Sew Your Own Dream: A Comprehensive Guide to Making a Petticoat

A petticoat, also known as an underskirt, is a foundational garment that adds volume and shape to skirts and dresses. Whether you’re aiming for a vintage silhouette, a dramatic ball gown effect, or simply a touch of extra fullness, crafting your own petticoat allows for customization and control over the final look. This comprehensive guide will walk you through every step of the process, from selecting the right materials to adding the finishing touches.

Why Make Your Own Petticoat?

• Customization: Tailor the length, fullness, and fabric to perfectly match your specific dress or skirt.
• Cost-Effective: Often cheaper than purchasing a ready-made petticoat, especially for unique designs or large sizes.
• Creative Control: Choose your preferred fabrics, colors, and embellishments.
• Satisfaction: Enjoy the accomplishment of creating a beautiful and functional garment.

Materials You’ll Need

• Fabric: This is the most important choice. The type and amount will depend on the desired fullness and style of your petticoat. Common options include:
  • Tulle: Creates significant volume and a crisp, structured shape. Best for dramatic effects and ball gowns. Can be scratchy against the skin, so consider lining it. Different grades of tulle exist; bridal illusion tulle is softer than standard tulle.
  • Netting: Similar to tulle but often more structured and less prone to wrinkling.
  • Organza: A lightweight, crisp fabric that adds subtle volume and a touch of elegance. A good choice for more refined silhouettes.
  • Chiffon: A very lightweight and flowy fabric that creates soft volume and a delicate look. Ideal for layering under lightweight dresses.
  • Lining Fabric (Optional): Choose a soft, comfortable fabric like cotton, rayon, or satin to line the petticoat for added comfort, especially if using tulle or netting.
  • Batiste or Broadcloth: A smooth, tightly woven fabric which offers less volume than tulle or organza, but is often used as an underlining for petticoats made with other fabrics to add stability.
• Elastic Waistband: Choose a width that is comfortable and proportional to the petticoat. A 1-2 inch wide elastic is a good starting point.
• Thread: Matching the color of your fabric.
• Sewing Machine: Essential for efficient and accurate sewing.
• Scissors or Rotary Cutter: For precise fabric cutting.
• Measuring Tape: For accurate measurements.
• Pins: To hold fabric pieces together.
• Seam Ripper: For correcting mistakes.
• Iron and Ironing Board: For pressing seams and fabric.
• Paper and Pencil (Optional): For drafting your pattern.
• Optional Embellishments: Lace, ribbon, beads, or other decorative elements to personalize your petticoat.

Taking Measurements

Accurate measurements are crucial for a well-fitting petticoat.

• Waist Measurement: Measure around your natural waistline, ensuring the tape measure is snug but not too tight.
• Length Measurement: Measure from your natural waistline to the desired hemline of the petticoat. Consider the length of the skirt or dress you plan to wear it with. For a vintage look, the petticoat may extend slightly below the hem of the dress; for a more modern look, it might be shorter.
• Hip Measurement (Optional): If you want a fitted petticoat around the hips, measure around the fullest part of your hips.

Choosing a Petticoat Style

There are several petticoat styles to choose from, each offering a different level of fullness and silhouette.

• A-Line Petticoat: A simple and versatile style that gradually flares out from the waist. Easy to construct and provides a subtle, natural fullness.
• Tiered Petticoat: Features multiple layers or tiers of fabric, creating increasing volume towards the hem. A good choice for adding moderate fullness.
• Circular Petticoat: Creates a dramatic, full circle shape. Requires more fabric and skill to construct but offers maximum volume.
• Ruffled Petticoat: Adds fullness through gathered or ruffled strips of fabric attached to a base layer. Creates a soft and romantic look.
• Hoop Petticoat (Crinoline): Uses hoops of metal or plastic to create a very structured and defined shape. Typically used for historical costumes and ball gowns. This guide will focus on fabric-based petticoats, not hoop petticoats.

Step-by-Step Instructions: Making an A-Line Petticoat

This section provides detailed instructions for creating a basic A-line petticoat. You can adapt these instructions to create other styles by adjusting the measurements and adding tiers or ruffles.

