TUTORIAL: Ruffled Tiered Skirt

Many of you commented that Lucy’s seersucker skirt last week would be great for Easter. So I got busy.
And here it is.
A tutorial for girls (and moms?) of all ages:
It’s bouncy and girly and ruffly.
It’s perfect for jumping rope.
Or sitting pretty and dainty,
sort of.
Asking Lucy to model for me is a grab bag of expressions. I hope the serious face doesn’t foreshadow the teenage years. Maybe she’ll stay a sweet goofball with a sucker in her hand.
But enough rambling.
“Want to make a skirt??!!”
Let’s get started.
There are so many ways to make a skirt (check out the Tutorials section for more ideas).

This one is a layered/ruffled/tiered skirt. It’s likely you’ve purchased or seen something similar in the store and wondered how to do it? Well it’s easier than you thought. And after making one you can easily vary and mix it up. Add more tiers, add “circle skirt” strips instead of ruffles, use knit fabric, use the concept on a shirt. This is a good go-to pattern.

FABRICS TO USE
I absolutely love seersucker cotton (detailed info on that here).
It’s very bouncy and works well on this skirt. But you can really use any light-weight cotton, knits, linen, satin, etc. Stay away from fabrics that are thick and heavy.

AMOUNT OF FABRIC
This will vary on the size of skirt you’re making, but for a 4-5 year old (shown here), 1 yard of fabric is great.Ā  You’ll have a bit leftover but scraps are always welcome at our house.

SIZING
The skirt is made of tiers. But rather than layering them as we did in the Simple Skirt (since it would be super bunchy at the waist) we’re going to make connecting tiers….each made of one “connecting piece” and one “ruffle piece”. And it’s all based on ratios, starting with your waist size.
No rocket science here; it’s easy to figure out:

For the skirt WIDTH
* Measure all the way around your waist (or wherever you want the skirt to hang, if you want a low-rider skirt on your hips measure around that area)
* The elastic will be the same length as your waist size above (plus 1 inch for overlap)
* For the connector pieces: multiply the waist size by 1.5
* For the ruffle pieces: multiply the connector length by 2

For the skirt LENGTH
* Decide how long you want your skirt to be….a couple inches above the knee? All the way down to the knee? Measure from your waist down to the desired length and then do some approximate math…..
* Decide how many ruffles you want and how wide you want them and divide that up by how long you want the skirt to be.
My ruffles here are 4 inches wide….but after sewing the layers together they end up about 3 inches wide. NOTE: the Connector and Ruffle pieces will be the same width.
* Factor in the waistband, which adds about an extra inch to the skirt.

So, for example….
For a 4-5 year old size skirt (my daughter is actually 6 in these pics but she’s very skinny):
* Waist size = 20 inches
* Cut (3) Connector Pieces, 30 inches x 4 inches
* Cut (3) Ruffle Pieces, 60 inches x 4 inches
* Cut 1-inch wide elastic, 21 inches long

If you find that the skirt is too full – use smaller ratios on the numbers above
If you want the ruffles to be more full – increase the ratios above (make the ruffles 2.5 times as long, etc)

Making sense?
Pictures will explain it better….

First cut out your strips.
You need 1 connector and 1 ruffle per tier. If your fabric is only 45 inches wide, you’ll need to sew a couple strips together for each ruffle (so that it’s 60 inches long, as in the example above).
When you’re all done cutting your strips, fold each connector piece in half with right sides of the fabric together and sew them (using a 1/2 inch seam allowance). Then serge the raw seam edges or leave them as-is if you don’t have a serger (serging your seams makes them look nicer/cleaner and ensures that they won’t fray over time and washing). Set the connectors aside and let’s work on the ruffles.
Decide how you want to hem them.
If you have a serger, simply serge the raw edges. This makes the skirt even more light-weight (and it looks pretty cute). If you don’t have a serger, no worries! Simply iron under the edge of each ruffle strip 1/4 inch, then iron it under another 1/4 inch and sew a hem. It’s nice to hem the strips before sewing everything together cause then you don’t have to worry about it at the end when you’re so ready to toss the project on your little model.

After you hem one edge of each ruffle strip….gather the other side of the strips to create ruffles. The goal is for each gathered ruffle to be the same length as each connector piece. My favorite way to do this is the cheating method (set your stitch length very long and the tension very high. Read detailed info on that HERE). It’s not exact but it gets the job done.
You may have to shimmy the gathered area around to get the desired size, pulling the gathers in a bit or letting them out. When each ruffle matches the connector length, fold each ruffle in half (with right sides of the fabric together) and sew, using a 1/2 inch seam allowance. Serge the raw seam edges or leave them as-is.
And now you have 3 tiers, ready to sew together:
Start with the bottom tier.
With right sides of the fabric together, place the ruffle piece inside the connector piece (line them up at the seam). Pin both pieces together. I find that using tons of pins is helpful with this type of project–keeps the ruffles from shifting or getting folded up somewhere.

