8/6/2023 0 Comments Diy broomstickIf necessary, realign the pleats at the bottom. Once you have finished tugging those pleats, remove the safety pin and carefully pull the panty hose completely over the bottom of the skirt. Doing this allows you to straighten out the pleats as much as possible. Move both hands in the same direction, working your way around to all layers wrapped onto the broomstick. Using both hands, tug on the skirt hem every 1"-2", forming the pleats. You are just marking a beginning and ending point. Place a safety pin in the hem at any spot on the outer edge. Gently pull the leg of the panty hose down over the skirt, leaving 4"-5" of the skirt's bottom exposed. Don't stretch out the waistband while wrapping. After wrapping, hold the skirt in place with the rubber band wrapped tightly around the waistband. Get out the broomstick and wrap the waistband around the top end, keeping the waist level as you wrap. Give yourself some space the first few times you do this. I use the top of my washing machine, but my skirts aren't that voluminous and I've done this process many times. The skirt should not be dripping wet when you finish. Spray the entire skirt with the starch mixture. Or, hang the skirt on a hanger over the bathtub or outdoors. Lay out the damp skirt on a flat surface and spread it out as much as you can. The amount of starch depends depend on a number of factors: the fullness of the skirt, the thickness of the fabric, and the amount of stiffness you want. Don't use starch on velvet, just pleat it without starch. Mix equal parts water and liquid starch in a spray bottle. You can put the skirt in the dryer for a short time until damp. Wetting allows you to use less starch and also helps the fabric absorb the starch evenly. Run the skirt through the rinse cycle of the washer and spin dry, or dampen the skirt by thoroughly spraying it with water. Panty Hose (an old pair is fine), cut off the legs.Clean Broomstick or Large Dowel, 1-2 feet longer than the skirt,.Sta-Flo Liquid Starch (or equivalent brand).You can imagine what might happen in a more humid climate. It puts too much starch into the skirt and will probably mildew before drying, even in a dry climate like New Mexico. I've heard of people dunking their skirts into a sink full of starch. That skirt is the one that appeared at the beginning of this post. Yesterday, I pulled out an old tiered skirt to show you and the pleats were still in it. You can also pleat without starch but the pleats will last longer with starch. If the fabric has been prewashed, starching it won't hurt it, but test a scrap first if you have any doubts. Also avoid fabrics with lycra or spandex in them. Polyester or polyester blends do not pleat well. Remember, this technique works best with lightweight natural fibers such as rayon, cotton, or silk. So I'm providing the basic method that you can use as a jumping off point. I've developed my own refinements to the method, but I've done this many, many times over the years. ![]() I learned how to do this when I took a class from Nancy L. I also pleat the skirts I make from the Leslie's Broomstick Skirt design. This one was made using the LJ Designs Ultimate Broomstick Skirt pattern. I think this one took at least 5 yards, maybe more. As you can see, there's a lot more fabric in it. I used a lightweight cotton ikat for this one. The skirt below is the traditional tiered style. The pleating (or "brooming") changes the look and helps to control all of that fabric. Especially with a tiered skirt, the sheer volume of all that fabric can be overwhelming. The more bends and knots the better.The distinguishing feature of a true broomstick skirt is the pleating. I recommend going for a hike and finding your perfect handle. Choose any branch that is long enough for the handle.
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