How to Make a Wench Skirt

A wench skirt can also be made to wear in your regular wardrobe.

Wench or peasant skirts can be worn as part of a Halloween costume or as garb for a Renaissance Festival. This simple skirt can be paired with a white peasant blouse and a bodice to complete the Renaissance look, or shred it at the hem and pair with a black top and jacket for a pirate wench costume. If you are going for a historically-accurate costume, make the skirt out of linen or wool, and wear with multiple underskirts.

Things You'll Need

• Measuring tape
• Scissors
• 2-3 yards of linen, cotton or wool fabric
• Chalk
• Sewing machine
• Twill ribbon

Instructions

1. Measure the length from your waist to the floor. If you want a shorter skirt, measure from your waist to where you want the bottom hem to rest. Measure your hips at the widest point.

2. Cut your fabric into a rectangle. It should be as tall as your waist to floor measurement plus 4 inches, and as wide as your waist measurement plus 12 inches. If needed, sew two pieces of fabric together to achieve these dimensions.

3. Determine where the center of the front of the skirt will be, based on the seam placement. Make two marks that are about 2 inches apart and 1 1/2 inches down from the top of the fabric.

4. Sew a buttonhole stitch around the marks with your sewing machine and cut small vertical slits within the stitches. These holes are where your drawstring will come out. Follow your sewing machine's instructions for completing a buttonhole stitch.

5. Fold the top 1 inch of the fabric toward the inside of the skirt and sew so you have enough room for your drawstring. Be sure the holes remain open and near the top of the skirt.

6. Sew a hem in the bottom of the skirt by folding in the bottom 1 inch of fabric and sewing.

7. Sew together the skirt on the short ends. If you want, you can gently taper the seam inward toward the top to give the skirt more shape. Trim away excess fabric after sewing your skirt together, if needed.

8. Feed the twill ribbon through one drawstring opening, around the top of the entire skirt and out the second opening. Bunch the top of the skirt to give it a full look and to tighten the drawstring. Try on the skirt and determine how long the ribbon needs to be to get the skirt comfortably off and on before trimming and knotting both ends.

Tips & Warnings

• You can add a ruffled embellishment to the bottom of the skirt for a high-class appearance or leave the hem unfinished for a peasant look.

• This skirt is easy to take in or let out if you are unhappy with the finished size.

• Make your skirt in neutral earth tones to be historically accurate, or add flair to your costume with stripes and bright colors.

References

• Francis Parker Middle School: Renaissance Costume Information
• MusAngel.net: Renaissance Costuming FAQ
• Cluck Cluck Sew: The Drawstring Jersey Skirt