This will work for the Spandex Skater Dress or Sleeved Skater Dress patterns.
Add a tulle overlay to the skirt of your Skater Dress to create extra twirl factor or just make it that little bit fancy! I find that between two to four layers of tulle works best so that you get a nice full skirt without being too bulky at the waist.
Cut all your pieces out for your Skater Dress.
I then use one of my skirt pieces as my pattern piece and cut the
tulle on the fold. I usually add extra inch to the bottom because I
don’t like my underlay to show under the tulle. You need 2 pieces for every layer of tulle you want to add.
(Pink tulle is to show how I fold my tulle. Fold is at the top)
(What your cut tulle piece will look like – you need two of these for each layer)
Sew your skater dress TULLE OVERLAY side seams using a straight stitch, being sure to carefully backstitch at the bottom to secure it. I usually use a 0 tension so my tulle doesn’t gather.
Sew your skater dress BODICE and finish off the binding or sleeves.
Sew your skater dress SKIRT using the method in the skater dress pattern.
(My finished tulle layer(s), skirt underlay and bodice all sewn separately)
Gather your tulle layer by using shirring elastic and a long stitch length and high tension. I gather about 0.25” from the edge so the shirring elastic isn’t seen when I sew the skirt to the bodice. The shirring elastic keeps the waist stretchy and I find it's easier to gather.
You can use tweezers to carefully pull the shirring elastic around the top to tighten the gathers.
Arrange the layers by having bodice right side facing, then tulle right side, then skirt underlay right side (facing tulle wrong side). So the layer that is towards you is the wrong side of your skirt underlay and the bodice is sandwiched inside your skirt layers.
Pin all around being sure to match all your side seams and centre notches and finish using your preferred method.
Admire your handywork!
Stephanie
Hi knitbunnie, it is Poly tulle so more like a netting. It is much softer than bridal tulle.
knitbunnie
Can you please tell me what kind of tulle you used? I have to buy online because I live in the middle of nowhere, so I’m not sure what to order that’s soft and doesn’t need to be hemmed. Thank you!