How to Make a Little Girls' Skirt With Tulle Hem

Sew several layers of tulle underneath the hem for a peek at a rainbow of color.

Create an adorable and trendy skirt for your little princess from some of your favorite satin fabric and add a ruffled layer of tulle around the hemline to add some flamboyance to the bottom edge. The tulle will give a simple A-line skirt a flared and feminine twist. Hide the tulle beneath the edge of the fabric or let the tulle peak out from beneath the skirt for an even more decorative finish.

Things You'll Need

• Soft tape measure
• Tailor's chalk
• Satin or chiffon fabric
• Sewing machine
• 3/4-inch-wide elastic
• 6-inch-wide tulle ribbon
• Towel
• Iron
• Straight pins

Instructions

1. Measure around the child's waist and add 1 inch to the measurement. Draw a line of this length across the top of your fabric with tailor's chalk. Find the center of the line and measure down 19 inches from this line. Make a tiny mark. Draw another line equal to twice the waist circumference. Draw half of the line on either side of the center mark. Draw lines down the sides of the fabric to connect the right and left ends of the lines. Cut out the shape.

2. Fold the skirt fabric in half, right sides together, and sew a straight stitch down the edge with a 1/4-inch seam allowance to make the side seam.

3. Fold over 1/4-inch at the bottom, wide edge of the skirt and iron along the fold. Fold over another 1/2-inch and sew all the way around to create a finished edge for the satin bottom.

4. Fold over 1-inch at the top, narrow edge of the skirt and sew all the way around to create a waistline. Leave a 1/2-inch gap open next to the side seam.

5. Cut a piece of elastic to the child's waist circumference and slide the elastic through the gap at the waistline. Sew both elastic ends in the gap and then sew the gap closed.

6. Multiply the waist circumference by 4 and cut a piece of tulle ribbon to this length. Fold the ribbon in half to make it 3 inches wide and sew a 1/2- to 3/4-inch wide stitch along the edge opposite the fold. Pull the thread to gather the tulle to twice the circumference of the waist.

7. Place a towel over top of the gathered edge of the tulle and iron on a low setting to lay the edge as flat as possible.

8. Pin the gathered edge of the tulle to the underside of the satin hem of the skirt. Pin the tulle about 1/2-inch from the bottom edge, just over top of the folded fabric at the hemline, so that about 2 1/2 inches of the tulle is peaking out from the bottom of the skirt. Sew a straight stitch through the edge of the folded fabric and the tulle.

References

• "Little Girls, Big Style"; Mary Abreu; 2010
• "Make Your Own Twirly"; Klutz Press; 2006