Using a 1/2 inch seam allowance, sew the two pieces together.
Check that everything is sewed properly and nothing is bunched or folded, then serge off your seam or leave it as-is.
You’ve made the bottom tier!
Good job.
Now as always, iron out the seam. This is key to making your projects look professional (rather than homemade). It’s okay if the some of the gathers are pressed a bit. I like how that looks.
Now the next tier.
The bottom tier is the only one that has two pieces. The rest of the tiers involve sandwiching 3 pieces together. So…
First place the ruffle over the previous connector piece, with the right side of the fabric facing OUT. Then place the next connector piece over that with the right side of the fabric facing IN (line everything up at the seam).
Pin everything together like crazy and sew them together, using a 1/2 inch seam allowance. Serge your seam (or leave as-is) and iron it out.
Your skirt is coming together!
Continue the step above for how ever many tiers you have. When you get to the last tier, jump to the next step.
The final connector piece will become the waistband. Fancy, right?
Basically, you’re going to fold the waistband under so that it’s wide enough for your elastic. I prefer 1-inch wide elastic for kids’ skirts. But if you’re using skinnier elastic, you may want to trim the waistband down so it’s not too wide when you fold it in-half.
Serge the raw edge of the waistband so it’s nice and polished looking. If you don’t have a serger, simply fold the raw edge under 1/4 inch. And then iron the waistband under all the way. Pin it place. I prefer pinning and sewing on the outside of the skirt in this step so you get a nice straight line (which is visible on your skirt). Make sure you leave an opening in the waistband to string the elastic through. An easy way to remember is to use red pins to mark a start and stop point–leaving a 2 inch gap between the pins.
Using safety pins or a bodkin, string the elastic through the waistband. Make sure the elastic is not twisted inside and sew the two ends together. Sew the opening in the waistband closed and if you have one….add a personalized label to the back (info on my labels HERE).
And you’re done!
Piece of cake?
Or maybe a cupcake?
These layers are like frosting.
Mmmmm. Time to make some of these.
To coordinate outfits with your little guy, make a pair of seersucker Kid Pants, or shorts, and a sweater vest?…maybe for beach pictures? They’ll look just dandy together.

  1. Such a super cute skirt!! The pictures of Lucy are so fun! Thanks for sharing the tutorial. I can’t wait to try this one out.

  2. 2) Melissa

    Super cute! I have the perfect seersucker sitting in a drawer just waiting to be sewn…this is going to be perfect! Thank you for the tutorial!

  3. 3) Andrea

    Brilliant!

  4. Lucy is darling. I sometimes wonder about the teen years with my girls, then I stop, to scary to think about just yet!

  5. 5) Rachel

    As I read this, I realized that my favorite skirt is made this way! It’s three tiers. The connector pieces are a plain, lightweight cotton, while the ruffly pieces are a lightweight eyelet fabric. So, for those like me who don’t have little girls to sew for, I can vouch that it’ll look great for adults, too!

    • 6) Barbie

      Thanks for sharing! I,too, was wondering if it would work for adults using eyelet/lace ruffles.

  6. What a joy to wake up to a new tutorial! (I’m in Australia) Thank you so much for being so generous in sharing it all. You mention using lots of pins for these kind of project, do you have any tips on how to pin correctly? I avoid pinning most of the time because my pins end up being in the way ect … The other day I even saw a pin inside my hem!

    Oh, and congratulations on your beautiful little Clara!
    Stephanie

  7. 8) Jackie

    Thanks for the tutorial. You are awesome, as always! I can’t wait to make this for Emily. One more project to add to my list.

  8. 9) Tiffany

    Thank you! Yee-haw…off to sew! I’m going to pair it with a matching bolero type jacket and a ruffled headband!

  9. 10) Katy

    I love love love this and the idea of making matching seersucker pants. I have 3 little girls and a little guy, this is perfect! Thanks!

  10. Thanks for sharing! Love the combination of that blue skirt with the white-yellow striped top!

  11. 12) Miss Stik

    Cute.
    Next tutorial is the swimsuit? (Please!)

  12. 13) Jenn S

    I wanted to make some seersucker pants for the boy for Easter…however the selection of seersucker at the local Joanne’s is total crap-o-la. Guess I need to scour the good stuff.

  13. 14) EMILY

    Every summer I try to make something matching for the cousins… last year it was overalls.. I think I may have to pin this skirt to make for the girls this summer. I was already thinking I would just to shorts for the boys. Thanks for the great tutorial!

  14. Love it Dana! I love the seersucker! I really need to replenish my stash with essentials, I have too much patterned fabric and nothing basic or plain to match it with. Even though I guess this striped seersucker is anything but plain or basic!

    I made a skirt like this a few years ago, it was like my wardrobe staple – http://www.max-california.com/2009/12/day-5-cyndi-polkadot-rara-skirt.html haha.

    Now I better get sewing my daughter some mini layered skirts!

