Wool Gauze Skirt

Many wool gauze fabrics have an open or patterned weave, and many use a crimped or gauzy fiber, similar to a crepe. Designers like to work with wool gauze as it tends to look sophisticated and interesting while being very wearable (not too trendy or too traditional). It's comfortable to wear, breathes because it's a natural fiber, and is truly trans-seasonal. It's also easy to sew and shows off sewing details beautifully.

Materials:

1-3/4 yard of 60-inch wool gauze
7/8 yard 45-inch silk charmeuse
12-inch invisible zipper
one yard of 3/4-inch-wide grosgrain ribbon by Offray
Guterman and Belding silk thread
grid board
Vogue skirt pattern

Steps:

1. Lay out and cut pattern according to pattern instructions, with the following exceptions:
 - Use a center back zipper instead of a side zipper. It will position better on the lightweight fabric.
 - Add a second layer of the back inset (flounce) for design interest.
 - Use grosgrain ribbon as the waistband for a smoother waistline.

2. Underline the skirt so that the seam allowances of the wool gauze do not show in the finished garment. The underlining will also help support the lightweight wool gauze. Skirt could be lined in addition to the underlining to keep the seat of the skirt from bagging out.

3. Cross grain the fabric making sure that the selvedge edges are even. Using a grid board, pull a thread on the wool gauze and find a true perpendicular line to the length grain (figure A). Cut along the thread line to ensure accurate graining (figure B).

4. Layer the wool gauze over the charmeuse, with the edges even and pin. Hand-baste the two sections together with no bagging visible. Hand basting can be large and makes for easy handling of both layers.

5. Serge the raw edges after hand basting the front and two back sections before constructing the garment (figure C).

6. Before attaching the zipper, hand-baste with several rows of hand basting stitches in the zipper area to ensure that the wool gauze does not slide, stretch, or separate from the charmeuse while inserting the zipper.

7. Sew a guide seam on the waistband (figure D). Using 3/4-inch wide grosgrain ribbon line up the edge of grosgrain ribbon just covering the stay stitch and pin. Hand-baste the right side of the grosgrain ribbon onto the right side of the skirt along the waist seam line and trim the excess seam allowance (by about one-half) on the skirt. Fold in half, press then hand baste the edge for the grosgrain following the first basting line. Machine stitch along the basting, turning in the cut edges to form the overlap/underlap at the zipper closure.

Flounce
This part of the skirt where a flounce is set into the skirt (figure E), Instead of underlining the wool gauze with charmeuse, the skirt will have two layers of wool gauze. The upper layer, which is in addition to what the pattern calls for, is based on the flounce inset that the pattern supplies. Then the two layers of wool gauze are used one on top of the other and put into the skirt according to the pattern instructions.

1. Cut the under layer according to the pattern instructions, using the straight of grain down the center of the inset. For a fuller, more rippled effect on the top layer of the inset, slightly alter the pattern. Copy the pattern piece, carefully indicating the center back and any notches. When you add fullness in this manner, you have complete control over where the fullness will occur, so first make a couple of lines on the new pattern piece indicating where you want more fullness.

2. For the actual pattern alteration, draw a line indicating the center of the inlay on a clean piece of paper, and then lay the pattern piece over the top exactly matching these lines and pin the two together at the centerline. Next, slash the pattern and open up the bottom edge the desired amount. Pin the pattern pieces so they don't move around and then trace around the edges. This sort of pattern alteration leaves jagged or abrupt edges, so finally, take a fashion rule and redraw the upper and lower edges in a pleasing curve. Cut out the new pattern piece. You'll notice that the seam line where the new, fuller inset attaches to the skirt has not changed--the added fullness is in the lower edge. In order to get a fuller, more rippled effect on the top layer of the inset, slash the pattern and add a 2-1/4-inches for more fullness (3/4-inch in three or more places) (figure F). The top layer of the back inset has also been cut 3/8-inch shorter than the under layer for a full affect.

3. The under skirt for the flounce is hemmed with a regular hemstitch. The upper or top flounce part of the skirt is serged using a regular width, three-thread configuration on the raw edge(figure G). A wide width, narrow hem, or even rolled hem can be used depending on the desired affect. The flounce is hemmed before attaching to skirt. Pin or hand baste the two flounce fabric pieces together and insert into the skirt. Insert the flounce into the skirt at the seam. Finish hemming the front part of the skirt with a catch stitch into the underlining.