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1. 

   

   This is the pattern I created to make my bustle skirt. You can use it as is, or change it up a little.
   
   These instructions are super detailed, I'm basically walking you through what I learned along the way, so skip ahead if you're comfortable with some of these steps.
   
   Decide where you want the waistband to sit - at your waist or hips, and measure that circumference + add a little bit for seams. I wanted mine closer to my hips and I wanted to use a tab-over belt-like closure to make it adjustable and add a little rustic flare, so I added a few inches to my hip measurement (42"). If you want to use a zipper or something else, you won't want to add that extra tab.
   I wanted the skirt to come all the way round in the front and then to have extra layers on the bum. I also wanted my skirt to be about 18" long (finished length), with three ruffles on top of the full base skirt. In general, to make ruffles, you want to cut the rectangle to be at least 3 times as wide as the thing you're attaching it to, or wider to get adequate puff. Thus, the full skirt width is 3 x 42 = 126". The other three ruffles just sit on the bum, thus only go about 1/2 way round the waistband: 42/2 = 21 x 3 = 63". You don't have to be too exact about this though.
   Then to create the layered effect, the ruffles should be different lengths, I just divided it out equally. Full skirt = 20", and the other three = 15", 10", 5".

2. 

   

   The little rectangle on the pattern below the waistband is just a little strip I cut out to attached a band of lace to. When I was putting all the pieces together without this piece, I felt it looked too plain :) So I cut out a 42" x 2" piece of taffeta and sewed lace onto it.




3. 

   

   Once you've got everything cut out. Take your 3 ruffles and cut a curve into each end. I did this pretty roughly. You can then create a quick easy 'hem' by folding over the bottom twice (because it kind of frays) and ironing it. The great thing about fabric like taffeta is that it holds an ironed edge really well. BUT!! Be sure to use a piece of clean cotton or something in between the iron and your nice fabric, especially if your iron doesn't have a non-stick surface or if there's anything nasty melted onto your iron (like mine), so that your nice fabric doesn't get messed up.

4. 

   

   Flipping over to the right side of the fabric, pin the lace edging all around the bottom and curved edges of the 3 ruffles + the little 2" long piece (over your ironed hem). Its easier to do this now before you ruffle your fabric. Don't attach the lace to your full base skirt, unless you want to keep it its full length. I wanted mine shorter in front, but I didn't know how to cut that shape until I had it put all together. So I waited to cut & lace that piece.




5. 

   

   Now its time to ruffle!!
   On each layer (full base skirt and 3 ruffle layers) one at a time, sew across the top of the fabric. Use a straight, long stitch and DON'T do the backwards stitch at the beginning and end that you'd normally do to keep your stitch from coming undone. Once you've sewn the length, pull on either the top or bottom thread on each side, and you'll see that your fabric starts to bunch. You might want to try this on a scrap first if you've never done it before (I did). The great thing about doing ruffles this way (as opposed to methodically pinning or pleating) is that is easy, fast, and flexible - you can make the ruffle as tight as you want. The other thing you have to make sure of is not to screw up your stitch. If you run out of thread halfway through or something, you won't be able to ruffle it properly. So, do this stitch & ruffle the full base skirt and 3 ruffle layers.

6. 

   

   I'm not sure if this step was necessary, but if you want your waistband to be a little stiffer than just the doubled over fabric you'll want to do this... add interfacing. I'd never done this before, so what I learned is that there are many many weights of interfacing and it comes in black or white and comes in iron-on or sew-on. I used black, iron-on, medium weight. If I were to do it again, I'd use a heavier weight.
   So, fold your waistband in half, so that it's 42" by 4", press (iron). Cut a piece of interfacing to the same dimensions - 42" x 4", stick it in between your folded waistband & press. The interfacing will adhere to one side to the waistband... I guess only one side of the interfacing is 'meltable'??

7. 

   

   Then, individually, fold each of the raw edges under & press (diagram).

8. 

   

   Ok, now you've got your waistband + interfacing & your little 2" long piece + all your ruffles!! Next you want to lay it all out to line it all up and make sure your ruffles are distributed the way you want. Be sure that the edges of your full base skirt line up perfectly with the edges of the waistband and the edges of the little 2" piece. Next make sure your 3 ruffle layers line up the way you want. I wanted them to get progressively narrower as they went up (see photo). You can move them around (tighten/loosen) anyway you like.
   Next, pin the whole kitten caboodle together. I did this in stages so I could make sure I did it right. I pinned all the ruffles together + full base skirt. Then I pinned the little 2" piece on top.

9. 

   

   Then I opened up the waistband and flipped it over (photo) and pinned the inner part of the waistband to the rest of the layers. This is A LOT of layers of fabric. I then sewed the whole lot along the line I drew in the interfacing to secure everything together. This is the stitch that is keeping your whole skirt together, so you might want to go over it twice. Make sure you've done a good job pinning so that you catch all the layers in your sewing.

10. 

    

    Folding the waistband back the other way, you can see what the finished product looks like from the right side.

11. 

