High Waisted 'Tree Branch' Skirt

Greetings all! :D Here is my in-depth look for how I made my high-waisted 'tree branch' skirt.

This is an original steampunk-lolita inspired outfit. I tried to make it a bit subtler than some lolitas, less frills, a bit more mature looking. The steampunk elements lie in the jewellery and the colour scheme. Lots of creams and browns.

The skirt I handmade, the top is actually a dress that I bought in London at Lily J. (And I take no credit in making it obviously.)

The wig I bought online for the outfit. It is a very fun wig to wear. Not styled in any way.  I love the curls. :D

I plan on jazzing this costume up a bit for future wears. I plan to add a petticoat to give the skirt more volume and possibly a hat. :D

I started off with the waistband. Taking my measurements and dividing them into 4 equal sections. Then adding the extra inches for seam allowance and dividing the back panel in half, adding enough seam allowance to put in the zipper.

(Notice how I made things easier for myself here: with 5 panels I can have both my zipper not put in on a curve, and no seam in the center front.)

Above are the panels for the skirt sewn together. I wanted to give the skirt volume.

I had limited fabric for this project. Here is my original concept sketch, along with all the math behind this skirt. Because I had such limited amounts of fabric, I had to plan out how I would use the fabric so that I could make the most of it, and not end up short.

I sewed the waist panels together.

I put in a layer of interfacing to stiffen it and allow it to stay up better.

Finishing all my seams...

I did a basting stitch along the wait of the skirt piece, pulling the thread and cinching the fabric until it ruffled. Once it was the right length (matching the bottom of the waistband) I evened it out and tied off the thread.

Because I had the same number of panels on the waistband and skirt pieces, I was able to easily distribute the ruffled fabric by aligning the seams. This helps to ensure symmetry. 

I decided to line the waistband. By creating a matching set of panels in white broadcloth and attaching it to the top.

The backs seam was then closed and a zipper basted into the back before getting machine stitched.

Beauty, eh? >:D

Next the inner lining was tacked down and ditch-stitched into place. 

Neat and tidy! >:D

At the convention, my mum took a few pics. :)













Special thanks to Mike Kowalek of Eleventh Photograph for the awesome photoshoot! Click here for more pics! :D