Dress 282. Pink hat completes the look. Photo selfie by Angela Lansbury.
Purple, soft, silk skirt, tightened and lengthened. Photo by Trevor Sharot.
This lovely soft silk skirt had sat in the cupboard unworn. The size was 22. Huge. Even when I was huge, the skirt waist was too large. After a year's dieting, my waist was even smaller. The skirt waist size was ridiculous.
Could I cut the waistband, and all the way down the skirt, making the detached edges overlap? Would that risk a gap?
Whatever the result, currently the skirt was of no use, merely hanging up, taking space, but never worn. It might sit in the wardrobe forever, waiting to be inherited. Then the pristine garment might be thrown, discarded, in the bin, by descendants who wanted to do house clearance in a hurry.
My skirt deserved to be worn. The seamstress, who had spent hours making it, deserved to have their work not wasted.
I had lovely soft fabric. I had a gorgeous colour to match up. I had the opportunity to wear a new outfit. I just need the courage to act, and to devote a little time.
I tried pinching a pleat at the side. I didn't want to damage the delicate silk with holes from a safety pin, so I fastened it with a hair clip with claw teeth. This held up for half an hour. Then the skirt sagged, hung lopsided - and fell off my waist onto the floor.
Finally, I grew impatient. Time to act. I savaged it with scissors.
I could not find my unpicking device. After months of it being in the box beside the sewing machine, it had been put out of the way, out of sight and was out of sight when I needed it.
I turned the garment inside out. Which seam could I slit? The zip was too good to waste. It had a secure fastening at the top.
The other side of the skirt was the option. But the seam was tightly sewn, secure.
Unpicking A Hem
I looked at the hem. I had not intended to lengthen the skirt, only to tighten the waist. However, whilst I had the garment and the scissors and the time, why not?
This was an easy place to start. The hem was secured by a glossy white ribbon. A classy costume!
If I cut the upper edge of the ribbon, I could leave it as a border. This would add further length.
Was it worth the risk of spoiling the appearance? Did I really need another two or three inches?
Yes, the skirt was shorter than I liked. Even lengthened, I needed a long slip underneath to cover my fat ankles.
First job, the hem unpicking done. Now, for the real task, unpicking the side seam.
Unpicking A Side Seam
So, I started unpicking the seam. I used nail scissors, which had a sharp point.
I thought about whether I would be damaging the nail scissors. Damage to scissors usually comes the other way around, from cutting paper, which is basically tough wood fibres, using fabric scissors. Fabric scissors are designed for delicate work on soft fabric such as cotton, made from twisting the cotton wool which grows like a flower.
The unpicking was slow. I was pulling out the strings of cotton, pulling upwards a centimeter at a time, trying to preserve the matching thread to use later.
After twenty minutes of this I grew tired. I just snipped a centimeter at a time to end the process.
Now I could overlap. Which side on top? Left over right, or right over left?
Usually, wrap around maxi skirts have a long ribbon on the side which goes on top, folding clockwise from your left to your right and ending with a bow on your right, or unseen slightly behind or even centre back.
With my skirt, the waistband already had an elastic section in the middle of the back. Often a good garment has a side pocket. This requires some thinking. Do you want to move the pocket? If so, it might be better to sew up the joining area before cutting it off. I generally avoid moving pockets. I might only wear the garment once. After I have worn it several times, and know I like it and want it to look and feel right, that is the time to make more alterations.
Securing The Waist
Options include:
1 Button and Loop
Find a large matching button. Sew on the button. Make a rolled ribbon from a ribbon with the long sides rolled and sewn together. Sew on the small loop in the right place to secure the button. Add a second button, so the skirt can be worn tighter under a top or looser with a blouse or top tucked into the waistband.
2 Button and Hand-sewn Buttonhole
Sew on a button. Create a button hole the old fashioned way. Cut a horizontal slit large enough for the diameter of the button, but small enough to hold in the button. Oversew the two long edges with blanket stitch which has a flat string along the edge securing it from fraying. That looks neat. Oversewing both short edges of the buttonhole so the fabric does not tear.
3 Two waist ribbons and slit
One long ribbon sewn horizontally at waist, matching another short one. Slit to thread the long ribbon and keep it at waist height. Use a wrap around skirt as a template. If you don't have one, look at a wrap skirt pattern online.
Alternatively, visit a department store. Go to the beachwear department. Look at wrap round skirts. Buy one to copy. Or photograph it. Or just make a mental note. Write down your findings and a sketch in your diary or a notebook as soon as you stop for coffee or sit down, or get a moment when you are alone and unobserved, even in the toilet.
4 Add a ribbon and buckle, a snap fastener, or a hook and eye.
5 Sew down the side seam. Option - Press with an iron. Option - Mark with tailor's chalk (which doesn't stain, doesn't make chalf everywhere, has a find point, and easily rubs off fabric afterwards). Option - pin edges folded down using dressmaker's pins, safety pins, or even office or home office paper clips. Sew loose edges. for a smart edge, sew down with elegant ribbon.
Useful websites
For ribbons
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Wide brim Imitation Straw Hats, foldable beach hat
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About the Author Angela Lansbury
BIOGRAPHY
Angela Lansbury B A Hons ACG ALB PM5 EH5 DL5 VC5
The Author of several books including Etiquette For Every Occasion. Wedding Speeches & Toasts. How to be the Best Man. Quick Quotations. Who Said What When.
Blogs travelwithangelalansbury.blogspot.com
dressofthedayangela.blogspot.com
translateforfun.blogspot.com
Braddell Heights Advanced Toastmasters Speakers Club Vice President Public Relations (VPPR), Previous President
Join BHA 1st Wednesday 7pm and 3rd Saturday 2 pm Singapore time
Vice President Public Relations (VP PR) of Tampines Changkat Advanced;
Secretary of weekly online Singapore International Dynamic Toastmasters Speakers’ Club;
Member and past president of Harrovians toastmasters club, UK; Past member of HOD Toastmasters, London. Past member in Singapore of: Toastmasters Club of Singapore (TCS); Tiarel; and Senja Cashew.
More details from Toastmasters International find a club.
Regular attendee at annual Swanwick Writers’ School, England.
Regular attendee at annual Writers’ Holiday, Wales.
Contributor to poetry readings, and after tea courses on: Speaking On Radio To Promote Books; and Plots And Character.
Winner of many club and area speaking contests in the UK and Singapore.
Language advisor to Empire Toastmasters club in Indonesia.
Language and speech workshops in Singapore.
Speaker on radio and TV in England, Scotland, the USA, and Australia.
Compiler of a school course on public speaking for teachers to prepare pupils for school open days with attending ceremonies before government ministers, Singapore.
Former member of Harrow Writers’ Circle, London, and two writing groups in Singapore.
Angela is on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Twitter. She would be delighted to link up with new friends.
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