    

    On the other side (the inside, the side against your body), you need to sew the waistband down to the ruffles as well. But I didn't want to do it on the machine because I didn't want the stitch to show through the outer side. So I hand sewed it, just catching the ruffles, and not going all the way through. Then folded & pressed in the ends of the waistband & sewed those by hand as well.
    
    I don't have a photo of it, but next I tried it on, pinned it roughly where I wanted it to close. I then draped it over a chair, and cut the outline of the full base skirt. I wanted it long in back and short in front. I just did it by eye, don't worry about having a messy edge, you'll 'hem' it and put lace over it. Just make sure you get the shape you want and that it lines up well with the other ruffles. Then do the same thing you did with the ruffles - press a 'seam' on the bottom edge of the full base skirt, pin, and sew the lace all the way around.

12. 

    

    You're pretty much done now! Do whatever kind of closure you want. To do the belt-like closure, I cut out some leather I had - 2 layers thick for each strap - sewed the pieces together then sewed them to the waistband of the belt (being very careful to try it on several times & line it all up right to my hips). Then I sewed the buckles onto the other half of the waistband to line up with the leather parts. These buckles just hold by friction, so there was no need to punch holes in them like a traditional belt.
    
    The last thing I did was to sew a tiny dart into the back of the waistband because it stood up a bit away from my body too much. I think if you made a smaller (2" instead of 4") waistband, you might not have this problem. The dart was no problem, but it does leave an unsightly (in my opinion) seam in the back that I'm thinking of covering with a ribbon flower or bow.
    
    Alright, rock out! Your done!! Pair with your favorite fishnets, corset, and boots!! Hope to see your versions!!!

By Feebeast

By Becca K.

By cinderelly

By PeppsGirl

By Kylla B.

By Kristen B.

By msnew007

By Anjeanette Illustration

See more Dressmaking / Tailoring or Burlesque & PinUp

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KMOM14

28 Jun 12:42

Great job! It looks very allurring.

Thanks for sharing the tutorial with us - it is not something I would make for myself, but if ever get the opporutnity to make one for someone else, I will keep this in mind.

KMOM14

28 Jun 12:42

Great job! It looks very allurring.

Thanks for sharing the tutorial with us - it is not something I would make for myself, but if ever get the opporutnity to make one for someone else, I will keep this in mind.

Carianne F.

28 Jun 14:43

wow, definatly sure what im going to go as for that fancy dress party, i cant afford to pay 40 pound to buy the outfit from the shop so thanks for the great how to so i dont have to spend so much money :)

Boo_its_Brittany

28 Jun 23:07

Holy crap!
This shirt is SO friggin hot!
I absolutely love it :D!
I wanna make one too
Thanks for the tutorial
<3!

Mi.ezekatze

29 Jun 04:20

No WAY!!! This is -SO- gonna be the top layer of my steampunk costume!!! I could hug you to death right now!!! Thank you so much!

Nicky Love

29 Jun 14:05

Awesome Tutorial!

michelle G.

29 Jun 14:10

wow, amazing

KYLESTREETRACER

29 Jun 14:20

Hubba Hubba!

BecSTAR Rae

29 Jun 19:35

OMIGOSH!!! This looks totally amazing, can't wait to try it out...

Peyton c.

29 Jun 22:35

Fun! I just wish I had good legs!!! lol

Carrie

30 Jun 06:18

Woot!! Love it! i think i just found my next project!! <3

brookie b.

30 Jun 15:01

cool

brookie b.

30 Jun 15:01

cool

brookie b.

30 Jun 15:02

cool

sparrow is fancy

30 Jun 21:40

very Satine-esque..
hmm... I think I know what I wanna do this year for Halloween ;D

Rachel K.

01 Jul 22:50

This is gorgeous! I'll be linking.

Doll.Steak

03 Jul 11:23

That's just AWWWWW realy AWWWWW!!! =)

Taz

05 Jul 12:46

This is great I can't wait to give it a go!!! That skirt is beautiful!!! xx

Skylar

08 Jul 03:26

12 YARDS?! dannnnnnnggggggggggg thatll only be 4 bucks tho lolz

Zoey ( :

08 Jul 11:21

really pretty! so cool!

Dollbabe Designs

09 Jul 17:55

Very nice! Great for steampunk too!

Jenjenjenny :)

13 Jul 16:29

Wow! Thats Effing Cool!

Jenjenjenny :)

13 Jul 16:29

Wow! Thats Effing Cool!

MAGg C.

22 Jul 17:59

now ani 1 can save money
xxxx

Kristin J.

30 Jul 06:19

Nicely done! You asked how to flatten the ruffle tops for easier sewing since they are so thick? If you've pinned them with all metal pins -- NO plastic balls on the end -- then you can iron the pinned tops flat before sewing it all together. Just be careful not to iron down past the pin-line and onto the ruffles themselves. You can then also sew the ruffles to each other before attaching them to the waistband, and sew 1 or 2 more parallel lines in the seam allowance to completely flatten the tops. All those stitch-lines will go into the waistband and be hidden.

alyssa

06 Aug 20:02

Absolutely gorgeous! I'm definitely going to try it myself!

