written instructions BELLE WRAP SKIRT

These instructions are an outline of steps, If you need more detailed instructions refer to the video tutorial. TIMESTAMPS ARE marked throughout FOR EASY REFERENCE.

madelabel.co/studio/Belle-WRAP-SKIRT

CHOOSING YOUR SIZE To choose your size, we recommend measuring your waist at the point you want the skirt to sit, and factoring in around 1cm- 2cm of ease (extra space) for comfort. As this is a wrap skirt and you custom add the buttons, so there is a little flexibility in size. The hip measurement should also have around 1-2cm of ease factored in. Again there is a bit of flexibility in size due to the wrap style of the skirt. We always recommend sewing up a sample out of an old duvet or some scrap fabric that you have around, even if it’s just the two top sections (two front top panels, top back panel). The skirt can be made at mini, midi, or maxi length, and to help save paper, you can also check out which pages you will need to print if you are making it to a shorter length than the maxi. MATERIAL Woven - Non-Stretch - For a floaty skirt choose a lightweight woven fabric with a good drape such as Rayon or Viscose. A heavier weight woven fabric such as linen will also work, creating a straighter & more structured silhouette.

3.10 how to cut mirror cut pattern pieces Lining up the grainline with the selvage edge, NOTIONS cut the entire way around the pattern. All LIST OF THE THINGS YOU WILL NEED: mirror-cut pattern pieces must be cut with a = Material (check your pattern for meterage) mirrored pair. You can either cut these one at a time, flipping the pattern to face the wrong = Matching thread way up on the second cut, or fold your fabric in = 4 or 5 x 2cm buttons half and cut both pattern pieces at one time on = 1 x 1cm 2 hole button folded fabric. = iron-on interfacing = Pins (recommend lace pins for rayon) = Tape measure & sewing ruler = Rotary cutter, mat & weights (or scissors) = Machine with ability to sew button holes

The skirt can be sewn with a four or five button detail and the skirt can be sewn to a midi, mini or maxi length.

4:22 HOW TO CUT PLACE ON FOLD PATTERN PIECES For ‘place on fold’ pattern pieces, fold your fabric in half along the selvage edge, making CUTTING OUT THE PATTERN sure the folded edge is an equal distance from PIECES your selvage to get a straight fold line. **When cutting out the pattern make sure to cut along the yellow ‘CUT HERE FOR WRAP Then line up the ‘place on fold’ line of your SKIRT PATTERN’ line at the waistline of the pattern with that folded edge. Cut around the front and back skirt panels. pattern, except for the folded edge. The extra area you are cutting off is to create **It’s also a really good idea to put the sewing this pattern as a dress with any top in the mix labels on the waistband and the tie as the and match collection. pieces look very similar.

PAGE 2 stops it from warping when you handle and store your patterns during the project. Once complete, press the stitches in place.

sewing buttonholes

8:41 PRESSING BUTTON BACKING

5.20 cut the button backing SIDE SEAMS Choose whether you want to make a skirt with With the right side of your fabric facing up, four or five buttons. Of course, you could make press the right and bottom side of your button it with no buttons at all. backing in 3/8” (1cm). Sew the corner point with a mitered style edge (but with one fold Using either a pin or some type of punching only). If you need further instructions on this tool, punch holes at the start and end check the video timestamp 9.00 buttonhole marks. Make sure to cut out the button backing with the right side of your fabric facing up. Using an iron-off pen (we recommend Friction Pens), mark the fabric for each of the pre- punched holes. Use the marks to draw in your buttonhole guides. These buttonholes are set up for two- centimeter wide buttons. Follow with marking the top and bottom points of the button hole with tailor’s tacks to avoid losing the marks while ironing.

10.40 ADDING IRON ON INTERFACING Trim away any extra threads from your tailor’s tacks. Place the interfacing bumpy side down, onto the wrong side of your fabric fitting it underneath the folded edges. Use a damp cotton cloth over the button backing to press the interfacing. Once glued, you can then use the tailor’s tacks to drawn the button hole guides back in.

7:46 ADD STAY STITCHING 12:41 SEWING THE BUTTON BACKING TO THE SKIRT Next, you want to add stay stitching down the hem side of the skirt. Sewing a straight line of With the wrong side facing up, the button stitching around a 1/4” (1/2cm) from the edge backing will be sewn onto the left side panel. of the fabric. Before we sew the button backing on, press a double-rolled hem down the length of the skirt Stay stitching is a regular line of stitching with the stay stitching. along the very edge of the pattern piece that PAGE 3 two layers of fabric, with the button guides drawn. If you are new to buttonholes we have a few handy tips in the video tutorial at timestamp 15.52. **If you’ve never sewn a buttonhole on your machine before, we suggest googling the name of your sewing machine with ‘how to sew buttonholes’ to find a more in-depth tutorial for your particular machine.

