The Ruby Slip #2 – Cutting the Bias Skirt

Let’s move on to cutting the skirt portion of the Ruby Slip.  If we want the bias skirt to hang nicely, accuracy is paramount here!  In this tutorial I am cutting my black Ruby Slip, which I thought I ironed especially for the photo…..

The best way to cut the skirt is in a single layer right side up, and I’ve provided full pattern pieces so it is easy to do this accurately.  By the way, if you don’t have your free Ruby Slip pattern downloaded yet, all the details are here.

You will need a cutting area the size of your fabric – if you don’t have a large cutting table then use the floor (I do!)  If you do use a table, it is important that there is no cloth hanging off the end – this will drag the grain out of alignment and cause distortion in the hang of the skirt.

I’ve read all sorts of things about tissue underlays and tissue overlays, but I get the best cutting results the old-fashioned way – by chalking around the pattern piece with tailors chalk, so this is the method I will describe.

When you spread your fabric, it is imperative that the horizontal and vertical grainlines of the fabric are square across the whole piece.

• The selvedges and lengthwise grain should be parallel for the full length of the cloth – my floorboards came with a handy grainline!  They are nice and slippery too which makes the cloth ‘float’ into position.
• The horizontal crossgrain must be perpendicular to the selvedge across the piece, examine the grain closely.  If you have plenty of cloth you can tear it into two blocks, one for each skirt piece, to assist in squaring the crossgrain.
• There should be no ‘bubbles’ – gently smooth them out so the grain remains square.
• At this point the cat usually comes along and has a lie down!
• Place some weights on the fabric so it stays in place as you work, you could tape the selvedges in a few spots too if that helps (use Magic Tape), removing them when you start to cut.

Lay your pattern pieces on top Right Side Up, taking care not to disturb the grain.  The grainline arrows need to be parallel to the selvedge, so measure from each end of the arrow to the selvedge, and adjust until the distances are equal:

Lay a couple of weights on top and start chalking around the pattern piece. Chalking takes a bit of practice to become skilled at – and to be honest doing it on the bias isn’t the easiest place to start – but once you have the knack it is really proficient.  No more pinning and unpinning, and no more little wavers where the pins created a bump!   Here are some random tips:

• Chalking is easiest with card patterns. It is possible with copy paper, almost impossible with tissue!
• Place some pressure with your fingers near the edge of the pattern, and the fabric will be held firm by the paper as you sweep with your (sharpened) chalk. Use a ruler on long straight edges.
• Press in towards the pattern piece as you chalk to form an accurate outline.
• If the cloth starts moving, press more lightly, you don’t need a bold line.
• Sweeping in some directions is easier than others because of the grain – changing direction can help, as can shorter strokes.
• You can see brief glimpses of the real thing here in this video to give you the idea.

Don’t forget to chalk the notches at this stage – once the panel is cut and lifted it is hard to remark them accurately, and they are really important for attaching the bodice correctly and sewing a nice side seam.

Also remember to chalk the strap pattern piece now – the measurements for this are provided in the sewing instructions, and a metre rule will be helpful for this.

The great thing about chalking, is that the cutting lines are marked directly on the fabric so you know exactly where to cut, even if the fabric subsequently moves – and lets face it, if you are cutting a single layer of slippery fabric it is going to move the moment you slip the blade of your shears under it!

You can remove the weights for cutting out, it doesn’t really matter if the fabric moves a bit once it is marked – in fact you could pick the whole piece up and turn it around and your chalk marks will still be in the right place!

For the record, you cut the inside line of the chalk, where the edge of the pattern was.  Clip the notches 3-4mm into the seam allowance with the tip of your shears.

Once you have cut a piece, fold it in half right side in and place a small chalk cross on the reverse so it is easy to tell right from wrong sides.  Try not to overhandle the pieces and distort the grain, and don’t hang them up either, just leave them lightly folded for now – ok, you can quickly hold the front up against yourself to admire how your new slip is going to look for a moment!

A few miscellaneous notes:

• Quite a few of you are asking about an FBA, and yes I will show how this is done.  If you are forging ahead yourself, keep in mind that the underbust region needs to remain large enough to slip over the bustline, so the skirt will need altering also.
• I don’t recommend using this pattern for a stretch fabric if you plan to cut the CF/CB on the lengthwise grain, the skirt is designed for a bias cut and will not hang correctly.  However you could try a lightweight blouse fabric with 2% lycra in it and cut it on the bias.
• You could make adjustable lingerie straps using bra rings and sliders, or you could use purchased ribbon for straps.  

Tomorrow we get stuck into the lace – Happy Cutting!