Tell me how you would put a trim on a skirt please

[lavendersun]

I want to put some cording on a skirt I am making - sort of like this but simpler (which is actually the last skirt I bought).

www.whitestuff.com/womens/skirts/moonstone-skirt/

How would you do it - would you draw a pattern on tracing paper and then transfer it to your fabric with carbon paper.

I suppose I need to make it so that I get the same number of designs on the front and the back.

Anyone know any good tutorials? I will look through my books again but I don't remember seeing it in any of them.

[poppyinstitches]

you could draw it on a soluable fleese and lay the cording on top - use a zigzag stitch over the top. or here's a you tube clip on using a cording foot

[MxTiggyD]

With a stapler. The question should be "How should you..."

[lavendersun]

Thanks very much Poppy, I have a cording foot and another one that allows three strands. I have only ever done straight lines before and wasn't sure how best to repeat the pattern so that it matches and actually get it on the fabric.

Have you done it before? I bought some lovely hand dyed threads/yarns today which I am going to have a go with.

Do push on MxTiggyD.

[cate16]

I'd just draw the basic shape with a disappearing pen (tested first obviously :) ) Then do the swirly bits freehand- but using a marker (piece of card or similar) to keep the loopy bit even?
Mind you- you might have to work quickly as some of the pens vanish very quickly.

[lavendersun]

Thanks Cate, I gave up on disappearing pens a while back - I have had several but every time I came to use them they were dried out.

I am going to have a go at tracing it, the pattern won't be as full as on my WS skirt so I think I need to keep them looking the same so I will draw the lines on with chalk.

[RavenRose]

If you want them all the same tracing would be the way. I would draw out the design then lay it under a sheet of clear plastic - document folder or such. It's wouldn't need to be really thick. Just something you can see the design through. Then trace off the design with a tailors awl or hole punch so the design is traced out in a series of dots. When you place it on the fabric rub chalk over it so the dots come through and you can them join them up?

Carbon paper underneath would do the same thing but I can't get on with it. Most of what I do is black and it never shows up!

The designs look sort of victorian to me. So the above is nicked from how they did it.

[lavendersun]

Thanks Raven, I thought of tracing to begin with. I use carbon paper a lot. I have got yellow, white and blue and can usually make it work.

I am severely lacking in the creativity dept which is why I wondered if there must be another way to do it! Sewing is old to me, thinking of something that isn't on a pattern is definitely not and I am terrible at it!