at Designer Stitch,