Goths on a budget- a guide

[TheMeteors]

wanna know something cool? you can make your own bracers just the way you like it, the size you want it the "spiky" u want it, just buy some spikes or studs or whatever get a black leather stripe and make it up, it will be way cheaper than if you buy it in a store.  

[Keevan Draco]

learning something new at the moment...

trying to figure out how to sew 4 yards of maroon velveteen into a demi-skirt (ala venetian courtesan) with a 4 layer bustle in the very back. the fabric is 45 inches wide and is just the right width to allow the skirt to flow freely without encumbering the wearers feet...

so far...by folding the fabric in half to get a rough estimate of how much material i have to work with, I start a series of pleats that face away form each other in the dead center of the material. this should be done in overlaping layers
till you have overlapped the center material to about four layers. pin it all in place, and using a wide, slow stitch and join the material into a solid piece at the waistline hem. With the center in place, pleat the remaining material, as necessary, till you reach the desired waist size. a marked yardstick laid on the table will help you figure out how close the pleats need to be to fit your waist size.

general rule of thumb concerning making pleated skirts:
measure your waist...multiply by 3 to see how much material you may need (x4 if making grand ball garments)...add 6 inches to length for hem allowances. this allows for a 1 or 2 inch pleat all around. the smaller the pleat, the more material you may need so plan accordingly.

(Waist x 3 + 6 = yardage needed for most patterns)
(average (straight) pleated skirts: Waist x 3 +1 = yardage required)

remember...most fabric stores only carry about 42 ,46, 52, or 60 inch wide material. by pre-thinking your design ahead of time, you can save a buck or two by buying fabric closest to the width (the width of the fabric, not your width) you need for your skirt.