2nd hand shops selling patterns

[jennyo]

I've heard that some 2nd hand shops sell patterns - any in particular that I should check out in Chch?
I had my eye on an A line skirt pattern on TM and thought I'd bought it - went out and bought fabric according to what the pattern specified and then got home and found I hadn't finished the buy now and someone else had bought it! . I know my chances aren't great of finding the same one, but it might be worth a shot!

[hannah]

have you got a link to the auction? I have loads of patterns and may have what you need, or someone else may!

[jennyo]

Thanks for checking!! This is the auction: http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing ... =423961350. I've looked at other A line skirt patterns but I only bought 1.1m and most seem to need more!!
I'm a newbie at this - was nervous about screwing it up in the first place so this isn't a good start!

[NPMum]

Most simple skirt patterns you just need the a length of material the length of the skirt you are making so 1.1m should be enough to make a skirt like this. Spotlight has new look you can order online, also a lot of the other brands have patterns like this.
What size are you?
I have this pattern http://www.ebay.com/itm/Misses-Skirts-P ... 0373395965
I think it was the first thing I sewed by myself about 15 years ago.
I bought 2 new look patterns from spotlight for $10 the other week, just need to look out for specials.

[jennyo]

Thanks for that ladies.
I'm sewing it for my SIL for a Christmas present and she is size 10. I went to Spotlight to check out their patterns but I didn't find what I was looking for (and the $5 pattern would have been the closest thing to it except they were sold out!!)
I think I'm going to attempt this: http://www.oneaviandaemon.com/?p=328. I am terrified but have some cheap fabric so I'm going to do a test run!! (I wanted to do the contrasting band at the bottom which is why it was so tricky to find a pattern!)
Wish me luck - but I'm bound to be back to ask for help!!

[NPMum]

Are you going to do the button, she does it by hand but most machines will be able to do it, it is not very hard to do just have a practice on a scrap of material first.

My Advice is to take your time and pin things carefully (pin perpendicular to the way you are going to sew so you can sew really close to your pins and think about which side you are putting your pins so they are ontop of the material when you sew). Use a slightly larger stitch length then it makes it easier to go back and unpick. If you make a mistake unpick it if you try to work around it you'll end up with more problems.

Have fun.

[Dunners]

Where in Chc are you Jenny? I have a few books & patterns with women's skirts. They're not hard to make, I'm sure you'll be fine following a blog/tute online. Check out Craftster.org too, tonnes of useful tutes on there (http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=355741.0).

[jennyo]

Thanks for that link Leanne, fabulous. My first chance to give it a go will be Wednesday so I'll see how I go with either my original one or one of these and then if it's not looking good I might contact you! I'm in Queenspark.

[jennyo]

I cut out my practise skirt tonight. Why is there no seam allowance? I'm really really bad with spatial things so I got DH to help me make the pattern. We put a seam allowance in. Figured it was easier to take it off if not needed. Was that the right thing to do? If not, how does it work to fit right?

[jennyo]

It's taken me a while to get back here but I've made my skirt and I'm mostly happy with it.
I made my practice skirt and I ended up making sewing the bottom band on straight because otherwise how do you put a straight band on the bottom of a curved skirt?

When I came to make the real skirt I had mum help me with the bottom band. She didn't understand how it was meant to work either so we ended up making the band curved too. It did complicate the whole thing a bit really. What am I not understanding correctly??

[jennyo]

Anyone got advice for me on the bottom band issue? I'd do one for myself if I could figure out how to do it more easily.

[annarose]

Sorry, no advice, but the skirt has turned out really well! Gorgeous colours.
Are you supposed to stretch the material to make it fit a curved bit? I don't know much about 'proper' sewing sorry, i am a bit gung ho.

[jennyo]

Thanks Annarose. It was cotton quilting fabric so it didn't really stretch.

[sable]

The problem is not with you, it's the instructions. If you want a contrast band on the bottom of the skirt it needs to be the same shape as the bottom of the skirt; a straight piece is not going to work well no matter how you try unless it's cut on the bias (45 degree); bias will stretch and can be curved, the lengthwise or crosswise grains won't. I normally hem my skirts by hand; despite what she says it doesn't take that long and a nicely sewn hem of a decent depth (1.5" or more) hangs nicely too.

[jennyo]

I really appreciate that Rachelle. I have a proper pattern now, so I'll give that a crack for my next attempt. Out of interest, how would you have done the pattern I did? Shaped the bottom band like I did? Why do people make patterns that don't work??!!! (my mum made my bridesmaid's dresses from a proper pattern and it turns out that it was completely impossible to do it according to the directions - darts were needed!!)