19:36 SEWING THE REAL BUTTON The double-rolled hem should have a total seam allowance of 3/8” (1cm). Start by rolling Once you are happy with your test the hem in around 1/4” (1/2cm) and pressing it buttonholes, go ahead and sew the in place. Then come back and roll the hem in buttonholes on your skirt panel. again another 1/4” (1/2cm). A little tip, when you are sewing the buttonhole **A little hack, if you are having trouble with a at the top of the skirt start at the end of the section try dampening the fabric so it’s almost buttonhole and sew it backward, as it will wet, as it will make it much more pliable. allow the machine more material to grab onto. If you make a mistake we recommend tiny embroidery scissors instead of a seam ripper to unpick. It allows you to cut the threads instead of pulling them, which will cause less damage to your fabric.

assembling the skirt

Next, trim back the raw edge of your button backing so it has a nice straight edge. Taking that newly cut edge, slide it under that double rolled hem, pressing it firmly against the crease and pin in place. Sew the button backing in place, leaving the top edge unsewn.

15:33 SEWING A TEST BUTTONHOLE 21:10 JOINING THE PANELS WITH We suggest a practice run of sewing the FRENCH SEAMS buttonholes, especially if you are new to sewing buttonholes or just a little rusty. Join the back skirt panel to the two front skirt panels using French Seams with a 5/8” (1.5cm) It’s best to exactly replicate how the seam allowance. Check out 21.10 of the video buttonholes will be sewn, in this case, you for a detailed walkthrough of French Seams, should have interfacing sandwiched between

PAGE 4 but for reference, the first seam should be 3/8” 28:40 SEWING THE TIE (1cm) and the second seam should be 1/4” First, sew the tie that’s going to sit on the (1/2cm). outside of the waistband. Once sewn press the seams forward. Fold the tie lengthwise with right sides together and then press. Sew 3/8” (1cm) seam along one end and outside edge of the tie, leaving the other end open. Trim back to 1/4” (1/2cm) then turn the tie right way out, pressing the sewn seam to the outside edge.

23:36 SEWING MITERED CORNERS + DOUBLE ROLLED HEMS Sew mitered corners on both corners of the front skirt panels, using the 3/8” (1cm) rolled hem allowance. If you need step-by-step instructions, view timestamp 23.40.

30.10 SEWING THE WAISTBAND 26:40 FINISH OFF REMAINING HEM TOGETHER WITH DOUBLE ROLLED HEM If you are new to sewing we recommend Once the mitered corners are complete, checking out timestamp 30.10 to see how the continue to press the double-rolled hem final waistband looks and closes, which will around the rest of the skirt using the 3/8” (1cm) give you a clear vision of what you are working allowance. towards. Finish the hem by sewing a line of stitching You can see from the above image, with on the inside edge of that double rolled hem. the right side of the fabric facing up, the Then give a good press. ‘waistband back’ will be in the center. To the left side of the ‘waistband back’ join the ‘waistband side’ sandwiching in the sewn tie. sewing the waistband On the right of the waistband back you will join the ‘waistband side with tie’ which is the longest waistband pattern piece.

31.13 JOINING THE WAISTBAND BACK AND WAISTBAND SIDE WITH TIE With right sides together, pin the join.

PAGE 5 33.50 SEWING A BASTING GUIDE ALONG THE TOP OF YOUR SKIRT With your stitch length set to four, sew a line of basting 3/8” (1cm) from the raw waistline edge of your skirt, stopping between each side seam. This stitch line will act as a guide when pinning the waistband. Stopping at each side same also allows you to use the basting to gather on the back skirt panel to perfectly fit the back waistband panel should you need to 31.10 SEWING THE WAISTBAND gather it in slightly. BACK AND WAISTBAND SIDE (WITH SANDWICHED TIE) This seam is where you will sew the tie into the waistband. As per the above image, with attaching the waistband the right side of your fabric facing up, add the to the skirt tie on the bottom half of the waistband (that is from the halfway point of the join). This is 33:43 PREPARING THE important as once you fold the waistband over WAISTBAND the skirt, you tie on the outside edge. With wrong sides together, fold the waistband in half the entire way along the waistband. As the tie is going to sit on the front (or outside) side of the skirt, this will indicate the front of the waistband.