  15. 16) Amanda D

    I had to tell you this! I was looking at this post and my almost 4 year old said “Who’s that girl?” I said “her name’s Lucy.” Then he asked, “She looks fun. Can I play with her?” Haha!!

  16. Thanks so much for the tutorial! I’m currently trying to get my hands on a Serger, because I love the way it looks on this project. I might have to make Mother-Daughter skirts for Easter. :o)

  17. Dana, putting together an awesome tutorial is hard enough without a newborn! You are so sweet to do this for everybody.

  18. So adorable! Love the seersucker….looks perfect! I’m going to be making more than a few of these for the summer!

  19. 21) Lori

    Amen to Rachelle’s comment above! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I have been wanting to make my daughter a ruffled, tiered skirt, but I just couldn’t wrap my mind around how to do it. You make it look so simple. Great post! And Lucy…you are so stinkin’ cute! šŸ™‚

  20. Awesome tutorial…my daughter LOVES ruffles and I can’t wait to make this skirt. She is tall so I might add a 4th ruffle to make the skirt a little longer. Thanks!!

  21. 23) Happiness is...

    Holy Frick girlā€¦I don’t know you, but seriously, I love that you read my mind. How did you know that I was just looking on line for seersucker b/c I was determined that I AM going to make this skirt. And then you post the tutorial at the same time?!? You are a doll and part super woman.

    šŸ™‚ Jennifer

  22. 24) Suzette @ cajunnewlyweds@blogspot.com

    Definitely part super woman! This is crazy that you have this up with a newborn plus two more in the house! WOWZERS!

    Too cute!

  23. 25) Kathy Laird

    I love the seersucker! It is perfect for the Arizona desert, very lightweight.

  24. 26) Lindsey

    Hi Dana, I ran out and bought some green polka-dot seersucker to make my daughter a St. Patty’s day skirt as soon as I saw your tutorial. It looks like our daughters are very much the same size. I was wondering, did Lucy’s turn out to be 10 or 11 inches in length? I am hoping to just follow your measurements! Thank you for your time!

  25. Love the blue seer sucker! Very detailed, clear tutorial…what you do best!

    And I adore the cute pictures of Lucy.

  26. SO CUTE! pretty sure my daughter would flip for this one! thank you, ma’am!

  27. 29) Coleen

    I was just wondering if you have any ideas for good kids beginner sewing projects??? My daughter is almost 7 and would like to learn!! (yeah!!)
    Thanks!!!

  28. 30) Ivana

    Thanks so much for your tutorials! They are very clear even for overseas mamas šŸ™‚
    Greetings from the Czech republic…

  29. So cute! But I think I would just pay someone to make it. šŸ™‚ It looks a little difficult. I definitely am not great at sewing. Recently for a super sat. I did make a wrap around skirt super easy. Felt good. Maybe I should try more often

  30. 32) Mel

    Thanks so much for this tutorial! The skirts are gorgeous and I can’t wait to get cracking on one for my daughter. Hopefully, it will look good enough for me to send you a picture.

  31. 33) Julie

    Thanks so much for taking the time to share…I know time is very limited when you have to nurse/feed every hour or so – what an adorable skirt! I love the seersucker!!

  32. Cute, cute skirt. Can’t wait to make one. I am wondering if, instead of hemming the ruffle, you could cut a double deep piece and fold it in half — or would that be too much fabric at the seam?

    • I don’t know that I would have ever guessed that I could love a skirt that was PINK with a BOW, but…::swoon::I think the letgnh is just fine, given the body hugging nature. Flirty and sexy, but always appropriate.

  33. 36) Juanita

    Thank you! This looks like a better method than I have been using. Can’t wait to try!

  34. You make it looks so easy! Gotta give this little skirt a try. Awsome tutorial. Thanks. sewing cabinets

  35. 38) Andrea

    I love your tutorials! You always make everything so easy! And your Lucy is so adorable, she makes everything look so fun šŸ™‚

  36. 39) Shannon

    Thank you so much for all of your tutorials, very inspiring. One question, about how many yards did you use for this skirt? I think my little one is a little bigger but just a rough estimate? Thanks

    • 40) Dana

      3/4 to 1 yard is plenty for a 4-5 year old skirt. You might have a bit leftover but I love that too šŸ™‚

  37. One for me, one for my 15 year old, and many for my 10 year old. So cute!

  38. Thanks for such an easy to follow tutorial this is great. I will have to make these for my girls 8 and 5 mo. Best wishes and enjoy your sweet baby!

  39. 43) Rebecca

    I’m fifteen, and I might just do this for myself.

  40. Those connector pieces are so smart. I probably would’ve tried to just sew it on one base layer. Love the seersucker and pictures. šŸ™‚

  41. 45) Heather D

    LOVE IT!! Thank you so much for all your tutorials and patterns!!! Added this to my ‘to make’ list!!

