Simplicity 1091 Part 4 - Poison Ivy Skirt & Gauntlets

Everything for the Simplicity 1091 pattern is officially complete! The costume, however, is still not finished. Since I opted to do a different top from this pattern I still need to make that and a backpack to store all my things in. Plus add leaves to the corset, hood, and gauntlets.

The Skirt - 

The skirt was fairly easy to complete. Just two pieces sewn together. Thankfully there was an elastic waistband and not a zipper. And that the hem just needed bias tape instead of a proper hem. This made things take way less time. 

I started by using french seams to combine the two skirt panels. The top edge was turned down 3/4" and then 1/4" to create the casing for the elastic. This part was the most annoying and difficult because of the curve. I wish the pattern was for more a circle waist than an oval. I sewed all the way around except for a small one inch section so I could thread the elastic through. Once the elastic was inserted, I tried the skirt on to make sure that it fit and then adjusted the size of the elastic to where I thought it was comfortable. 

I stitched the elastic together and then closed the opening by machine. Then I tried making the gathers in the skirt even on both sides of the seams. The elastic was then sewn down vertically where the two seams are so that the elastic does not get twisted. 

The bias tape was then added to the hem and the skirt was complete!

Gauntlets - 

The gauntlets were the worst part of this entire costume. I looked at the pattern piece and thought, "there is no way this fitting my arm." Maybe I have small forearms. The pattern piece is a trapezoid with the size lines on the sides of the pattern. The top and bottom are not adjustable. This piece was almost 3 inches longer than my forearm! So I used tracing paper to make pattern that I could cut up and manipulate to fit my arm. I resized the length but the width was also a problem. It was way too wide for me. I had gotten the pattern size 14 - 22 and the 14 still had to be reduced by an inch on both sides! I have medium sized wrists, according to the Microsoft Band watch thing, so its not like I have unusually thin forearms or anything.

My first attempt put the pattern at 1/2" below the 14 line for the width. I thought this would be okay even though the paper pattern was still a little big. I went ahead and made the gauntlet and it was a massive failure. It was overlapping by an inch and the grommets looked terrible because there was not enough material to support them closing all the way when installed. So I tried another 1/2" on each side and it was still overlapping but just barely. 
 

Differences between patterns. My pattern also loses 5/8"  on the sides for seam allowance.

At this point I also had run out of bias tape. It said 5 packages were needed and I didn't throw away any huge chunks leftover from the other times it was needed. TIP: Buy 6 packages. So I scavenged the bias tape from the first attempt and just barely was able to make it work by only putting bias tape on the top and bottom.

I cut out two layers of canvas instead of one and lined it up with the top green twill with right sides together. I sewed a 5/8" seam on both sides and left the top and bottom alone. This took care of my problem with it being too wide since even my last adjusted 1/2" was still too big. I trimmed the seams and then flipped it right side out. I pressed the edges and then top stitched them. Then I drew the lines for the boning and sewed them down.

I sewed the top bias tape on and then inserted boning and left a 1/2" gap from the top to apply the bottom bias tape. 

 Then I marked grommet placement which had to be adjusted since the pattern was remade. I wish I had put them just a little bit further in and wish I would have done 6 instead of 5. But that was my fault and not the patterns.

I tried it on again this time and it fit perfect! I was so glad to get this out of the way finally!

Next I should be working on the shirt from Simplicity 1093. The possible plan after that right now is to make the Harley version of this pattern for a friend.  If/when that happens my plan is to make in depth reviews like this for the parts that are different and to just add progress updates of pieces that are the same, like the bustle and skirt, and note anything different done for that.

Parts 1, 2, & 3 can be read through their respective links.

Thanks for reading!!


Preview of the mockup of the top using Simplicity pattern 1093.