Skirt

The skirt has a full cut, somewhat tapered up to the waist, but it primarily fits the waist by a series of elaborate pleats into the waistband. It took a bit of practice to get the pleats done correctly, but after I got the hang of it they went by fairly quickly. After I pinned the pleats, I ironed them down (on the reverse side of the fabric, to preserve the pile on the right side), then sewed in the waistband, then sewed the pleats down for about five inches so they would lie flat over her hips instead of making unattractive bumps.

Click on the picture for a closer view of the waistband.

The skirt fits over a full petticoat or a hoopskirt. I didn't have one available to me for the photo session, so I put a pleated skirt I own on the dressmaker's dummy under the red skirt to make it stand out a bit, but it's not as full as it would be with the proper underpinnings.

The hemline just sweeps the floor when the client is standing in her bare feet, so it should clear the floor by about an inch when she puts on her shoes for the costume. In the anime the skirt is floor-length but for practicality's sake, it needs to be slightly shorter in real life. If it touches the floor, it picks up a lot of dirt on the hem, and the hem often catches on the floor and drags, ruining the look of the skirt and posing a hazard for tripping. Also, a floor-length skirt increases the possibility that someone is going to step on your hem and either rip your skirt or rip it off your body accidentally.

The seams are not finished on the inside, as yet another casulty of the need for a rush job. If I had more time, I would put in French or rolled seams, to prevent the possibility of fraying with wear. Since the client will probably have to get it adjusted after she has her baby, she can ask the seamstress to finish the seams at that time.

Click on the picture for a larger version of the image.