We took a convertible bra and then we covered half of it in lace that matches the lace bottom on the skirt which we created from one of our high-low skirts. The wonderful thing about the high-low skirt is when you turn or move across the floor, there is a flow to it, a movement to it that is higher in the front, which allows you to show your legs, and then is longer in the back. So, it gives the skirt a little bit of a dramatic flow to it. We picked the convertible bra because you can do so many things to the back.
This is one of my favorite costumes. Stephanie is a beautiful girl and I cannot wait to see her dance in this outfit. Whenever I create something, I really like to see it in action. Seeing it out on the dance floor being worn by the person whose vision I was trying to fulfill, is a really special feeling. So, if you are interested in doing something like this, this just might be the video for you.
Supplies:
- High-low skirt
- Lace trim or appliqués
- Matching thread
- Needles
- Pins
- Scissors
- Sewing Machine
Directions:
- Choosing Your Materials
For this skirt, I have picked a high-low skirt that is higher in the front and longer in the back. What I like about this skirt is that it is really full. The other thing to choose is the lace trim to create my appliqués since most individual appliqués are too small and I would need to purchase several to continue all the way around the back. Since appliqués are more limited in variety, are more expensive and you would need several, I have chosen to use lace trim and cut it down to create one long appliqué.
- Preparing the Skirt
We are going to change up the waistband on this skirt by moving the back seam of the skirt to the side. That turns the high-low skirt into an angle skirt where one side of the hem is higher and slopes down to the other, lower side of the hem.
I am going to fold the waistband in half at the back seam and put a pin in that back seam. I am then going to put in pins in the top of the waistband and the bottom of the waistband in the fold across from the back seam. Then, if I match those pins right up to that back seam, I will have the waistband folded in half again with the seam and the pins in the middle front of the waistband. I can then put pins in the top and bottom of the waistband at each of the folds on the sides. I now have the waistband sectioned off in fourths with the seam and the three pins equidistant from each other.
Next, I am going to gather up the sides of the waistband at the back seam and the two side seams. I am not going to gather the front of the waistband. I am going to allow the front to flow down freely. Starting with the back seam and using matching thread, I am going to hand sew a running stitch from the bottom of the waistband to the top of the waistband. I want to make sure that these running stitches run straight up so that they are perpendicular to the top of the waistband. I will then gather these running stitches by pulling the threads in those running stitches. Obviously, I need to make sure that I have placed a knot at the top and the bottom of these gathered running stitches. Next, I will use the same procedure to gather up the waistband at the two sides of the skirt. Now that I have the waistband gathered up at the center back and both sides. When the front and both sides have been gathered, it is important to double check to make sure all of the pins have been removed.
Now, using the sewing machine, I am going to sew over the gathers to reinforce these gather. Additionally, sewing over the gathers with my machine will cause the waistband to lay a little bit flatter in those spots. It is important for the gathered areas to remain flat in order to accommodate the lace trim and it does not bulge.
Since I am using lace trim, I will need to trim the length of the lace trim so that it is the proper size to go around the back from one side to the other. It is usually pretty easy to determine the area you want to cut away from the lace trim in order to create the desired shape and size. With the lace trim that I have chosen, I am going to end up with a point equidistant around the bottom of the length of the trim. My lace trim has cording outlining the designs and it is very important that I do not cut through the cording. Therefore, it is best that I use small, very sharp scissors.
Sewing Appliqué to Waistband
Since the lace does not stretch, I will need to just tack the trim down in various spots along the waistband. To make sure that it gives properly when putting the skirt on or taking it off, it is very important for the girl to try the skirt on to determine the placement of the lace trim on the skirt. It is imperative that the lace trim is placed on the waistband so that not only do the ends cover the gathered stitches at both side seams but they overlap the gathered stitches equally, i.e., if one end protrudes over the gathered stitches and side seam by one inch the other end should also protrude over the gathered stitches and side seam by one inch.
Once the girl has put the skirt on, I start pinning the trim in its proper place as outlined above. First, I pin down one end of the lace trim over the gathers above the side seam and then continue to pin the rest of the lace trim on the back of the waistband until it reaches the other side seam. Since the girl is wearing the skirt, the waistband will be stretched out. However, it is essential that you do not stretch the lace trim and just lay the trim across the waistband. While it is crucial for the lace trim lie snugly over the waistband, it is also important that it not be too snug. After the lace trim has been pinned at both side seams and the back seam, pin the lace trim down over each of the clusters with the points below each cluster pinned down.
With the lace trim pinned to the waistband at each of these spots starting with one side seam and ending at the other side seam, it is time for the girl to remove the skirt so that the lace trim can be sewn to the waistband. It is key that the lace trim is sewn down around each of those clusters with the points at the bottom of each these clusters sewn down so that they do not turn up or flap around. With the lace trim sewn down at those appropriate spots, the trim will bunch up a little when the skirt is off but will be kept in its proper place when it is being worn without any bunching.
Now, there we have it – a great new look to what was once just a plain high-low skirt!
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Thanks again. For watching our video and remember – be original, be colorful, bdancewear.com.
Love DIY posts, especially when they come to dance! My daughter dances at http://www.triplethreatdanceperformers.com and I love trying DIY costumes. Thanks for the post Cyndi!