What I learned from altering my Linea Prairie Skirts

TheOwl · ‎03-11-2010

I'm SO sad to see this skirt getting panned so badly by reviewers - and panned RIGHTLY - because I just love these skirts.

My conclusion on what is "wrong" with these skirts deals with the people who put in those elastics. I'm NOT convinced that the elastic is either "old" or "stretched out". I think somebody has their ratios wrong at the factory. Here's my experience.

I've sewn and altered clothing throughout my life and finally got tired of a lot of the construction aspects of sewing and so now purchase a lot of Louis's Linea line here at the Q because it is my favorite in style and well constructed in general. Last summer, health issues and just general busy-ness, kept me from really sitting down and doing proper alterations on the mosaic skirt and the paisley skirt. So I finally sat down with them today and did a simple fix - it takes time but its simple.

1. I removed the stitching down the center of the waist elastic. It is the only line of stitching which holds the elastic in place inside the waist casing.

2. I opened up the casing at the center back above the Linea label and pulled a section of the waist elastic out folded in half. Originally I thought I would need to remove 4 inches of elastic. In the end I removed a good 7 inches of elastic by folding the section I wanted to remove in half and stitching it close to the garment and cutting off the excess 7 inches. The elastic frays so I finished off the edges where I had cut it with tight zig zag stitches.

3. I tucked the thoroughly stitched over cut ends back into the waist casing and respread the skirts fullness along the entire waist band.

4. Then I resewed the elastic down the center all around the circumference of the waist band while stretching the skirt and elastic at the waist as I sewed. This re-anchors the elastic so it doesn't flip and roll around inside the waist casing and even spreads any skirt fulness around the body of the skirt - and stitched over the inside waistband where I had cut it to pull the elastic out.

I see absolutely nothing wrong with the elastic itself. I think they are giving us WAY too much elastic at the factory. Because even down 7 inches of elastic, in NO way is the waist band on my skirts uncomfortable or too tight. It's the way it should have been in the first place in my opinion.

NEXT, and here's the kicker, I took out my 3 prairie skirts (I got all colors and absolutely love these skirts) and remeasured. Yes, they are close to what it says in the "click here" measurements which supposedly should have been the right fit for my plus size. Then I performed the exact same surgery I did above on the mosaic and on the paisley skirts - even though they are what the "click here" measurements states. Now I love these Prairie skirts even more. There is not too much fullness in any way even after removing that much elastic. And they are completely comfortable after this surgical removal of 7 inches.

I'm SO sad at the unhappy but understandably fair rap these skirts have taken because they are just plain gorgeous. I am convinced that the factory are putting way too much elastic in these skirts. Anybody who has sewn clothing for children of various ages and sizes knows that you have to get that elastic (around the neck that goes over the head of a tee; or around those skinny little waists) SNUG enough but not too tight. The elastic in the waists on these skirts is not nearly snug enough for proper fit. What then happens? They all get sent back, Louis's skirt gets bad reviews and people get truly frustrated and spend extra money on returning and everybody is unhappy. It really gets me because after I changed over all 5 of my skirts (3 Prairie and 2 from last summer - mosaic and paisley) they are more fantastic than I had originally hoped for. And mind you, they all were the correct size to begin with. All because of - and this is my opinion here - terrible judgement regarding the elastic lengths. SOMEBODY is responsible for whatever formula is being used at the factory and honestly, I don't know who that would be. But I think they are WAY off.

Last note - I never had this problem with the bohos. What went wrong last year with the Mosaic and the paisley skirts? Why don't these Prairie skirts fit like the boho did? My conclusion is a mess-up on how much elastic. Once you eliminate all that excess elastic they stretch and recover beautifully, do NOT bind at the waist, and distribute the fulness of the skirts beautifully for the appropriate drape without bulk.

I hope somebody who can address this problem is listening somewhere. Louis? The Q? Whoever sets the requirements? This is GOOD elastic - not junk. There is just way too much of it in these waist bands. I figure I took enough elastic out of my 5 skirts to almost finish up a whole nother waistband - 35 inches of elastic! I do not know if Louis actually sews himself. I know George Simonton does because he always talks about it. But SOMEBODY is not doing Louis any favors with these elastic waists. I'd be embarrassed to tears if I made these skirts myself for a client or a loved one and then just about ruined them by putting in WAY too much elastic. Just a shame it seems to me.