Circle skirt question

[Aniseteph]

Can anyone give me some advice on how to store a circle skirt? I know they can stretch on the bias, but if they've been left to hang long enough before hemming are they then OK to be stored hanging? Or do they keep on stretching? :think:

 

[belly_dancer]

they ALWAYS seem to keep on stretching.... I just hang mine (cause JUST WHO is going to iron my costumes??) & go for the purposeful ripple-y hem look!...

 

[Aniseteph]

:lol: Thanks. I suspected as much. The purposeful wobbly hem look is not a million miles from my crumply T-shirt look - ironing can't be ecologically friendly (that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it).

Ironing a circle skirt... just thinking about it is bad enough. rotest:

 

[Salome]

Hange the top of the skirt on a hanger as you normally would. Then take a second hanger, put the skirt through the middle of the hanger and run it up about halfway. You keep it from stretching and also minimize wrinkles this way as it's still hanging.

 

[Safran]

Hange the top of the skirt on a hanger as you normally would. Then take a second hanger, put the skirt through the middle of the hanger and run it up about halfway. You keep it from stretching and also minimize wrinkles this way as it's still hanging.

That is a great idea, Salome! Thanks for sharing! I sometimes use one or the other option, but never thought of combining them.

 

[Shanazel]

Before I hem circle skirts, I hang them for a couple of weeks and shake them vigorously every day to encourage them to go ahead and stretch. I know, the mental picture of me furiously shaking my skirts and shrieking, "Sag, darn you!" is a startling one... It does seem to help, though.

 

[Aniseteph]

Wow, thanks for all the ideas.

The skirt in question is one I bought, with beaded/sequin trim all round, so I hope it was pre-shouted at to make it stretch . Seems OK so far, but I think I'll give it the extra hanger for a bit more support. :clap:

 

[Marianna]

When I make my circle skirts I also often wash them in the washing machine, if I don't want to wait for weeks of hanging.
I don't hem it, I could but then I would make extra work for myself because it does strech while it's being washed and dried. It frays a little, but I need to trim the bottom anyways.

If I hang it - I am very impatient - I also dip the bottom in water (about half of the skirt) hang it above the bathtub and put clothespins on the bottom for weights. It dries in a few hours, and I repeat this step a few times. This way a few days of hanging is ok.

I store some of my skirts on hangers, and some in the plastic bins with the corresponding bra-belt. If the skirts is beaded (designer costumes) I hang it for a couple of hours before performance, but normally they are not wrinkled.
If they are, I put them in the dryer.

My veils do get wrinkled easier, and it is much more noticeable. It looks really bad when you do sensuous, beautiful veilwork with low dimmed lights / spotlights on you and the winkles show up twice as much. A few minutes of drying takes out the wrinkles and does not damage the fabric nor the sequins / beads.

Marianna
Marianna - Authentic Belly Dance - San Diego