Handmade hoop skirt with handmade bow pearl trim. Original piece by Veronica McNally.
What started with a conversation of my dumping ideas onto my friend Levon in the school library last October, has manifested into my reality just this past month.
Creating the hoop skirt.
To calculate the circumference of each hoop, I added ¼ of the radius of the prior hoop starting from my waist measurement.
I didn’t want to use traditional boning so I researched different ways to create a hoop skirt. I came across this one blog that suggested using ¼ inch a pex pipe tubing. So I fully went to Home Depot.
To create the bones in between each hoop, I used zip ties.
I’ve heard that zip ties aren’t the best substitute for boning either (I now see why). They are very flimsy and being that zip ties are made from plastic, they bend very easily. However, I wanted to stick with whatever supplies I already had. I hot-glued two zip ties together for each “leg” to give it some weight.
The plastic tubing I bought from Home Depot was rigid but held a curved shape once I attached the ends.
I melted the ends of the plastic tubing with my rhinestone-decorated lighter (not the safest technique).
To hide the messy look of melted plastic, I encased every piece with black cotton.
I hand-stitched the same black cotton fabric used in making the bows, around a 1.5-inch elastic waistband.
This was surely one of the more tedious pieces I’ve created. The process was very repetitive, I felt like a machine.
I spent an estimated $50 on supplies.
I created the bows from an array of materials.
I used the remaining couple yards of black linen wired ribbon and satin ribbon. To save money on ribbon (because that be expensive … go to Michaels) I cut dozens of 12×2.5 inch strips from black cotton that I had leftover from a previous project.
I created each bow to have a length of 5 to 6 inches so I cut strips that were 12 inches. After a while of cutting, my eye started to recognize the length and I began to freehand halfway through my process. I noticed not all the bows were exactly the same size when I started to sew the beads on. This actually played in my favor being that I didn’t create my measurements based on the circumstances of each hoop.
Once I sewed the ends of each fabricated zip tie to the hoops, I balanced the hoop skirt across two sticks. This gave me an elevated workspace as I adhered my trim.
Inspiration ~
My inspiration for this piece was a pearl bow trim I created last year. I sewed this trim onto a top in an off-the-shoulder fashion. I love how the look of pearls and bows connotate a simplistic elegance; one that isn’t flashy but surely stands out.
I like to think that I’ve reclaimed myself in everything that I do.
With each project I take on I learn more about myself. The challenges I face with my work environment, time management, and school work-life balance, are all factors in my work, not obstacles.
When I take on a project I tend to block out the world and focus only on what’s in front of me. Although this may seem like the best strategy for getting things done, it also has its disadvantages. I lose sight of my own well-being and let school assignments pile up like nothing. I’m still managing how to keep a positive attitude at home as well.
These are all things that add to the value of my work, the sacrifices I’ve made, and the blisters forming on my hands; I continue to create as means of healing myself.
My only competition is the person I was yesterday.
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