Pleats and Panels Skirt Tutorial, Part 2: Cutting the Fabric

  Today's post is going to be a bit shorter... all we have to do is cut the fabric. We are working on this skirt:

  We made our pattern pieces yesterday, finishing with the pleat piece dimensions, but we will be cutting the pleat pieces first, since they take up the most fabric. I managed to make this skirt from just over 2 yards of 56" fabric, but the cutting would have been MUCH easier with more. If you are using a light weight fabric like quilting cotton, you will also want about a half yard of fusible interfacing. I didn't use any since my fabric was a heavyweight denim.
  So for the pleat pieces, fold your fabric with selvedges on both sides even. You may want to re-cut the edges perpendicular to the selvedges so they are perfectly even. Then from the cut edges, measure up your pleat height (18.5 inches for me) and mark that height from the cut edge in several places.

 Line a straightedge up along those marks and mark a straight line across your fabric, then cut. Since I was using a rotary cutter and cutting mat, I had to do this in sections... I just cut part of the fabric, slid it over some, folded the excess, and cut again.

  My pleat width was close to the width of my fabric, so I cut the height the entire way across, then measured the width I needed (53.5 inches) and cut off the extra.
  Next, the main panel pieces. To get the most out of my fabric, I kept it folded with selvedges together and cut the piece out one direction:

   The wider part of the pattern is lined up with the cut edge here.
  Then I flipped the pattern piece upside down, with the slimmer part lined up lined up with the cut edge and the angled edges matching the angle I just cut and cut around the other two edges, like this:

 This works because the angle is the same upside down or right side up. Flip it one more time and cut again so you have a total of 6 pieces, then start on the waistband pieces.
 Cut two of each waistband piece, the front ones on a double layer of flat fabric:

  For the back waistband pieces, fold the selvedges together and line the straight edge of the piece up with the fold, cut, move the pattern piece down along the fold and cut again. I have NO idea where the pictures for this step went.
  If you are cutting interfacing, you will want to cut one out of each front waistband piece, and one on the fold for the back waistband piece.
  Now you have all your fabric cut out... 2 pleat pieces, 2 of each waistband piece, and 6 panel pieces, also one of each waistband piece in interfacing if you are using it. All you have left is sewing them together!
  See you soon with a post about sewing your skirt together. =)
EDIT: For part 1 of the tutorial, making the pattern, go HERE
For part 3 of the tutorial, sewing the skirt, go HERE
  Thanks for stopping by,