  42. Finally! A proper tutorial for this!! I feel I am always checking out target skirt hems to figure out the best way to make one, but I never realized the magic is in the connector pieces! Brilliant! Absolutely will be making some of these and tweaking the insides for set in bloomers for my baby and/or shorts for the 4 year old! Thanks!

  43. Thank you for this cute tute! I pinned it.

  44. 48) Megan Hull

    Hi Dana!
    I’m a long-time reader and love your projects. Quick question– I was looking at some seersucker I have and it is 42 in wide (standard width). Did you use a wider fabric to be able to have the stripes go vertically on the ruffles (if we need approx 60 in) or did you have to sew two strips together to make it wide enough? Thank you so much! And congratulations on your darling Clara!

    • 49) Dana

      Yea, just sew strips together to make them long enough. My seersucker was only 42-45 inches wide as well.

  45. 50) MEL

    Too cute! The layers actually remind me of the cupcake liners! šŸ™‚

  46. Oh I am so excited for this one! Intimidated too because I have to learn the gathering technique. I just finished the double layer one and loved it!

  47. Oh my goodness, Dana, Thank You! I have been trying to figure out the easiest way to make a tiered skirt and you just nailed it! YAY!

  48. 53) Sonja

    hey, i make your tutorial and have a question: do i always need one more connector for the waistband? in your example you have 4 connectors or? or maybe i think wrong….??
    greets from vienna

    • 54) Dana

      Nope, just one connector and ruffle per tier. In the photo there are 3 of each. The top connector piece will become your waistband. Thanks for stopping by from Vienna! Sounds dreamy šŸ™‚

  49. 55) ellen

    Just made this for my 6 year old using a jelly roll pack. Narrower pieces (2.5 inches) so I made 5 tiers, but super cute with the coordinating fabrics!

  50. GAH! I have seriously been making my own clothes and patterns for TWENTY YEARS…. I’m probably even older than you are…. and that picture with the loose end of the elastic PINNED down BEFORE you begin threading it into the skirt???…. Genius! Why the heck hadn’t I thought of that? Absolute DERP moment going on over here.

  51. Quelle belle photo de plage avec les enfants; J’aime le mĆ©lange du seersucker Ć  rayures bleues/blanches et du jaune citron.
    What a lovely beach photo with the children; I like the mix of blue/white stripes seersucker and lemon yellow.

  52. 58) Justina

    I am so excited! I have been wanted to repurpose some old formal gowns into skirts for my nieces and I found your tutorial and jumped in! (even though I was terrified because the dresses are all non-cotton scary shiffony materials) But I started, and completed (a miracle in itself) one of the skirts yesterday! So the tutorial works for sheer fabrics beautifully. The skirt looks like a pretty little lilac cupcake! Thank you! Three more to go šŸ™‚

  53. 59) Karen

    Thank you SO much for taking the time to write this!!! I have no clue how you did that with all you have going on but please know that it is so appreciated. Your tutorials are some of the best I’ve found because you explain things simply (not in seamstress code ;O) ) and you show great pictures of all the important details. I just finished the skirt and if I can get my little girl to cooperate, I’ll post a pic to your flickr group. It turned out so cute and even my hubby was impressed and excited because he knows how much our girl loves ruffles and twirly skirts. Can’t wait to see her face in the morning when she sees this!!

  54. 60) ana rose

    could you also make a slightly a-line skirt of desired length, and sew on ruffles so they overlap? or would the fabric bunch too much?

    • 61) Dana

      That could work too. This method is just a “cleaner” way to keep all the seams hidden inside the skirt.

  55. 63) Amy

    My sister in law is having a girl. We have five boys in the family. Finally a girl. I am sewing a box of skirts to give her for a shower gift. There will be a least one of these in there. Thank you so much!

  56. 64) Andrea

    Making 2 pink seersucker skirts for my 1 and 3 yr olds. It’s turning out great- they love it! Thank you!!!

  57. 65) Brooke

    Great tutorial! Made this afternoon. My daughter loves it! Thanks or sharing.

  58. 66) Aesha

    Hi Dana! Thanks again for the lovely tutorial. I just made this today for my 2 year daughter in pink seersucker. She didnt want to take it off, guess she really liked it šŸ˜‰ Now of course my 5 year old wants one as well. I think I’ll be making a few of these for the spring and summer.

  59. 68) Linda Waud

    Thanks for this great tutorial. I made a skirt for my granddaughter’s 8th birthday and it is adorable! She wore it to school yesterday and got rave reviews šŸ™‚

  60. 69) Lee

    did this tier skirt using the middle body part of a used baby onsie for my 3 mth old…just stretched the onsie as far as it would go and added eyelet lace ruffle that i cut from a pillow. the stretch caused a ruffle look.

  61. 70) Jessica

    I am VERY new to sewing but decided I should attempt this super cute skirt for my daughter. I finished it the other day and it was adorable on her. =) Thanks for making an easy to follow tutorial.

  62. 71) Rose

    Just made this for my granddaughter and it turned out perfectly. Thank you so much for this! Your instructions were great.

