Re: Birch Street Sprial Skirt Pattern

Thanks Kate. I think I'd go with the second option. I do love the inverted tulip shape skirt. I am medium height and have rather long legs so I can wear that well. I just thought it would be handy to have a black broomstick skirt to take on trips. They are so easy to dress up or down! Sooooo easy to pack!
PAT in VA/USA

Kate Dicey wrote:


I sometimes think apple shapes are the very WORST to find a flattering skirt for! Pencil is usually best, or that lovely inverted tulip shape that flares out from the knee... However, if she's insisting on a broomstick, I'd still go for the elastic... Just make the top tier not too ample, and the elastic waist nice and broad. There are two good ways to do this:

1: 2" wide elastic: make the casing wide enough for the elastic, and then, once the skirt is otherwise complete and the gathers evenly distributed, stitch through the elastic in vertical lines in 4 or 6 places, evenly spaced. This will stop it folding and twisting inside the casing and prevent the chewed string look!

2: Make four or five narrow channels in the waistband and thread each one carefully with narrow 'knicker' elastic: this is a bit more professional looking, but takes longer. It makes a very comfortable waistband. It looks a lot better than the elastic that you sew on with several lines! THAT looks OK if you have a factory style multi-needle machine built for doing this, but is a pain to do one row at a time.
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