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Sewing Instructions for a Girl's Ruffled Layered Skirt

Ruffled layered skirts have been popular since ancient times. In the ruins of ancient Crete, the layered ruffled skirts that we see in the frescoes are patchwork strips sewed to an underskirt. Nowadays, it's rare for grown women to wear such skirts, but little girls, fortunately, still love them. And they are not difficult to make. Basically you simply sew the long ruffles to an underskirt, as people did in ancient times.

Things You'll Need

Basic A-line skirt pattern with a waistband, for underskirt
Tracing paper
Lightweight cotton fabric in different prints, or all the same
Thread
Sewing machine
Scissors
Pins

Instructions

- 1
  Cut out the paper pattern for the underskirt. On the skirt front pattern, draw two dotted lines for the placement of the ruffles: one about 4 inches below the waist, and a third line 5 inches below the second line. Draw these lines on the back pieces of the skirt, also.
- 2
  Draft patterns for the ruffle layers on a piece of tracing paper. For the first, highest ruffle, measure the width of the skirt at the waist. Multiply this measurement by 1.5. Draw a rectangle that is this length and about 5 1/2-inches tall. This is the pattern for the first ruffle. For the second ruffle, measure the width of the skirt at the first dotted line that you drew on the skirt. Multiply this number by 1.5. Draw a rectangle that is this length and 7-inches tall. For the bottom ruffle, do the same as above, and make the rectangle 8-inches tall.
- 3
  Lay the pattern pieces out on the fabric. Cut the front, the back, the waistband and two each of the three ruffle patterns, for six ruffle pieces total. The ruffles can be cut out of contrasting fabrics if desired. Transfer the dotted lines you drew on the front and back pattern pieces onto the fabric, as well.
- 4
  Lay the skirt front and back together with the right sides of the fabric facing each other. Stitch them together at the sides. Turn the bottom of the skirt up 1/4 inch and press. Turn it up again and stitch to sew the hem.
- 5
  Pin the top ruffle pieces together at the sides, right sides together. Stitch the sides. Turn up the bottom of the ruffle and press. Turn it again and stitch, to hem the ruffle. Make two rows of long gathering stitches at the top of the ruffle. Pull the threads to gather the fabric to the width of where it will be placed on the underskirt. Do this for all three ruffles.
- 6
  Repeat Step 5 for the other two ruffle strips.
- 7
  Pin the widest, longest ruffle to the dotted line nearest the bottom of the skirt. Stitch. Now pin the next widest and longest ruffle to the dotted line above the bottom ruffle and stitch. Pin the top ruffle to the waist edge of the skirt and stitch. Now all the ruffle layers are attached to the skirt.
- 8
  Stitch the short ends of the waistband together. Turn the waistband right side out and pin one raw edge to the waistband edge. Stitch. Turn the other raw edge under and press it. Pin and stitch it over the waistband seam, covering the raw edges. Leave an opening to insert the elastic for the waistband. Insert the elastic in the waistband and stitch up the opening.

Sewing