I'm planning this for Ame



And as you can see has some massive skirts. Obviously the fact that there are three layers will help bulk them out a bit, but I suspect there will be more to it than that. I'm going to see if I can find a suitable pattern over the bank holiday weekend, but does anyone have any suggestions on how to make skirts stand out from the body like this?

Ailsa-chan, what you need to do for the pattern is make great big circular type skirts, the easiest way to do this is cut lots of strips of fabric that are thinner at the top than the bottom, (think like giant triangles but without the top point) when you've sewn them together is should give you a nice full skirt.

To get the extra volume you can get some netting fabric (think ballerina tutu type stuff) and sew it in between the layers of your skirt, it comes in loads of colours so you can get some that matches, and if you don't want it showing, just stop it at the knee and let the rest of the skirt cover over it, it should have given you enough volume by that point!

Also remember that thicker fabric might be the first thing you think of, but it might weigh it down too much, not helpful when you're doing an uber sized skirt!

Hope that helps, and at least makes some sense!

Yep, the netting is the way to go (I believe the correct name for it is "tulle" ). It's scratchy stuff, though, so you might not want any on the innermost layer, unless you're going to have your knees and thighs covered.

tulle! that's the word I was looking for! serves me right for typing before I had my coffee!

I cant see the dress as the work net access is blocking it *shakes fist at screen*

I by the sound of it im picturing a victorian long skirt type thing and i thought they used petti cotes?

They look easy enough to make a fat bit of elastic for a waste band and ruffels of mesh or netting sewn to it...

or i could be completly wrong lol

maybe a crinoline might help?
i've done a couple of petticoats for my loli dresses and found that a bit of hoopage never hurts,

i'm having the same problem as mike and cant see the image but from what i remember she has a slight bustle effect with a huge bow on the butt.. (is that right?)

most victorian dress patterns have instructions on How to make a bum roll, (its like a sausage of wadding with ties at each end) that you tie around your waist which also gives a good effect, i know fabricland has a goot patters for it otherwise i'll try and find mine for u (or nab one off my mum

I REALLY look forward to seeing this Ailsa-chan! After Taro, Rozalin was my favourite character in Disgaea 2. Are you going to wear this to the ball?

With so much fabric you may well need to go for a hooped crinoline petticoat as a normal tulle or lace petticoat will just get squished down under the weight.

They sell a lot on eBay (I went petticoat shopping recently and there are so many ridiculously cheap bridal crinolines on there)

Yep - definite ball material.

Thanks for the advice. I think I'll poke patterns and look at netting, and then I can get a petticoat if needed.

Circle skirts are the way to go! This pattern might help: Butterick 4114

There's also a few similar patterns in GOSU RORI magazine volume 7. You can order it from the company I work for (it's a bit expensive though):
http://www.otaku.co.uk