What Lies Beneath? - Les Hoops

 

             Why Hello There Peeps! So here is a brief description of the hoop skirt that I made in an effort to make my Halloween costume just that much more dramatic. 

1) I set 6 long vertical strips into a wide waistband.  Mine is 3" high.  I backed it with a horsehair fusing.

2) The hoops are made from a mid weight tubing I got at Home Depot.  The tubing didn't want to hold its shape so I ran a mid gauge wire through it.  THAT HELPED!

3) I used 5 hoops and spaced them evenly down the vertical strips.  Getting the sizes of the hoops just right took some finessing and patience..

 

In order to keep the weight of the skirt on tmy natural waist I should actually wear a waist cincher or corset.  It makes your waist smaller and your hips will become a makeshift shelf that your hoops and skirt can rest on.  In order to save me time I used eyelet tape (which I had lying around.  Love it when I don’t have to buy shit) and sewed two vertical rows side by side. (I only topstitched on the outside edge so I can still lace through them).  In order to maximize the amount of eyelets I could lace through I offset each strip as shown in the illustration.  As you can see on the form I laced it as a normal shoe or corset alternating between the inner and outer strip of tape.  So when it’s pulled tight it acts as a bo-bo waist cincher!



              For my center back closure I opted for a “Topped On” zipper.  This is being done a lot in contemporary fashion in order to use the zipper tape as a decorative element.  This is great if you want to use a contrast color tape or beautiful zipper finish.   It’s pretty easy.  All you have to do is:
1) Baste your seam closed where you want to place your zipper. 
2) Press open your seam allowance
3) You will sew straight across the bottom of your zipper to clean finish it.  You place your zipper where it will finish.  Flip your zipper vertically so it is right sides together (the zipper should be hanging down toward the hem of your garment)  After sewing the bottom you will press up into place and have a nice clean finished bottom.
4) Edgestitch up both side tucking the bottom allowance under the zipper.
5) Cleaning the top edge up will depend on how your WB is finished. Usually a 2 piece waist band is best so you can sew the top edge into the lining seam.

Philip – In Brooklyn