Ask Angie: How do I work with chiffon?

Jules

Hi Angie!

I am new to creating clothes. Because of my height (5'9"), I can never find a long enough maxi dress or skirt, but I have always been too nervous about creating my own.

I have a beautiful maxi dress at home that I want to alter. The top is knit material and the bottom is chiffon.

What is the easiest way to cut the dress into a chiffon maxi skirt and add a waistband? I know that chiffon is not the easiest material to work with, especially for a beginner like myself. I am afraid of ruining the dress all together and ending up with nothing

Thank you!

10 years ago

Dressing

2 replies

Latest reply was from tulle

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Jules, welcome to the forum.

Perhaps our expert sewers like Diane, Apprprio and Firecracker will chime in. They can answer your question a lot better than I can.

10 years ago

tulle

Veteran

Hi Jules, until the aforementioned experts arrive, I just wanted to say that you may be in luck if the top is knit. You could simply cut into the knit 2 or 3 inches above the chiffon, fold it over on the inside, and stitch it down, leaving an opening at the back to insert waistband elastic. Then the knit would become the waistband, and you wouldn't even have to cut into the chiffon. If the dress has a zipper that extends into the chiffon part, it's a bit trickier; you'd need to remove the zipper by picking out the stitches holding it, then stitch up the seam first. I will leave it to the pros to tell you the best way to do a non-elastic waist. It is harder, and chiffon can be a real nuisance to sew.

10 years ago

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