Step 1: Drafting the Pattern (Optional)

For a simple A-line petticoat, you can often skip drafting a pattern and cut directly onto the fabric. However, if you prefer, you can draft a pattern piece based on your measurements.

1. Prepare your paper: Use a large sheet of paper, such as pattern paper or kraft paper.
2. Draw a vertical line: This line represents the center front of the petticoat. The length of this line should be your desired petticoat length.
3. Mark the waistline: Measure up from the bottom of the vertical line your desired petticoat length. Mark the waistline on the vertical line.
4. Draw the waistline: Divide your waist measurement by 2 (or by 4 if you are planning to cut 4 panels). Then, draw a horizontal line from the waistline point outwards, equal to this measurement. For example, if your waist measurement is 30 inches and you are cutting 2 panels, you would draw a line 15 inches long.
5. Draw the hemline: At the bottom of the vertical line (hemline), draw a horizontal line outwards. The length of this line determines how much the petticoat will flare out. For a subtle A-line, add a few inches to the waist measurement. For a more dramatic A-line, add more. For example, you might add 6-8 inches to the waist measurement. If your waist was 30 inches and you are cutting 2 panels, the hemline will be 18 inches out from the center.
6. Connect the lines: Connect the end of the waistline to the end of the hemline with a straight line. This is the side seam of your pattern piece.
7. Add seam allowance: Add a seam allowance of 1/2 inch to the side seam and the waistline. Add a hem allowance of 1 inch to the hemline.

Step 2: Cutting the Fabric

1. Pre-wash your fabric: This is important to prevent shrinkage after the petticoat is finished.
2. Fold the fabric: Fold your fabric in half, right sides together, along the grain. If you drafted a pattern, pin the pattern piece onto the folded fabric, aligning the center front of the pattern with the fold. If you skipped drafting, measure and mark the A-line shape directly on the fabric, using your waist and length measurements as a guide. A good starting point is to make the bottom width of each panel significantly wider than the top. A ratio of at least 2:1, hem to waist, is common.
3. Pin the pattern (if using): Secure the pattern to the fabric with pins, placing them close together to prevent shifting.
4. Cut the fabric: Carefully cut out the fabric along the pattern lines (or your marked lines), using sharp scissors or a rotary cutter. You will need to cut two identical panels.
5. Mark Notches: Before removing the pattern pieces, transfer any markings from the pattern (like the waistline) to the fabric with tailor’s chalk or a fabric marker.

Step 3: Sewing the Side Seams

1. Pin the side seams: Place the two fabric panels right sides together. Pin along the side seams, matching the raw edges.
2. Sew the side seams: Sew the side seams using a sewing machine with a straight stitch and a 1/2 inch seam allowance.
3. Finish the seams: Finish the raw edges of the seams to prevent fraying. You can use a serger, a zigzag stitch, or bias tape.
4. Press the seams: Press the seams open with an iron to create a smooth and professional finish.

Step 4: Preparing the Waistband

1. Measure the waistband: Measure your waist circumference and subtract 2-4 inches for a snug fit. This is the length of the elastic you’ll need.
2. Cut the elastic: Cut the elastic to the determined length.
3. Form the elastic into a loop: Overlap the ends of the elastic by about 1 inch and secure them with pins.
4. Sew the elastic loop: Sew the overlapped ends of the elastic together using a zigzag stitch, backstitching at the beginning and end to secure the seam. Alternatively, sew them together multiple times with a straight stitch for reinforcement.

Step 5: Attaching the Waistband

1. Divide the waistband and skirt: Divide the waistband into four equal sections and mark them with pins. Divide the waist of the skirt into four equal sections and mark them with pins as well. This ensures even distribution of gathers.
2. Pin the waistband to the skirt: Place the elastic waistband on the outside of the skirt, matching the pins. Stretch the elastic slightly as you pin it to the skirt. Make sure the raw edge of the skirt is aligned with the edge of the elastic.
3. Sew the waistband to the skirt: Using a zigzag stitch, sew the waistband to the skirt, stretching the elastic as you sew. Be careful not to sew over the pins. Sew slowly and carefully, ensuring that the fabric is evenly distributed around the elastic. You will be sewing through the elastic, stretching it as you go. This creates the necessary gather.
4. Fold over and sew again: Fold the elastic waistband over the top edge of the skirt to enclose the raw edge. Pin in place. Sew again with a zigzag stitch, close to the lower edge of the elastic, encasing the raw edge of the skirt within the fold of the elastic. This creates a clean, finished edge at the waistline.

