stitchu / sewing order / Skirt + join
Skirt + join, phase 7 of 9.
Sew the skirt, join it to the bodice at the waist matching side seams.
Build flat for as long as you can: every seam is easier to sew and press while the piece is still open. Close it into a tube (side seams, sleeves) only near the end.
Selected reference steps, grouped by garment, not a complete sewing sequence. Labels name the design choices each step applies to. Follow the full sewing guide supplied with your chosen pattern. Patterns and their sewing guides.
Dress
- Princess seams, A-line or straight skirt: Sew each skirt gore seam (center panel to side panel, matching the tip notch), pressing toward the center.
Skirt
- A-line or straight skirt, princess seams: Sew each gore seam (center panel to its side panel), matching the notch at the seam tip. Press the seams toward the center.
- A-line or straight skirt: Attach the interfaced waistband, right sides together, then fold and topstitch or hand-finish the inside.
- Gathered skirt: Attach the interfaced waistband over the gathers, then finish the inside.
- Pleated skirt: Attach the interfaced waistband over the basted pleats, then finish the inside.
- Half-circle skirt: Attach the interfaced waistband.
Ruffle at the hem
- One ruffle: Ruffle: cut the long ruffle strip as labelled. Gather its top edge with two rows of gathering stitches and pull it down to the hem length, matching the notches so the gathers sit evenly. Sew it to the hem right sides together, press the seam up, then finish the strip's bottom edge with a narrow 1 cm hem.
- Tiers: Tiered ruffle: cut every tier strip as labelled. Gather tier 1's top edge with two rows of gathering stitches down to the hem length, matching the notches, and sew it to the hem right sides together; press the seam up. Gather each next tier onto the bottom edge of the tier above it the same way. Only the last tier gets a narrow 1 cm rolled hem, the other tiers' bottom edges disappear into the seam that receives the next tier.