Bowie Six Godet Skirt
Designer Notes
Bowie is a skirt I made designed and made myself a while ago while I was learning pattern drafting originally and is one of my favorite skirts. This version corrects some mistakes I made and provides a few more options for the final skirt.
What You Need
To make Bowie, you will need the following:
- Basic sewing supplies
- About .75 meter (.8 yards) of a suitable main fabric (see Fabric Options)
- About .75 meter (.8) yards) of a suitable contrast fabric (see Fabric Options)
- About .5 meter (.5 yards) of suitable lining fabric (see Fabric Options)
- A length of elastic
Fabric Options
Main Fabric
Bowie expands on the single godet used in Gale to not only allow the wearer to walk, but to make the skirt fuller. This was designed with a stretch/knit fabric in mind.
By increasing the extra waist ease to 0% and adding a zipper at the side seam, a more rigid fabric may be used
Contrast Fabric
Contrasting color/texture fabric with similar properties to the main fabric. It need not be the exact same type of fabric.
Lining Fabric
A stretchy main fabric would not require a lining per se, but having a lining of a similar fabric to the main,if not the main fabric as well, for the waistband parts benefits the lay of the skirt. This could be made fully reversible by adding a lining fabric to the other parts of the skirt.
A stiff main fabric would require a light lining fabric that allows the body to slide over it easily. Silky fabrics are the go to choice as they are lightweight and slippery. For this construction, all parts of the skirt should have a lining.
Cutting Instructions
Main Fabric
- Cut one front waistband parts.
- Cut one back waistband parts.
- Cut two side front parts
- Cut two side back parts
- Cut one front part
- Cut one back part
Contrast Fabric
- Cut two of each of the three godet parts.
Lining Fabric
- Cut one front waistband parts.
- Cut one back waistband parts.
When you cut out a piece on the fold, remember that the fold does not need to be in the middle of the fabric. Choosing the placement of your pieces wisely can greatly reduce the amount of fabric you need for your skirt.