How to Make Crinoline for a Flower Girl
Crinoline petticoats give special-occasion dresses their distinctive voluminous look, and this look is always appropriate for a flower girl. The petticoats are worn underneath full-skirted dresses, and their stiff materials help the dress go from flat to fluffy. The skirt's body is created from layers of net crinoline, which is stiffer than net tulle. Making a crinoline skirt is a fairly simple process, and it gives you the opportunity to customize the color, length and fluffiness desired.
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Things You'll Need
- Tape measure
- Elastic
- 1 yard satin fabric
- 3 yards netting
- Scissors
- Sewing machine
- Needle
- Thread
- Dressmaker's pins
Instructions
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1
Measure the flower girl's waistline and cut a length of elastic in that length. Add 10 inches to the measurement and cut a waistband and slip out of the satin fabric. The length of the waistband should be five inches, and the width should be 10 inches plus the flower girl's waist measurement. Below the waistband, the satin slip should flare out, because this will act as the crinoline's lining, preventing the flower girl from being scratched by the netting.
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2
Fold the top of the waistband over the elastic and sew the satin to itself, leaving the elastic free inside the casing. Pull the elastic taut until the edges of the waistband are in line with the ends of the elastic. Sew the two ends together to create a circle, keeping right sides together. Although the elastic will now be smaller than the girl's waist, this is a good thing. The stretch in the elastic will allow the waistband to stay put, ensuring that the petticoat does not slip.
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3
Cut a strip from the netting measuring four inches in height and 30 inches in width. Sew the ends together to create a circle, and ease stitch across the top of the band without knotting the seam. Ease stitching is done using the widest stitch on your sewing machine and allows you to easily gather the flounces of netting. When the beginning of the seam is an inch from the seam's starting point, remove the netting from the sewing machine and pull the top threads taut to gather the fabric.
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4
Pin the gathers in place when the band reaches the same width as the waistband's fabric. Sew the netting in place onto the satin, ensuring that the satin does not gather as you sew.
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5
Cut second, third and fourth strips to act as the lower tiers. Each layer should be the same height of four inches, but the second tier should be 35 inches wide, the third 40 inches and the fourth the full 45 inches wide. Sew each strip into a band and, beginning with the second tier, ease stitch and gather the netting. Sew the second tier to the hem of the first, the third strip to the hem of the second and so on. This will make a wide, voluminous crinoline skirt for your flower girl.
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Tips & Warnings
If the flower girl's dress is tea-length, make only three layers of netting to ensure that it does not stick out the bottom of the dress.
References
Resources
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