Pretty Petticoat

This light and feminine petticoat would make the perfect afternoon sewing project.

Tutorial Written by: Thumbelina_.



I've always loved petticoats but have strayed away from sewing my own because I heard that tulle is a nightmare to wrestle into your machine. BUT THESE WERE LIES!! I found it extremely easy to sew tulle, especially because I picked a very soft kind. In fact, I found it far easier to gather and sew tulle than many other fabrics!

Anyway, here's my finished petticoat:




Feeling inspired to make one? Here's the basics...

1. First, create yourself a basic a-line skirt with a separate waistband attached. You will fill the waistband with elastic but don't put the elastic in yet!! I only had one metre of fabric, so I had to make this very ugly skirt with godets, but it doesn't matter too much since you won't really see it.



2. Now cut a layer of tulle that is slightly longer than your skirt and hand-sew the top edge together. I used a 3-metre length of tulle, which is probably the minimum. Once you've hand-sewed all the way across, pull the thread so the tulle starts to gather. It will take some time to evenly gather the tulle. Once you have gathered it, pin it along the top of your skirt, ready to sew.



3. Once your tulle is pinned (trust me, this takes longer than you may think!) sew it onto your skirt. Make sure to fold over the top edge so it's nice and neat. ^_^



4. If you need to, hem the bottom of the tulle (I used the actual edge of the tulle to eliminate this.) Now thread your elastic through the waistband and your done! If you like, sew a long strip of fabric and fashion it into a bow. I just use a safety-pin to attach it so it's not permanent.




5. For a more traditional look (and added poofiness), you could add another half layer of tulle to your petticoat. I was going to do this, as well as add lace around the bottom, but I decided against it in the end. I think the simplicity is cute and it means I can also wear it on its own.