How to Sew a Gathered Bed Skirt

Lightweight fabric can be sewn into a bed skirt with a sewing machine.

You can make a gathered bed skirt of any size or color in a few hours with the help of a sewing machine. Contrast the color with the bedspread and coordinate it with the color of the bedroom curtains and throw pillows for a decorator look. By tightening the tension on your sewing machine, you can streamline the skirt gathering process. Practice on scrap pieces of fabric until you have mastered this time-saving gathering technique.

Things You'll Need

• Lightweight scrap fabric
• Tape measure
• Sewing machine
• 1 2/3 yard 90-inch wide white muslin
• 6 1/2 yards 45-inch wide lightweight fabric
• Straight pins
• Scissors
• Thread

Instructions

1. Tighten the tension on your sewing machine and sew a row of stitches about 1/4 inch from the edge of the fabric. Gently pull on the thread from one side of the fabric (either the bobbin or the top thread) to gather the fabric. Practice gathering the scrap fabric until the fabric is gathered to 1/2 its width.

2. Using your tape measure, measure the width and length of the box spring and add 1/2-inch to each measurement. Cut a piece of fabric to these measurements for the skirt platform, which will be placed between the box spring and mattress on the bed.

3. Measure from the edge of the mattress to the floor and add 2 inches. Cut the skirt fabric to this length and as wide as possible. Sew the widths of fabric to each other, right sides of the fabric facing each other, with a 1/4-inch straight seam until the skirt fabric is 220 inches wide.

4. Hem the bottom edge of the skirt by turning the fabric over 1/4-inch twice, pinning and sewing a straight stitch on the sewing machine.

5. Sew a length of stitches along the edge of the fabric opposite the hem. Use the previously practiced tightened tension technique to gather the bed skirt fabric to half its width. Pin the gathered skirt to the skirt platform, right sides facing each other, and sew a straight stitch with a 1/4-inch seam. Stop the sewing machine at each corner (with the needle still in the fabric), lift the presser foot and turn the fabric to a right angle. Lower the presser foot and continue sewing the seams.

Tips & Warnings

• These instructions are for a queen-size bed. The same technique can be used to make a bed skirt for a twin, double or king-sized bed by measuring three sides of the bed and doubling the measurement for the gathered skirt.

References

• "Singer Sewing For the Home"; Cy DeCrosse Inc.; 1988
• "Sewing Projects in an Afternoon"; Susan Mickey; 2005