How To Make A Three Tiered Skirt

It is time for another tutorial and this one is on how to make a long 3 tiered skirt. My inspiration for this skirt came from this mood board I made in February with pictures I had found a couple of years ago and my fabric idea.

Supplies

12" by with of fabric for skirt
3/8" no roll elastic
thread

Chart

When I made my skirt, I used the doll's hip measurement. I would now use this chart for the hip measurement. 

Doll's Measurement Chart

Preparing the Fabric

The pieces of fabric need to total 12" in length when laid flat and not sewn together. My top pieces was not quite 4" and the bottom piece was over 4". In total I had 12". I would be more inclined to have these measurements the next time

Top Tier - 3.5"

Middle Tier - 4"

Bottom Tier - 4.5"

Top Tier

This tier is the most important of all the tiers for fitting the doll. The American Girl doll has a hip measurement of up to 12 1/4". Add 1/2" for ease and 1/2" for seam allowances. This is a total of 13 1/4". Cut this piece and set it aside. 

Middle Tier

I chose to have a gather of 1.5 times fuller than the top tier. To get the measurement you multiply 13 1/4 x 1.5 for a total width of 19 3/4". I cut the piece 20" and set it aside. 

Bottom Tier

 We do the math again. 20 x 1.5 for a total width of 30". I cut it and set it aside. 

Sewing

• On all three pieces, finish all the raw edges
• Sew the short sides of each tier and press open. You will have three tubes. 
• On the middle tier, run two gathering rows around the top of the tube. Gather the tube to fit the top tube and sew on matching the seams. Press the seam up towards the top tier. 
• Gather the bottom tier and attach to the skirt. Press the seam up. 

Your skirt will look like this when done. 

• Press under 1/2" for the waist. Stitch down close to the finished edge leaving a 2-3" opening at the seam.
• Cut a piece of elastic 11" long. Thread through the waist casing and sew together overlapping the ends. Stitch down the opening being careful not to catch the elastic.
• Hem the skirt. I did a 1/4" hem as it was the length I wanted the skirt to be. 

Conclusion

Though my example has a south western vibe to it, I can see this skirt in florals. If you are uncertain about the length, do a muslin out of muslin or scrap fabric. I did a lot of measuring with the thought that the hem could be deeper. If it wasn't, I had enough fabric left over to make the third tier again. 

Happy Doll Sewing..............................