  63. 72) Mariana

    Thanks this help me to much I made I beautiful skirt to my daughter and she likes to much

  64. 73) Emer

    Thanks for the tutorial, it is very clear to follow, and is such a cute skirt. I think I could probably get my 10 year old to wear it!

    • After much research and citoideranson I finally took the chance on buying this bedding because it was truly different then the sill little farm animal, or princess bedding sets I had seen everywhere else. I LOVE IT!! the colors are soft yet still brillant and happy, just right for our little ones room. I have not washed it yet as her room is not complete yet, but the material does appear to be well made after very close inspection.

  65. 75) Sandra

    Thanks so much for sharing this sooo cute pattern. I love how easy it is to make.

  66. 77) Rob

    Just wanted to thank you for the fantastic tutorial!! I made this skirt for my 4 year old using yellow seersucker. She wore it on Easter along with her purple glittered, “He has risen”! shirt that I made using a stencil idea off of Pinterest. She was a big hit. I really appreciated you going over the many ways to gather. Its actually the part of skirt making that keeps me from making more. However, your tip about changing the length and tension on my machine was a huge AHA! moment.
    Thanks again šŸ™‚

  67. 78) sharon

    Thank you so much for this tutorial! I made one for each of my girls for our Easter Brunch and they were a big hit! I used some cute seersucker striped fabric that was on sale at Joann’s. I’ll send pics your way! Thanks for hacking the trendy tiered skirt! šŸ™‚

  68. Awesome! What a great photograph over there… I’m beginner in sewing but, quite eager to make it happen for my sweet angel. Thanks for sharing.

  69. 80) lisa eisan

    Hope you don’t mind – I pinned this and another couple of your tutorials on my Pinterest page. I just love the stuff you do!! It makes me feel like even a sewing novice like me can make pretty clothes for my girls.

  70. I just made this. My Mama helped me with the ruffles. It is sooo stinking cute! Love this skirt!

  71. 82) Mary

    I am so happy to have finally found how to make this skirt. I thought this was how, but, it was so nice to SEE it before trying it. THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!

  72. Hey Dana,

    I have a quick question. I can’t use elastic but I want to make this skirt for my daughter. Can I use a yoga waist for this instead? How would that change the width calculations?

  73. 84) amelia

    it’s super cute… cant wait to try it out !!
    is it ok if i zig zag the seams instead of serging ?
    thanks !!!

  74. 86) ingrid

    ok, so i just HAD to comment and tell u how thankful I am that I found your website! i made my niece a diaper cover out of my brother’s military jacket, and then i took the idea of making ruffles from your “layered skirt” tutorial and I added the ruffles to the back part of the diaper cover! she will be wearing her diaper cover in 2 weeks when my brother gets back from Afghanistan. Thank you and God bless!

  75. I am definitely going to make this for my daughter…thanks for the details…

  76. 88) Amber

    Thank you! I can’t seem to follow a pattern, but this was cake! I made one the same size as yours for my petite 7 and 9 year olds. It is SO adorable. My 14 year old is excited to make one now. I love the cheater method for gathering the fabric. What a time saver. I don’t have a serger, so my connector pieces were a little wider than my ruffles after I hemmed the ruffle, so I just sewed them a little lower on the connector piece. Next time I’ll just cut the connectors 1/2 ” less. I’m thinking matching skirts for my 4 girls for Independence Day!

  77. 89) Michelle

    This is so cute! Thanks for the great tutorial. This helps out big time for the new skirts i’ve been wanting to make šŸ™‚

  78. 90) Linda Heck

    I’m so excited, have a niece that I think will just love this skirt. Thanks for the wonderful directions, I understand it perfectly. I’ll be busy today it looks like.Your so nice to include the great directions for us all.Thanks, Linda

  79. 91) Emily

    THANK YOU!! This skirt is wonderful! The only real problem I have is that my 3-year-old doesn’t want to take it off!

  80. 92) Shannon

    I really want to try this! I have a one year old daughter, a 1 year old sister, a 3 year old sister and her twin brother. šŸ˜€ I have been wanting to make them coordinating outfits. I have been reading your blog since before I was pregnant and have never made anything. I guess I have just been kind of intimidated. The only thing I have sewn is an apron. :/ Your tutorials are very clear and seem easy to follow. Can’t wait to try one!!

  81. Beautiful. You explainrf the process very well, and made it super easy to understand, not only that but your pictures are gorgeous!

    I stumbled across your page when looking for a ruffle tutorial, and yours was the first I found; I feel I don’t need to look any further. My friend asked me to make skirt and showed me an image but I have never done ruffles before and this has 7 of them layered, and goes short at the front. I thought for sure the elastic waistband would look a cluttered mess by the time I finished but your post holds the key to my adventure into ruffles!

    Thanks so much!

