DIY - Valentine's Day Ruffle Skirt Tutorial Review

Yeah Yeah this is a late post. I've been preoccupied with month old DVR-ed tv shows.

I wanted to wear something ruffly and girly on our date. So I spent a couple hours slicing and gathering and sewing and trying on. I used Ruffles and Stuff's Murphy's Skirt Tutorial. I seriously love her blog for new ideas! Check her out.

PS there is a similar tutorial over at Alisa Burke's Blog for a Petticoat.

Here's my Review:

Tutorial – Ruffles and Stuff's Murphy's Layered Skirt

Ease – 4/5

Difficulties – This is a pretty straight forward project. 2 rectangles for front and back, elastic waist and 4 gathered strips. However, it took FOREVER. I used a pretty awesome fake-suede-clearance-fabric, this is very heavy when layered 4 times on a muslin. I also spent way too much time at my poor poor serger hemming the top and bottom of each 100" ruffle strip.

I had a fun time attaching all the ruffles. By fun I mean ridiculous. I sat on the floor with the skirt pulled up to my knees in order to pin the gathered strips to the muslin. Basically it looked like I was giving birth to a large ruffly baby. I wish boyfriend had taken a picture but I made it a point to not have him catch me in the awkward position on Valentine's Day, being all romantic and what not.

Alterations - I used a way too small width of elastic because that is all I had. I would not recommend using anything less than 1.5" because my skirt was falling down all night. I also made the center front 2" shorter, and tapered down to the side seams. This is because I always measure skirt length from the back (my butt is that big). If you measure from the front, make the back a little longer. This is so the hem is always parallel with the floor and not randomly longer in the front like a little girls skirt.

I also varied the widths of the ruffles and the distances I placed them on the skirt. I wanted some interest. This is not just a ruffle skirt, it's fancy!

Make it again? – Heck Yes. I already have the fabric picked out for 2. I'm going to try a sheer ruffle over a printed skirt and some home dec fabric that I have that I'm sure will make a great tutu :)