The seam edge of the tie should be facing toward the bottom of the waistband and there should be 3/8” (1cm) space between the end of the tie and the bottom of the waistband, as On the (longer) side of the waistband that this will folded up later. includes the tie in the same pattern piece, With right sides together and the tie you want to mark 1” (2 1/2cm) past the point sandwiched and pinned in place. where the waistband ends and tie begins. This is because you only want to fold/press the Sew both waistband seams with 5/8” (1.5cm) waistband up to this point. seam allowance, reinforcing the tie area by backstitching across that area. Finally press **For ease of reference. In the video/images, both seams open. we’ve used triangle notches to demonstrate

PAGE 6 this, but you should mark with a pin or tailor’s Make sure the overhang is even (around 2mm) tack (something that isn’t going to iron off). along the pressed waistband.

Once you have marked this, on the front 38:18 PINNING THE WAISTBAND, side of the waistband, turn up the bottom ALONG THE BASTING STITCH edge, 3/8” (1cm), and press in place. On the Open up the waistband and pin the raw edge ‘waistband side with tie’ only press up to the of the waistband, along the guide basting line, marked point where the waistband ends and right sides together. Start at the side-seam the tie begins. of your waistband that sandwiches the tie, making sure the tie is on the outside of the skirt. The reason we pin along 1cm from the top of the skirt is to use the extra fabric of the skirt to give the waistband more stability without the stifness of an iron-on interfacing.

37.00 FOLD backside of waistband Then fold the backside edge of the waistband, over the front edge which will give you around an extra 2mm of ‘overhang’ on the backside of the waistband. Again, you only need to fold up to the point where the waistband ends on that marked point.

Pin the entire way along the waistband, pinning one section at a time. When you do reach the buttonhole, make sure that the folded line of the waistband (which is what you will sew along) sits around 2mm above the buttonhole. If you have to go a little bit above Once you unfold the waistband you should see that basting stitch that is totally fine. a little bit of extra overhang on the backside.

PAGE 7 41:43 SEWING THE WAISTBAND the waistband, pinning in place as you go. You TO THE SKIRT might find it helpful to cut away a little bit of Using the folded mark as a guide, stitch the the extra bulk just at the side seams. waistband to the skirt. Once sewn, check your Once you reach the buttonholes, make sure waistband is still sitting around 2mm above that the back folded edge is covering that line the buttonhole once folded up. Press in place. of stitching but is just kissing the top of that buttonhole and not covering it.

42.46 SEWING THE END & TIE OF Where the tie and waistband meet you will THE WAISTBAND have a little section without stitching. Pin at First press the tie area, right sides together. the start of that section, and this is where you Pin in place, then sew a seam 3/8” (1cm) away want to start your stitching. from the raw edges. Trim back the excess For the final line of stitching, use a technique fabric, then flip the tie to be right side out, and called ‘stitch in the ditch’. Stitching in the little press the seam to the outside edge. space between the skirt and the waistband. On the other side of the waistband, finish If this is the first time doing this, we suggest the waistband in line with the edge of the checking the timestamp 47.25. Press to finish. skirt. If you need further steps here check out timestamp 43.31. 48.59 ADDING BUTTONHOLE ON WAISTBAND

46.15 SEWING THE BACKSIDE OF On one side of the skirt, you have the button THE WAISTBAND closure, on the other end of the skirt you Pin the backside of the waistband so it covers want to add a buttonhole. On the very edge the line of stitching that secured the front of of your waistband sew a buttonhole for a 1cm

PAGE 8 diameter button. For more in-depth steps 54:36 SEWING THE FRONT DETAIL checkout timestamp 49.00. BUTTONS 50.13 Cut all the buttonholes open. Sew the front buttons onto the marks, making sure the buttons holes are all lined up the same way. When sewing on buttons we use a little hack, using an object like a bobby pin sewing on your buttons to place between the button and skirt while sewing it on, then winding the thread around the base of the button before tying it off. This creates a more secure button and also makes it easier to fasten. Check out timestamp 54.36 to get a detailed walk-through of sewing buttons on with this technique.

57:18 SEWING THE BUTTON ON THE WAISTBAND Finally, you want to sew the button onto the inside of the waistband. You want to clip or 51:06 FITTING THE SKIRT ON hold the outside of the waistband so the YOUR BODY stitching can’t be seen on the outside of the Try on your skirt and mark where you want waistband. For more detailed steps checkout your waistband button and front closure timestamp 57.18 buttons to be. #BelleWRAPSKIRT Make sure that you have the skirt sitting at the point of your waist where you intend to wear it as it will change where your buttons will be sewn on. For lightweight fabrics, you may wish to add a stabiliser to where you will sew the buttons to stop the fabric from damaging as you wear it. For full steps on this check out timestamp 51.44.

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