  82. 94) Rachelle

    Thank you so much for the tutorial I don’t have any girls…. yet i hope šŸ˜‰ and I would like to make one for me. Is it pretty much the same way to make it but the math is different? Would you add more ruffles when you need to make it longer?
    -Thanks I am not a brilliant sewer to figure it out

  83. 95) Amy

    Your tutorials are incredible! I used this skirt tutorial as part of a dress I designed for my baby girl. Of course I linked back to you! Check it out on my blog. lifepoolside.blogspot.com
    Thanks for your wisdom!

  84. 97) CC

    This is a wonderful way to make this skirt! I bought a pattern not long ago and it made the skirt instuctions confusing. Though I think that if you wanted to improve your instuctions you could start making videos. I just wanted to make a small suggestion!

    keep up the great work!

    CC šŸ˜‰

  85. 98) Sandy

    thanks for a great tutorial! This was perfect when my daughter came home from school and informed me she needed a red, white and blue skirt for colours day the next week. One perfect ruffled tiered skirt hasn’t just been worn for colours day, but any other day she gets a chance. Lovely!

  86. 99) Marisa

    Made this out of BYU and white material for the big BYU vs. UTAH rivalry game tomorrow, here in Utah. My 2 year old looks darling thanks to this tutorial. Many thanks! šŸ™‚

  87. 100) adah

    thank you for sharing this tutorial. i can’t wait to make it for my 3 years old twin girl.. šŸ™‚

  88. 101) Sally

    Oooh! I just made this skirt following your amazing tutorial Dana. It turned out just perfect! Honestly, I have only just started sewing (a few basic things) recently and your tutorials are the best out there. I wish you taught sewing classes and that I could come to… which would be hard considering I am in Australia! xx

  89. thank you for this awesome tutorial…love it…i just made it for my 4 years old niece

  90. 103) Jill

    What a great tutorial! Just finished one off for a friends daughter, and even as a seasoned sewer I have been looking for a how-to for a layered skirt for a while. I tweeked it a bit by top stitching each layer and using a contrasting cotton for stitching and it looks great. Can’t wait to see it on with the matching applique tshirt I made to go with it. Thank you and please keep adding more tutorials!

  91. 104) Edyta

    Hi, I love this skirt.My little one is two. How to change the pattern for her.Thanks.

  92. 105) Melanie

    Thanks so much for this pattern. I’m new to sewing but with two kids just don’t see the point in spending so much money on things I could make myself! My daughter loves her skirt and is wearing it with her Minnie Mouse shirt I made her for her second birthday! Thanks again!

  93. 106) Gail

    Thanks for the tutorial. I made a rainbow version for my granddaughter’s 6th birthday party. It is sooooo cute! Pinned to pinterest… hope that’s okay! Credited to your website.

  94. thank you so much for the tutorial. I am pretty new to sewing and the tutorial is just great help. I made one for my 4.5 years old daughter and she loved it. I would love to see you on my blog to see how it came out. My blog is in Turkish and if it is fine with you I would like to explain how i did it in my blog, ofcourse giving a link to your blog.

  95. Thank you very much for the tutorial! Yesterday I finished sewing the skirt from lightweight cotton, and I do hope my goddaughter will like it.

    I published photo of the finished skirt on my blog and linked back to your tutorial

    Best regards from Poland

  96. Thank you very much for the tutorial! Yesterday I finished sewing the skirt from lightweight cotton, and I do hope my goddaughter will like it.

    Best regards from Poland

  97. Oh this is PERFECT! I have some violet gingham… I was planning to make my daughter a 3/4 circle skirt out of it until I realized I only had one yard left. She will LOVE the ruffles šŸ™‚

  98. 111) gr81gkar

    I LOVE this little skirt, Thank you SEW much for sharing it!

  99. 112) Tam

    Thank you for this super useful tute. My 20 yr old saw it and desperately needed one šŸ™‚

  100. You just saved me $6 on a pattern! Thank you “sew” much! Sorry. I just couldn’t resist! Going to make it right now!

  101. 114) Sue Gibbs

    Hi! I used this tutorial to make fourth of July skirts for a couple of girls at church. I do not have a serger, so I had to hem…I should have known and accounted for it from the start, but if you don’t have a serger, you need to account for an additional 1/2 inch for the hem on the ruffle pieces!! You could see the connector pieces on mine. šŸ™ Also, I felt like each of the layers should have increased in length by 1/4 to 1/2 inch or so…it didn’t seem to flow out as nicely as it should. Thanks for the tutorial though…just making some modifications to it for next time. šŸ™‚

    • *I meant width above.* Next time I will increase each layer from top to bottom by about 1/2 inch wide…not sure how that will sew together from one layer to the next yet, but I’m going to play around with it.

  102. 116) Naomi

    I have been eyeing this tutorial for quite some time now and finally found the fabric for it! I loved it!!! And so does my daughter. šŸ™‚ Thanks for posting such wonderful work and sharing it with us!

