Finish Of Skirt With Raised Waist Line

There are two methods of placing to belt, either of which has its advantage. For both, have belt prepared, correct waist measure, with hooks and eyes. (1) Use ribbed cotton belting, which, if shrunk, is better starched to give it firmness, (2) or percaline belt with featherbone extenders. The latter shrinks little and does not soften up. Turn the ends of belting but once, so as not to make it thick, sew on hooks and eyes, and finish the ends with a blanket stitch to keep from ravelling.

1. Place bias strip of cambric at top edge of skirt, so as to keep it firm when turning and stitching. Turn the edge of the skirt on the line marked for high waist line (Fig 205C). Stitch through turned edge, one-eighth inch from turn, and base skirt to belt, and hem belt on wrong side to stitching (Fig. 205D).

Fig. 207.   Finishing hem with bias binding.

Fig. 207. - Finishing hem with bias binding.

2. Turn edge of skirt as in Fig. 205C, baste to belt and stitch through both belt and skirt.

The first method has the advantage of admitting easy change of belting if belt softens, or shrinks in washing. In the second method there is less danger of the unskilled worker stretching the material in stitching the skirt at the top.

Laying And Finishing Hem

When a good finishing line has been turned and marked with thread, lay the skirt out upon the table and measure up from the finishing line at close intervals, the depth you wish the hem to be plus one-quarter inch for turn or sewing edge; mark carefully with pins or chalk. Cut on this line.

There are several methods of removing the fulness at the top of the hem, each having its preferred place according to the materials of which the skirt is made (Fig. 206).

1. Fold the fulness at the top of the hem in small darts which must not run to the bottom of the hem, because they would make points in the edge. Hem the edges of the darts down.

2. Gather the fulness in top of hem with fine gathers and draw up to fit the width of the skirt at this place (Fig. 212). Shrink fulness out. Where materials are used that are not heavy, the edge of the hem is sometimes just turned in and stitched. Where there is any thickness, however, it is better to take a strip of bias binding and lay the folded edge, one-quarter inch from top of hem, baste and stitch to the hem only. Then lay the other folded edge of the binding down to the skirt, baste and stitch, or hem by hand. Bias binding is preferable because it gives sufficiently not to hold the hem tight after laundering (Fig. 207). Be careful in placing it, however, not to hold it tight. Make a bias join at the ends. When placing darts, press them into place before laying hem. Before stitching hem, press, so as to have good stitching.

3. When finishing the bottom of a five- or six-gored skirt, after the line is turned, if the seams are stitched only to the finishing line, when the hem is turned, it will be possible to dispose of all the fulness in the hem, at the seams, by lapping it underneath, and cutting ,it away, making a perfectly smooth hem. This could not be done unless one were sure not to need the extra length to let down, unless instead of cutting the material away, it is simply lapped underneath, which might be done if the material were not too heavy.

Suggestive Questions

1. What type of material would be best for a separate tailored skirt of cotton or linen, heavy or light weight?

2. Should the design be simple in line?

3. Are circular skirts practical as washable garments? Why?

4. State a rule for basting gored skirts for fitting.

5. What kinds of seam finishing would you use for such skirts?

6. How would you finish the placket of a linen skirt opening under a tuck?

7. How would you finish the hem?

8. Describe two methods of finishing skirts at the belt.