Dear Costume Goddess,

I am trying my hand at making a 2-layered, chiffon, handkerchief skirt, and I've found your 8-point skirt advice most helpful! However, since I'm very new to this, I was wondering how to sew the hem of the skirt to give it that "puckered" ruffled look. Do you just edge-stitch it like usual and let the natural folds of the skirt give it that tousled look? Or is there a trick to working with this material? To see what I mean, check out the skirt in this picture of Stevie Nicks.

---Fabric Freshman

Dear Fabric Freshman,

I'm betting that Stevie Nicks is wearing silk chiffon. This is softer than synthetic and drapes quite differently. You can find it in the nicer fabric stores in colors, and the price varies a lot. I buy silk chiffon for a low price in white online and dye it.

Also, she may be wearing her handkerchief skirt cut on the bias instead of the straight grain of the fabric. This would stretch slightly when sewn, creating that rippled appearance when hanging. And the edge hem is extremely small. Stevie Nicks might have a rolled scarf hem, which is done on a specialized serging machine. I just bought a special foot to do this for my own Juki serging machine.

--The Costume Goddess

Other articles on this web site that you may find helpful include:

Ask The Costume Goddess: Making An 8-Point Skirt. How to make one.

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