Add a basic pettiskirt layer to a skirt pattern

Good, err, evening to you all!  Today I am going to share a tip on how to add a pettiskirt layer to that dress or skirt you are making or to one you may make in the future.  {*cough*cough* Holiday dress *cough*cough*} Oh!  And it is super easy to do!

Looking to see the whole outfit???  Click on the chibi witch in the picture!

I know there are tutorials about this stuff out in the interwebs already, but I just sort of did my own thing so I'm going to share what I did with you! 

You can make this in any size you need.  I am making a pettiskirt for my skirt using this same method I did for Azy's.

What you will need:

• cotton broadcloth approximately 1 yard for little girls and 1.5< for adults

• tulle (just the regular stuff) somewhere around 3 yards for girls and 5 yards for adults

• sewing stuff

To figure out how much yardage you will need to follow these steps: 

1. Use enough yardage of cotton broadcloth (or other quilting weight cotton fabric) to match the measurement of your skirt pattern's width and length, minus 2" from the length (bottom hem) so it doesn't show...unless you want that look. For these dresses, I did not).

2. To figure out how much tulle you will need, you will want to take you skirt measurement and double or triple that number (depending on how poofy you want your skirt to look) and then figure this equation out and mark these numbers down: 2/3 of your cotton broadcloth length and 1/3 of your cotton broadcloth length. Take these two numbers and double them.

To make the pettiskirt:

• Match the short ends of the pettiskirt body with right sides together to form a tube and stitch them together, then press open the seam allowance.

• Finish (zig-zag stitch or serge) the top of the pettiskirt body.

• Hem the bottom of the pettiskirt body.

• Gather the tulle tiers with two long basting stitches and pull to match the width of the pettiskirt body. When you come to the end of a strip of tulle, just overlap the next tier by two inches and continue on.

• Stitch tulle down to the pettiskirt body and remove basting stitches as you desire.

• Gather the top of the pettiskirt (if necessary*) to match the main skirt.

*I say gather if necessary in the final step because it might not be necessary to gather to top if you are just making a skirt and are adding a waistband with elastic.  If you are doing that, cut a waistband that matches the width of the skirt(s) by however long you want your waistband to go down.  Usually, that means the width of your elastic plus 1/8" ease and add in seam allowances for top and bottom (for 1" wide elastic I use a 3" long waistband by whatever the top width of my skirt is.)

Otherwise, if you are adding a zipper, factor in that seam allowance (making sure it doesn't go down any further into the two skirts than where the pettiskirt's top tulle tier starts) and gather both skirts to match the waist of your bodice.

It's a little bunch under in this pic, yikes!  But if you do the pettiskirt right, the tulle should hang over the excess amount of the folded hem of the pettiskirt body.

Okay!  I am calling it an early night because we had another looong day!  I did manage to cut out the one million pieces for Jon's coat though! Hurray!  Stay tuned for another installment of Lolita tutorials tomorrow!

Hugs & Stitches,

Kat