A Tutorial on Ruffled Tiered Skirts
Ruffled tiered skirts are easy to wear and are a casual look for warmer months. They became popular during the 1970s peasant-style trend, and due to their versatility, they have remained a wardrobe staple for many women. These skirts are relatively simple to make, although calculating the tier widths and lengths can be difficult. Fortunately, a variety of formulas and automatic calculators are available on the Internet for just this purpose. Tiered skirts do not require advanced sewing skills and can be sewn in a few hours.
Things You'll Need
- Sewing machine
- Needle
- Thread
- Fabric
- Scissors
- 1/2-inch elastic
- Pins
- Iron
- Safety pin
Instructions
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1
Take measurements. Measure the waist and the approximate length of the skirt. Hip measurements generally will not matter for this skirt style, as it is not form-fitting.
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2
Cut the fabric. Cut strips of fabric for each tier. Each strip of fabric should be approximately the same width. For instance, if you want a skirt that is 20 inches long, cut five strips of fabric that are approximately 6.5 inches wide, as you will need to account for hems and seam allowances. The top tier should be 10 inches longer than the waist measurement, and each subsequent tier should increase by at least 7 inches over the previous one.
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3
Sew an elastic encasement. In the strip for the top tier, fold just over 1/2-inch of fabric, press, fold over again, press, pin and sew. Insert the elastic after the skirt has been fully assembled.
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4
Baste the remaining tiers. Using the widest basting stitch on your machine, sew a straight line across the top of one tier 1/4-inch from the edge of the fabric. Pull the threads on either side of the tier to gather to match the measurement of the tier above. Gather the fabric evenly across the threads. Repeat for each tier.
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5
Pin the tiers and sew. With the wrong sides of the fabric facing each other, pin the second tier to the first. Pin the gathered edge of the each tier to the ungathered edge of the tier above it. Sew, leaving at least a 5/8-inch seam allowance. Repeat for each subsequent tier.
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6
Hem the bottom tier. Turn at least 1/4-inch of fabric to the wrong side and press. Turn again and press. Pin the hem and sew.
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7
Sew the back seam. With the wrong sides of the fabric of the skirt facing each other, pin the back seam and sew, being careful not to sew the elastic encasement together.
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8
Insert the elastic. Measure the elastic to the wearer's waist measurements and add at least an inch for comfort. Attach a safety pin to one end of the elastic and work around the waistband of the skirt. Sew the ends of the elastic together, overlapping by 1/2 inch. Using a needle and thread, sew the elastic encasement closed.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit sewing machine image by pavel siamionov from Fotolia.com
