The other day I gave a sneak peek of something I made that involved lots of ruffles. Well I finally got a good picture of it so here ya go.
I had so much fun making it. It took a little time and patience but it wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it was going to be. I had seen this one on pinterest awhile back and finally got around to making it.
Want to make your own? I promise you can. I combined about 3 different tutorials to make this one skirt!
I have used THIS tutorial to make a few skirts lately and still need to post about another one. I would read over that tutorial because that is basically how you'll put the whole thing together, minus the ruffles.
What you'll need:
4-5 yards of muslin (I alternated between natural and white)
1 yard 2" wide elastic or more depending on your waist size.
sewing supplies
The first step is easy, you need to cut out a rectangle which will be your skirt base. I took my waist measurement and multiplied it by 1.5. If you want it a little "poofier" then multiply your waist by 2. Then hold a tape measure at your waist and decide how long you want it to be. With this skirt you don't need to hem the bottom so don't worry about adding seam allowance on the bottom. Just add 1/2 inch for where you'll sew it to the elastic waist band.
Next step- I wanted this skirt to be a little rough so I ripped my muslin rather than cutting it (which may or may not be a good idea, it looks cute, but I can't really wash it-just spot wash by hand). I took muslin that was about 2 yards wide and cut many 4" strips. They will over lap so cut more than you think you'll need. To gather each ruffle I used THIS tutorial (scroll down to the movie and watch it for a couple minutes to get to the right part). It is seriously amazing how easy it is. You will start using this tutorial on anything you ruffle. Ruffle each strip.
Next step- lay your first ruffle at the bottom of the rectangle about and inch from the bottom. If your ruffle is not long enough (should be laid across your longest side) just sew 2 together, I pieced quite a few of them as I got closer to the top and you can't even tell. Pin the ruffle in place and sew it on. Continue doing that for each ruffle as you work your way up the rectangle, layering as you go.
Next step- fold your rectangle in half with the ruffles facing each other. Make sure the ruffles lay nice and are not folded over anywhere. Pin and sew shut, you should only be sewing one side, be sure to leave the top and bottom open.
Next step- Cut your 2" wide elastic to fit your waist, I usually subtract a half inch or so, it tends to stretch when you sew it to the skirt. Sew it together a couple times to make sure it stays good.
Next step- go back to this tutorial and follow how she sews the skirt to the elastic, it's a bit confusing to type out!
Next step- you're done! The skirt will look poofy when you put it on, iron the ruffles down. It actually looks better with them pressed quite hard. You may want to add some fray check to the bottom of each ruffle. I haven't and I've only pulled off a few extra strings, but this is definitely a "fragile" skirt. It can't be washed in the washing machine, unless you hem each and every ruffle.
Let me know if you make one, I'd love to see how yours turns out!
