How to Sew a Crinoline Petticoat

A net petticoat peeking out from under a skirt

Victorian Crinoline petticoats were quite possibly the most inconvenient to wear and uncomfortable undergarment made. They had hoops of metal rings which would allow a lady's skirt to puff out nicely, giving her the desired silhouette of the day. Somewhere in history, the words "petticoat" and "crinoline" became synonymous. A crinoline petticoat of today is merely an underskirt and is much kinder on a woman's body, and much easier to make.

Things You'll Need

• 5-10 yards of tulle fabric (more, if you are plus-sized)
• Bias tape
• Hooks and eyes (2-3 sets)
• Sewing machine or needle and thread
• Measuring tape
• Pins
• Scissors

Instructions

Measuring and Calculating Yardage

1. Use your measuring tape to measure your waist.

2. Multiply your waist measurement by 2.

3. Divide the measurement gotten in step 2 by the number 13.

4. This final number determines how many yards of tulle netting you need. For example, if a waist measurement is 36, doubled it would be 72, and divided by 13 it would be just over 5 1/2 yards of fabric per petticoat.

Creating the Petticoat

1. Use your scissors to cut the bias tape 2 inches larger than your full waist measurement.

2. Use sewing pins, and begin pinning the tulle to the bias tape approximately 1 inch from the edge of the tape.

3. Pleat the fabric. The more smaller pleats there are, the fluffier the petticoat will be.

4. Use your sewing machine or needle and thread to stitch the netting to the bias tape. Line up the edges of the netting on either side of the skirt. Sew them together until you reach the bias tape.

5. Sew a small hem on the bias tape, so that no raw edges show. Attach the hooks and eyes to the bias tape, ensuring they are positioned for a good fit before permanently attaching them.

Tips & Warnings

• Tulle fabric does not ravel when cut, so there is no need to finish the bottom edges. Sometimes one petticoat is not enough to give the silhouette that is desired. Making multiple petticoats is an option, as is attaching more layers of tulle to just one. As a general rule, petticoats are shorter than the skirt they are enhancing; howeverm some people choose to allow them to peek out from beneath the hem of the dress or wear them as outerwear. If you are doing this, experiment with different colors of tulle.

• Tulle melts when exposed to heat or flame. Do not iron tulle or expose to open flame. Netting is cheap, but can be rough on the skin. An underlayer can be sewn of another fabric, or a slip can be worn.

References

• Victoriana.com - The Crinoline
• Mary's Petticoat Page
• Petticoat Pond - Do It Yourself

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish