Nylon hiking skirt
Posted: Sat Aug 22, 2009 9:22 pm
A while back, I posted about climbing Breakneck Ridge in a nylon skirt I had just made, and a few folks asked for details about how I made it, plus some pictures. A bit belatedly (I had a kilt to make, too), I am now responding.
Making the skirt.
The skirt is a basic 6-gore skirt. The outer part is 200-denier nylon, cut from a 50" remnant, and the rest (including waistband) is made from about 2 yards of ripstop nylon. Here you see it laid out, showing the gores, waistband, fly, and the lining. If you look real close, you can also see one of the pockets (it has the same lighter color as the lining.) The gores are each about 25" circumpherence at the hem and 10" at the top. The length varies from about 24 or 25" at the back to about 22" at the front.
A back view of the outer layer of the skirt, showing the gores and a pocket and the fly, is here: One thing to watch out for is that the 200 denier nylon ravels very fast. I had to run a zig-zag stitch along the edge of every piece as soon as I cut it, or there wouldn't have been any woven part left by the time I started to sew.
Pockets are put into the seam between the front and second gore on each side, and arranged to "hang" from the waistband. Because the skirt is flared, the back of the pocket ends up further from the waist when the skirt goes out, so it's a bit longer at the back than the front.
The fly is done exactly like for trousers, I just copied the design.
The lining was done just like the outer part, just no pockets, and the fly is just open (no zipper )
To see what it looks like on me, see my thread in Pics and Looks. (I've reached the limit on the number of attachments, hence the separate posting.)
One interesting thing about the 200 denier fabric is that it's not very opaque. If you shine a light from the back you get a rather clear silhouette through the fabric. The ripstop, though lighter in weight, actually stops more light. You get some interesting effects if you stand over a light, but some might consider the results too risque' for a "family website."
Making the skirt.
The skirt is a basic 6-gore skirt. The outer part is 200-denier nylon, cut from a 50" remnant, and the rest (including waistband) is made from about 2 yards of ripstop nylon. Here you see it laid out, showing the gores, waistband, fly, and the lining. If you look real close, you can also see one of the pockets (it has the same lighter color as the lining.) The gores are each about 25" circumpherence at the hem and 10" at the top. The length varies from about 24 or 25" at the back to about 22" at the front.
A back view of the outer layer of the skirt, showing the gores and a pocket and the fly, is here: One thing to watch out for is that the 200 denier nylon ravels very fast. I had to run a zig-zag stitch along the edge of every piece as soon as I cut it, or there wouldn't have been any woven part left by the time I started to sew.
Pockets are put into the seam between the front and second gore on each side, and arranged to "hang" from the waistband. Because the skirt is flared, the back of the pocket ends up further from the waist when the skirt goes out, so it's a bit longer at the back than the front.
The fly is done exactly like for trousers, I just copied the design.
The lining was done just like the outer part, just no pockets, and the fly is just open (no zipper )
To see what it looks like on me, see my thread in Pics and Looks. (I've reached the limit on the number of attachments, hence the separate posting.)
One interesting thing about the 200 denier fabric is that it's not very opaque. If you shine a light from the back you get a rather clear silhouette through the fabric. The ripstop, though lighter in weight, actually stops more light. You get some interesting effects if you stand over a light, but some might consider the results too risque' for a "family website."