jillmc

I have tried to make my own pattern for a circular Christmas tree skirt, and failed miserably! I purchased a McCalls pattern today, and I need to lengthen each piece by 6". Please Help! 😳. Thank you!

nativetexan

I would just add more paper on each piece bottom and use a ruler to make six inch marks, move mark a dash line, move mark a dash line. then draw your curved line. then use a longer ruler to mark the sides of the pieces. should work fine. give it a try.

tessagin

I would take a piece of gift wrap tissue paper and tape your patter to the tissue paper. It usually comes in 20x30" sheets. Make sure the pattern piece is smooth as best as you can. If you tape a pencil to a ruler and a stiletto or another pencil 6 inches apart on the bottom and follow the curve. That should work. Newspaper would work but has ink. Tissue paper or freezer or even parchment. A brown paper bag may work also. Just extend your markings. Another way to make your tree skirt is to take your fabric and fold in quarter on the diagonal then round the bottom. many patterns for making a tree skirt. Just trim the way you want. Pretty much the same way you would make a round table cloth.

Eva Knight

I would iron the pattern first. Somewhere cut the pattern in half. Using some kind of paper, tape the top to it. Measure 6 inches down and tape the other half. Draw a line to bring the sides to a matching point, you may have to move the seam line a little but this should work.

Barb in Louisiana

I don't think this will work like you think. When you cut the pattern in half and move it further down, you don't add to the circumference (the outer circle) so what you will get is a cupped effect unless you put more pieces in the skirt.

The way I add to length on an item that must lay flat, is like nativetexan. I put some type of paper under the ironed pattern and then just draw the side lines an extra 6 inches. Then taking a ruler, use the outside edge as a guide and mark all around the circle. This will give you a pattern with the same amount of pieces, but larger circumference.

Forgot to add: either tape the extra paper to the original pattern or pin it together. You don't want it to move as you are cutting out the new size pieces.

Tartan

Tape or glue your pattern to a big piece of paper. Lay a ruler on the straight lines and extend then 6 inches out onto the new paper. Using your ruler, measure 6 inches from the curved line every 1 inch or so and put a dot 6 inches out from the curved line. Once all the curve is extended out with dots, connect the dots for your new curved edge. I did a diagram if you can see it.[ATTACH=CONFIG]518326[/ATTACH]

BETTY62

I agree with Eva Knight and Tartan.

jillmc

Thank you all very much! Tartan, I am a visual learner, so thank you VERY much! ��

I have altered garment patterns in the past by splitting the pattern and either adding or subtracting paper....I didn't think that would work for this project...glad I asked!

Jingle

I agree with Tartan. This is how I lengthen things.

rainbowzebra

A pin or tack, a string and a pencil will make a perfect circle every time. Make the string as long as you want for half the circle, attach one end of string to tack the other to pencil. Push tack into something for center, stretch string out go around in circle. Depending on how big you want the circle, an old sheet works well for big circles.