Riechan

08 Aug 11:33

I want that !!
very cool!

Becca K.

11 Aug 20:32

Hi Kristin J,
Thanks for the advice. I think the ironing would definitely work with a fabric like taffeta... or something that's easy to iron down. But I'm not sure about the brocade - that stuff is a lot more heavy duty than I expected. I think sewing in a few more lines on the ruffles themselves (before attaching the waistband) is the key!! Great idea!!

I AmErika

12 Aug 22:23

this is so b.e.a.utiful but i'm a super beginner when it comes to sewing (like i need a sewing machine!) but hopefully i'll be here one day!!

Jenn&Blitz

13 Aug 16:45

heyy :) I absolutely ADORE this skirt, and was just wondering about the fastening before I attempt it, is it essentially a wrap around skirt? or did you sew it together and is just the waistband wrap around? tyy! :)

Becca K.

14 Aug 16:29

Jenn & Blitz -
You're right, it is basically a wrap around skirt + waistband.

Brooce W.

22 Aug 21:19

Thanks so much for the tutorial! I love making this, and got SO many compliments when I wore it!

Shiori S.

24 Aug 08:16

This is skirt looks amazing and your instructions are fantastic. I've bought some fabric and I'm determined to give it a try. Thanks so much for providing such an interesting project! :)

Alias Dani

25 Sep 21:48

That is so cute! I would have to make it longer though so I could wear it out in public. lol..

Oh and by the way, thanks for showing me another clothing site to drool over and not be able to have because of the prices! A girl can dream!

Brianna B.

29 Sep 03:40

I cannot sew for the life of me, but if I could, I would be making this RIGHT NOW!! <333

Eien

01 Nov 00:04

Looking so pretty. I adore the fabric you chose.

kupinica k.

04 Nov 17:56

i loooove it!!

Courtney N.

17 Nov 00:14

first off, love this skirt. i really want to make one of my own now.
but, is the main fabric of the skirt leather? i was reading the materials and i got a little confused.

Gina G.

17 Nov 00:57

Love this. I have been ogling the skirt this is based off of for ages, and I'm glad I know how to make it now. I've saved Over $60 just making it myself! I'm working on my variant of this skirt now and it's turning out so cute. Thanks for the tutorial! ♥

Becca K.

19 Nov 02:19

Hi Courtney N,
Wow, thanks for calling attention to that, the list of materials is really messed up!
No, the skirt is made of taffeta (or whatever material you like that can kind of 'stand up on its own'), only the little belt-like clasp in front is made of leather...but you can use any closure you like - for my red one I used snaps, you could use a hook/eye, buttons, or whatever.

Becca K.

19 Nov 02:22

Wow, I'm not sure what's up with the materials, when I go to edit it, its correct. Well... in case this problem persists, here's what you need:
3.5 yards Fabric (taffeta or similar)
1 yard Interfacing
12 yards Lace
10"x10" piece of Leather (or similar) -- only for belt-like closure
2 Buckle(s) -- or snaps or buttons or hook/eyes

Sidonie M.

23 Nov 14:46

the skirt is fabulous! I'm going to show it to someone I know who teaches burlesque, she'll love it.

Sarania H.

11 Dec 10:24

I am so going to make this as part of an evening dress. What a great idea! You're awesome!

funkypixie

20 Dec 00:22

This is fantastic!
I've just made it from scratch in less than 3.5 hours from a black satin bed sheet that someone gave me. Tomorrow I'm maiding at my hubby's Vivid Soda Burlesque Revue and it will finish my outfit perfectly - thank you!!

Clara S.

27 Dec 00:06

It's beautiful :)

Karen C.

01 Jan 06:04

love this! Plase tell me what is the little 2 inch piece for again? Thanks

Jennifer S.

09 Jan 18:38

Do you think this would work with a corset for a steampunk convention?

Helen M.

11 Jan 11:43

Hi there from the UK :)
What a gorgeous skirt, I have just discovered Steampunk-type clothing - and have an outfit in mind that I'd love to make. Your no-nonsense tutorial is fab and I'll be using this idea in my design. To those that have said they cant sew, what a shame, start practising! The first thing I ever sewed was BY HAND, so no machine is no excuse ;) and it was a pair of night clothes(pyjamas)....and I was 7! So if your mental age is more than 7 and you have full use of your hands....get sewing :))

Pomka Love

13 Jan 13:29

It was this exact skirt that I stumbled upon,
and got introduced to this website. :3

I had to instantly make a profile to compliment it.

This skirt is amazing, and I hope someday I can make my very own burlesque skirt. <33

Clasi S.

17 Jan 06:21

This is so cute ..and original
Great project...

Alyssa S.

02 Feb 05:00

This is lovely, but is there any way you can post a diagram of how the pieces are connected?
The wording gets me confused, which really isn't that hard to do. X.x

Posted By:
Becca K. »
June 28, 2009 10:10

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