Step 6: Hemming the Petticoat

1. Prepare the hem: Fold the hem allowance (1 inch) up towards the wrong side of the fabric and press with an iron.
2. Fold again: Fold the hem up again by 1/2 inch to enclose the raw edge and press with an iron.
3. Pin the hem: Secure the folded hem with pins.
4. Sew the hem: Sew the hem using a sewing machine with a straight stitch, close to the folded edge. Alternatively, you can use a blind hem stitch for an invisible hem.

Step 7: Adding Optional Embellishments

This is where you can personalize your petticoat!

• Lace: Attach lace trim to the hem or along the tiers for a delicate and romantic look.
• Ribbon: Add ribbon bows or streamers to the waistband or hem.
• Beads: Sew beads onto the fabric for sparkle and embellishment.
• Ruffles: Add ruffles to the hem or along the tiers for extra volume and visual interest. Cut strips of fabric, gather them along one edge, and then sew them to the petticoat.

Variations and Advanced Techniques

• Tiered Petticoat: To create a tiered petticoat, divide the length of the petticoat into sections. Cut each section as a separate tier, with each tier wider than the one above it. Gather the top edge of each tier and sew it to the bottom edge of the tier above it.
• Circular Petticoat: Requires more complex pattern drafting. Search online for tutorials on how to draft a circular skirt pattern.
• Horsehair Braid: Sew horsehair braid to the hem of the petticoat to add structure and stiffness, creating a more defined shape.
• Color Blocking: Use different colors of fabric for different tiers or sections of the petticoat for a unique and eye-catching design.
• Adding a Lining: If using a scratchy fabric like tulle, consider adding a lining. Cut a lining piece the same shape as the petticoat and sew it to the inside, enclosing all raw edges.
• Adjustable Waistband: Use a button and buttonhole closure instead of elastic for an adjustable waistband.

Tips and Tricks

• Use a walking foot: A walking foot helps to feed multiple layers of fabric evenly through the sewing machine, preventing puckering and uneven seams, especially when working with slippery fabrics like chiffon or multiple layers of tulle.
• Use a ballpoint needle: A ballpoint needle is designed to slip between the fibers of knit fabrics, preventing snags and runs. This is especially helpful when sewing with elastic.
• Test your stitch length: Before sewing the entire petticoat, test your stitch length on a scrap of fabric to ensure that it is appropriate for the fabric you are using. A longer stitch length is generally better for thicker fabrics, while a shorter stitch length is better for finer fabrics.
• Baste before sewing: If you are working with slippery fabrics or multiple layers, baste the seams together before sewing them on the sewing machine. This will help to prevent the fabric from shifting and ensure that the seams are accurate.
• Use steam when pressing: Steam can help to set the seams and create a smoother finish. Be careful not to scorch the fabric.
• Consider your fabric’s drape: The drape of the fabric will affect the overall look of the petticoat. Stiffer fabrics will create more volume, while softer fabrics will create a more flowing look.
• Don’t be afraid to experiment: Making a petticoat is a creative process, so don’t be afraid to experiment with different fabrics, styles, and embellishments.
• Iron frequently: Ironing at each step will make the final product look much better. Press seams open after sewing, press the hem before hemming, and press the finished petticoat.

Conclusion

Making your own petticoat is a rewarding sewing project that allows you to customize the shape and style of your skirts and dresses. By following these detailed instructions and tips, you can create a beautiful and functional garment that perfectly complements your wardrobe. With practice and experimentation, you’ll be able to create a variety of petticoats to suit any occasion. Now, grab your fabric and get sewing!