Sewing Skating Dresses

[NYSk8Fan]

I noted the number of times I heard at Nationals that "her mother makes her dresses" and I am wondering where to find resources to learn how to handle those kinds of fabrics, etc. I have sewn a lot of dresses, jackets, pants, etc in the past but I know these fabrics require a different kind of skill. Plus I am sure that I would need different features on my sewing machine - which I am about to replace anyway. Does any one have a suggestion for where to start learning this?

[skaternum]

Making your own skating clothes is great, because you get exactly what you want and it's unique! Here are a couple of resources:

http://www.sewingwithspandex.com/
This has links to lots of different articles.

http://www.specialtysportswear.com/
This a "system" of patterns for skatewear. They're wonderful! There is a manual you can buy to go with it that includes fitting tips, alterations, etc. You can mix & match the various skirts, sleeves, bodices, etc.

Good luck!

skaternum

[Clarice]

I do all my daughter's skating dresses, both for practice and competition. I just sort of plunged right in, and learned as I went along. Most people seem to use a serger for this kind of sewing, but I don't have one - just a good stretch stitch on my regular machine. So far, so good! Fabrics can be a little tricky - make sure there is stretch in both directions. Some fabrics, like panne velvet, only stretch in one direction, and generally don't work as well. The selection at local fabric stores is usually quite limited. I tend to buy fabric from specialty houses, either at competitions or through mail order. There are all kinds of patterns available, but most require some kind of alteration. For instance, if the skirt is cut the same length all the way around, it will look too short in the back. I always alter my skirt patterns to be a little longer in the back. And the patterns in regular pattern books usually have skirts that are too full. Instead of using 4 panels to make a skirt, I usually only use 2 and alter the hip line (you have to make that top opening bigger by lowering the hip line, but then make up the length at the bottom of the skirt). At the moment, I live by Kwik-Sew's Swim and Action Wear book, which I use as a base to draft my own patterns. The cool thing about home sewing is you can adjust or combine patterns any way you want, to get exactly the effect you want, or to fit the skater better. I sewed for one little girl once who was very tall and very thin, so she couldn't find commercial dresses that fit - everything was too short or too baggy. We drew the patterns to be the width of one size, but the length of another, and it worked perfectly.

[NYSk8Fan]

You guys are great. Thanks for all the things to think about to get me started.

[Lee]

Kwik-Sew patterns are great -- easy to work with and easy to alter. I made all of BD's dresses except for 3 that we bought over the years (when I was working and didn't have the time to make them).

My first attempts were rather pathetic, but as I went on, they got better and better. Some of the last ones I made were quite nice (buffing nails on lapels...:P).

I don't have a serger either -- just a really good overlock stretch stitch on my Kenmore machine. I'd pick up fabric in the big stores when it was on sale -- remnants are good -- and the special stuff when I had a certain thing in mind.

Clarice is right -- be wary of the stretch in the fabrics you buy. I learned a few things by trial and error, but in the end, they all worked out.

The neat thing about all my 'practice' with skating dresses, is that BD asked me to make her grad dress last spring. It turned out quite nicely -- she's already said she wants me to make her wedding dress when the time comes! ;)

[arena_gal]

First a friendly word of warning. once your club gets wind of the fact you sew you'll be approached about working on the carnival/showcases because someone has to make or alter all the outfits for the learn to skates.

I use a regular machine that I've had forever, it does have a stretch stitch but I don't use it much. I sew almost entirely with a straight stitch, changing the stitch length to suit the fabric and stretchability. I also use a twin needle (stretch twin from Schmetz) extensively for all the topstitching. I took a serger class this summer, was thinking of buying one but decided that I didn't sew enough to justify the cost of a serger, and really I wanted a serger AND a coverstitch machine, to heck with converting it back and forth.

Get the Kwik Sew book, it is invaluable. Don't bother with the few skating dress patterns as published from the big pattern companies, they might be OK once you have experience, stick with Kwik Sew for starters. Then once you have confidence start looking at the regular clothing sections of the book. Would that halter top pattern work? Use it and just add a panty and a skirt to it, using stretch fabric and calculating the ease on the top accordingly. There is so much in the regular pattern line that once you get the idea of making a stretch bodysuit, then making anything out of stretch fabric is possible. Clarice's points about cutting the skirt shorter in front are so true, I've been caught on that, by a girl who played hockey too and skated like it, her bum was pointed out so much that the front of her skirt was at her knees.

Fabric can be interesting. The average fabric store doesn't stock the fabrics that you see in ready made dresses. That stuff is made for the manufacturer. However there are specialty sources that have nice stuff, and it just takes a lot of looking to build an inventory of fabric you like. I bought stretch velvet in six colors this year, there was a huge sale at the regular old store who had it in stock for holiday season so I bought, um, most of their stock. It will not go to waste. But besides this, I look for regular lycra, stuff with interesting patterns or designs, stretch chiffon, heavyweight lycra, bathing suit lining, sheer skin tone and sparkly sheer skin tone. The current trend is varigated dyed chiffon skirts, like Sasha Cohen's blue/gold dress this year. Besides my velvet stash, I don't have much of the other stuff, less than 2 yards, because dresses don't take much.

About trimming. Look at Michaels crafts for fabric dyes, this is how the varigated skirts are done, on plain white fabrics. Also pick up a Bedazzler and a selection of crystals. Or you can sew on glass beads, or mail order some Hot Fix crystals and iron them on. It is possible to be too overdone on a dress, or too busy, be careful.

I know a lot of moms who sew for their skaters, and some are really really good, and some are god awful (especially moms of boys), because they're making outfits for an eight year old, and that child doesn't have the maturity to skate into the dress' concept as imagined by the mom. A junior boy dressed as Elvis in white jumpsuit was the cringer of the year.

I'm rambling. However, with the proper fabric and a good pattern, it is quite easy to sew a basic practice dress with an average machine. Give it a try and have lots of fun.