  103. 117) Morgan

    I’m new to sewing and I want to thank you so much for this easy to follow tutorial! My skirt came out great, and I love how you took the time to clearly photograph and explain each step. I know how much time that takes! Can’t wait to try more of your tutorials soon:)

  104. 118) Carol

    Thank you for sharing this. I am just starting back into sewing, and got stuck on a ruffle skirt, and it made so much better sense after seeing your pictures!!!

  105. wonderful,Iwant to skirt!thank you…

  106. 120) Stefanie

    I used this pattern to make a skirt for my 5 year old niece. She’s as girly as they come and I found a great fabric that is similar in weight and texture to seersucker but was hot pink with white polka dots. It turned out absolutely darling! She loves it so much and I felt like super aunt that I was able to whip something up that was so perfect for her. Thanks so much!!! This is a pattern I will use again for sure!

  107. 121) Kerry

    Oooh the possibilities. Would make a beautiful dress too.

  108. 122) Nena

    After scouring the internet and youtube for weeks for a clear, easy to understand tutorial for this type of skirt, I FINALLY found on yours. The instructions are clear, the photos help tremendously! I am an intermediate beginner and believe me, there are not too many people out there these days that want to take the time to teach sewing in a way that beginners can understand. Most are geared for the experienced seamstress which is a huge frustration for us beginners. Yours made the difference! Thank you so much for this tutorial!

  109. 124) Aileen

    Just love this skirt and your choice of fabric. I will do one in seersucker as well as my daughter doesn’t do ironing. My 4 year old granddaughter will love it. Thanks for sharing.

  110. lovely tutorial.making one for my cute 5 yr old grand daughter.looking forward for such tutorials.

    regards

    rose

  111. 126) Marlo Hartz

    THANK YOU “sew” much for making this tutorial!!! It is easy to follow (even though I had to enlist my abstract-minded hubby to help me get the 3 pieces to connect correctly. LOL).
    I just learned to sew in January, and I have made several skirts and dresses for my little girl, but THIS…THIS is my absolute FAVE item yet!!!
    I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE all the ruffles, and the fullness of the skirt makes the ruffles bounce!
    Absolutely adorable!!! I certainly plan to make more!
    Thank you again!!!
    Marlo <

  112. 127) JenZ

    I made 2 of these this week for my girls for Easter, and they came out really cute! One thing I did differently was to double the width of the fabric for the ruffles and then fold it in half instead of hemming/serging the edges. The skirt is a bit heavy, but the ruffles have a nice volume to them that way.

    I made it with 2 different fabrics, so that the ruffle in the middle was a different color. I also put it together so that the connector piece *under* that other color matched it. Then when I was done, I made some fabric flowers where you twist the fabric around, folding as you go, in the 2nd fabric to put on the girls’ headbands.

    Fun project!

  113. 128) Emily

    Just found your post via All Free Sewing today. I have enjoyed reading some of your posts-especially liking the ruffled skirt as we have 3 grands, ages 5, almost 3 & a 2! Look forward to seeing your other posts! Thank you so very much! You also have beautiful kids!

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  115. 131) dirtgirl

    What a beautiful detailed tutorial. I have heaps of gorgeous shirts that my son in law has worn out the collars, but fabric elsewhere is perfect. I have been saving them to make pinafore dresses for latest granddaughter, but seeing these gorgeous skirts, I know exactly what I will be doing with all that lovely fabric. Thank you so much. Now I can see exactly how these ruffled skirts are made, I have the confidence to actually attempt to make them.

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  118. 135) Roseann

    Could you use a lightweight flannel for this? My 3 yr old granddaughter loves Hello Kitty and they have the cutest flannel in that. It’s going to be a winter skirt to be worn with tights so that’s the reason for the flannel.

  119. 136) Kathy Baxley

    What was the finished length of the skirt you made? Thanks, Kathy

  120. 137) Debbie Davis

    I came up with a faster way of doing this skirt. I used a gathering foot and sewed one long long strip of ruffle directly to the flat connector piece at the same time as it was ruffling. Then I just cut that strip into the three lengths needed for the skirt. Thanks so much for the skirt idea!

    • 138) HokieKate

      Neat idea; thanks! I’m just learning how to use a ruffling foot and this sounds like it would save me a lot of time.

  121. 139) Busy Bee

    Used this skirt to make girls’ Christmas dresses. Instead of making a waistband, we skipped the final connector piece and instead zigzagged 1/4″ elastic to the top ruffle, then seamed that directly to waistline of knit bodice. Great tutorial, thank you!!

  122. 140) Barbie

    Awesome idea, patiently executed and explained with so many (appreciated!) step-by-step photos. Combined with your adorably impish model, it makes me want to start this project immediately! Thank you!

  123. 141) alyson

    Thank you for this, my 3 granddaughters love skirts, and in the last 2 days I have made 3, and they want more. Thanks again, they are very stylish and the girls are happy.

  124. 142) Alyson

    I cant stop making these for my granddaughters. They are quite addictive. For the colder months I made some in Jersey fabric and sweatshirt fabric with fleece back. I have now started on the summer ones and great excitement has arisen because I have bought some Frozen fabric which I have to share between 3. Lol!

