V58: The Tim Gunn Petticoat of Suck

I thought I'd experiment with matelesse fabric, a recommendation from a couple lovely readers, to get the whitework/quilted look. Unfortunately I bought too little, because I clearly had my dunce cap on yesterday at the fabric store.

I bought 1.25 yards of 60" wide, thinking that a 1:2 ratio for gathering into the waist would be enough, but it really should be a 1:3 ratio, otherwise you end up with a fabric tube, not a nice flaring skirt.

Makin' it work - slicin' and dicin'.

So in the spirit of Tim Gunn, I had to "make it work," and cut the bottom off the matelesse, added those panels into the upper part of the skirt, to make a 6 panels skirt (like it always should have been!), which created enough length all around, but left me short, very short, in the hem.

Bring on the rufflage, in this case a 13" deep ruffle of cotton muslin, same unbleached color as the matelesse, again 1:3 ratio to get plenty of gathering. Now it is a working, but I kindof hate it.


I mean...it kindof sucks!

There is at least one example of a quilted petticoat with a ruffle here:


I like that lovely red color, and perhaps I'd like my Petticoat of Suck more if I dyed it.

Or maybe it's just one to chock up to experience? What do you think?

Sometimes trying a "suck" item on, or pairing it with more costume pieces will help put it in context, but I'm still kindof "meh" about this....