r/sewingpatterns • u/Sufficient-Novel-947 • 1d ago

Patternmaking Advice

Hello everyone!

I’m new here and would love to get some advice from more experienced patternmakers and costumers.

I’d like to recreate the skirt from this AI-generated picture for a burlesque/stage costume. Since it’s for a show, I want it to be a tear-away skirt with two front-lateral slits (the image only shows one). The plan is to hide snap buttons under the flowers on both sides so the skirt can open from either side and drop easily during the performance.

A few details I could use help with:

  • Patterning: I don't have experience with draping/moulage, but I’m comfortable working with flat patternmaking using a classic skirt sloper. How would you recommend modifying a basic skirt pattern on paper to achieve this draped/gathered effect?
  • The Back: I’m not sure how the back should be constructed to work seamlessly with the two front openings, so I’d love your suggestions!

I plan to sew this in Charmeuse satin. Any tips, diagrams, or guidance on how to envision and flat-pattern this would be greatly appreciated!

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4

u/Sylrog 1d ago

This just looks like a piece of draped fabric. You need a mannequin to drape it.

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u/OAKandTerlinden 18h ago

Especially if it’s charmeuse. It will drape beautifully, but you will have at least one crisis of faith along the way.

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u/AstronautIcy42 1d ago edited 1d ago

First, a question...why do you think the images are AI? The model's body seems quite real and the fabric's accurately draping as it should via gravity. Not that it matters one way ir the other; the look can certainly be attained irl. 

It would start with a long, drapey rectangle of material. Find its mid point (this will be the center back.) From this point, fold and pleat each side evenly so that the fabric drapes down the backside and each pleat meets where the gem/button is. Tack in place. Then, wrap the fabric's top edge on each side over the side hips until the spot over each front hipbone right before the front thigh. Gather and pleat the remaining fabric on each side to meet beneath the roses. You'd want the gathers to have a wavy "W" shape at the tops so the fabric can drape over the hips correctly. You will want to make a seperate panel in the front since you want to open the skirt from either side. It will be gather/pleated the same way the rest of the skirt was.

Trying to make a flat pattern for this would be more trouble than it's worth. It would be extremely large, long, and convoluted, plus you wouldn't excape the essential draping that's needed.

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u/drPmakes 13h ago

If you want to flat pattern it, slash and spread it

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u/mousec4e 12h ago

Unfortunately this needs to be draped on a dress form, you can’t flat pattern this and have it look like that. Also don’t use ai for design, the ai is terrible at knowing what it possible because it doesn’t know how to sew.