  125. 143) Lee

    Your ruffled skirt tutorial is absolutely great. I would highly recommend it to anyone wanting make such a skirt. Very well presented. Thanks so much

  126. 144) caroline

    Hi Dana…..regarding the skirt length. Is my math correct. I want three ruffles, 3″ wide and length is 9.5″ Do i add te ruffles and width and divide the length. When i did the math I came up with 3+ 3=6 divided by 9.5 = 1.5 5/6. Not sure where to apply that number. is that 12.5 5/6″ length of the skirt. Please help…thanks

  127. Just love this tutorial. Makes it sound so simple. It’s my favorite kind of skirt for little girls. I have 5 to sew for. I ve been trying to figure this one out for a while. Finally decided I would have to take a skirt apart in order to figure it out. So happy intelligent people like post these tutorials. I will definitely refer back to this lots of times.

  128. 146) Terri

    Thank you so much for ALL of your tutorials! I have so enjoyed making skirts for my granddaughter! Could you please tell me how to make this in the circle skirt method? Thank you!

  129. 148) Cara

    I love your website-love this tutorial! I did want to let you know that the webpage kept automatically reloading and restarted me to the top of the page. It would leave a message on the top of my phone saying an error occurred and it needed to be reloaded. It happened a ton of times. I almost couldn’t scroll down to the ending of the tutorial because it kept happening. Is it because of too many ads? I don’t know…thought you would like to know. Thank you again for your website…I love it!

  130. 150) Birdie

    Made this skirt for my 3 granddaughters and they turned out really nice. Thank you! I did end up having to trim the top connector piece though as it was too wide, but I’d rather end up with too much fabric rather then too little. I trimmed the top about an inch and a half and that still left plenty to fold under for the one inch elastic casing. Your recommendation to use seersucker is a good one. I used heavy weight cotton and it made the skirt a little on the heavy side. But they were made for winter use with leggings underneath so they’ll be fine. I will use seersucker from now on, especially for the summer time. Thanks again!

  131. 151) cindy learn

    Great tutorial. just finished a Halloween skirt for my little 5-year-old grand. Couldn’t have done it without you! Thank you so much!
    Cindy

  132. 152) MILLIE KJOSNESS

    I really liked this and am making four for gifts. 2 are for my Great Grandaughters.I bought long sleve T-shirs and will sew the ruffles to the bottom of the shirt. Like the way this is put together. Was wonering how I would do this and thought of starting with an under skirt. Like this beter,THANKS FOR THIS.

  133. 153) Jennifer

    I’ve never made a tiered ruffle skirt before, but your instructions with images were so easy to follow and when I was done it turned out PERFECT…first try. And it only took me a couple of hours to knock it out. I used an aqua blue shimmery snowflake material for the waist and two tiers and an aqua and white chevron material in the middle to do an Elsa inspired version for my niece to wear to Disneyland. I just know she’s going to be the cutest Elsa fan in the park. Thanks so much!!!!!

  134. 154) CURVESANDEDGES

    Awesome! Awesome!! Awesome!!!
    This is the best tutorial I’ve seen on this skirt.
    Thumbs up!

  135. 155) Julia

    Thank you for this going to make the skirt today! Looked all over before I found your page, you made it look easy .Thanks again

  136. 156) Lindi

    So cute .made it for my daughter. Nice and easy to follow.

    Thanks

  137. 157) Kathleen Anderson

    Thanks so much for this brilliant tutorial – have just finished making the skirt for my 15 yo as a cosplay! It is perfect and the sizes work out perfectly to your instructions. Cannot thank you enough. šŸ™‚

  138. 158) Kenny lindley

    I am using the same methods you have described for my textiles project as part of my GCSE. However, I am making it a lot longer (27 inch in length) and for a size 10-12 (which following your instructions brought me to 43 inches for the connector pieces and 86 inch for the ruffle pieces.) I was wondering if you had any advice for if I was doing the correct method due to my skirt being a very different size. I was also planning on adding tulle, do you have any recommendations of how I can piece this together. This would be greatly appreciated and would help me a lot with my project. I understand that you may be busy but if you could email me or contact me regarding this it would be much helpful.
    Regards Kenny Lindley

  139. 159) Kathleen Carlsen

    Making for a size 10-12ish, so lots of estimates. I felt my ruffles were a tad short compared to the connectors once they were sewed on. So…I made a 1/4″ tuck in the middle of the bottom connector and next up connector (not the waist) and now perfect! Whew!

  140. 160) Becky

    Thank you so much for the super cute skirt tutorial! I just finished 2 skirts for my granddaughters for Valentine’s Day

  141. 161) Melody

    Thank you so much for this sweet tiered/layered skirt pattern. I have been looking for a pattern like this one and am so happy with the results! My granddaughter will love it when she opens it on her 9th birthday!

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