Skirt patterns?

[Bettacreek]

I've been swapping and have some fabric on the way, with plans to make skirts. I've made skirts from shorts before ($3 shorts on clearance from Walmart, lol) and they turned out very well (favorite skirt actually). However, now I want to work from scratch. I haven't found any patterns that I like, they're all those free-flowing shirts with tie strings, and I want a skirt with a zipper. I know it'll be a PITA to do, but I'm willing to try it and get irritated so that I can have some nice new skirts. So, how do I go about doing this? Short of tearing apart one of my skirts, of course, lol.

 

[k15n1]

I've had trouble with patterns. They can be expensive and often don't fit well.

I'd recommend starting from the skirt you have. Don't rip it appart. Lay it on some craft paper and mark it up. You'll be able to see how most of it is done without doing surgery.

Some people use duct tape and a T-shirt or light pants to make a form. That can be helpful, but it takes some effort and I admit that I myself haven't done it yet.

 

[hqueen13]

Really surprised you haven't found something with a zipper in it.
The other alternative would be to get a pattern for pants that has a zipper that you like, and get a skirt pattern, and meld the two. That is assuming you want the zipper in the front. Back would be a slightly more challenging, but not really all that bad.
Have you looked through the patterns online? McCall's, Butterick, Simplicity and the like all have pretty good listings of their patterns online. I was just looking for formal wear for my wedding and was finding patterns at a few dollars each.

 

[Bettacreek]

Oh, good ideas. I'll check online to see if I can find something I like, then if not, I'll try to pattern from one of my own skirts. I have plenty to choose from, lol. I'm half obsessed with skirts. Everyone always makes fun of me when I wear jeans because they all say "wow, I didn't even know you owned anything other than skirts". Ah well, now I'll have a few more to add to my collection, lol.

 

[BirdBrain]

Get the book "Fit for real People" from the library. It shows how to fit patterns to your shape. I end up adjusting all my patterns.

 

[BirdBrain]

Look at Butterick 5649. It might fit the bill.

 

[BirdBrain]

So...did you find one you like?

 

[Bettacreek]

Actually, I believe it was your's. I just have to figure out the stupid bobbin thing. It's one of those metal holders that you have to adjust with a screwdriver. What the heck is wrong with adjusting tension on the top part of the sewing machine, like a decent sewing machine?!

 

[the_whingnut]

here is a site with some good stuff in that i found while looking for patterns for my wife. (She loves the vintage stuff)

www.allfreesewing.com/Bottoms-to-Sew/16-Free-Skirt-Patterns

 

[BirdBrain]

That site looks great!

Bettacreek, what type of sewing machine do you have?