Corded Hoopish Skirt

Yesterday we had the occasion to dress up as Pioneers for a care center. My parents came with, and my mom wore her old Pioneer dress from 1997 with my sister's puffy wedding slip underneath. It looked great! Since my petticoat is a little too long, I thought I could sew another tuck into it to pull it up a bit. Then I had a better idea. Why don't I sew some "runners" (isn't that what they're called? You know some narrow tucks) into it and feed some flexible, but somewhat stiff something through it?

So, the kids and I swung by the hardware store, saw some electrical wire, vinyl tubing, other tubing, then I wondered, what about that weed-whacker string stuff? So, that is what I got! There's a little bit of twist in it that I could do without, but maybe it will relax.

Too bad I just have to take out the wire/string now, since I really don't need a fuller skirt for my duties at TITP.

Now I just need to figure out a good way to tighten the waistband of my dress!

If you want to do make a corded or hooped petticoat the the real way, see Elizabeth Stewart Clark's, The Dressmaker's Guide!