14 - Opulent Tulle Skirts - English

Opulent Tulle Skirts
Materials, Cutting & Construction

by Barbara Pesendorfer
Intro
A big, voluminous tulle skirt is a timeless classic for balls and weddings and
also looks great in photoshoots or as part of a cosplay or fantasy outfit.
The concept behind such skirts is simple, but they often require way more time
and fabric than you might think.
In this tutorial I will show you which materials to choose for which style of skirt
and explain how to achieve different silhouettes. I will also cover how to draft
a fitted skirt yoke based on your own measurements, how to sew that yoke and
how to cut and assemble the tulle layers in a neat way.
1) Choosing a Silhouette & Materials

Before we get started, it‘s important to decide which style or silhouette you want
to achieve. This could for example be a very voluminous A-shaped style made
from stiff tulle, a „bell shaped“ silhouette made from a mix of different tulle
qualities or a mermaid shaped skirt made from soft tulle.
Each of these skirts requires a different type and amount of tulle and is con-
structed in a different way.
Opulent Tulle Skirts | Copyright www.royalblack.at 1

Tulle qualities:
Tulle comes in many weights, from very fine and soft to stiff and heavy and it can
be made from synthetic fibres (polyester, nylon) or natural fibres (cotton, silk).
Different weights, from fine and soft to heavy and stiff Synthetic fibre tulle, cotton tulle and silk tulle
For my tulle skirts I mostly use synthetic fibre tulle.
The main reason is budget, because synthetic fibre tulle is usually more afford-
able than natural fibre tulle - especially silk. However, I also prefer the weight
and feel of synthetic fibre tulle for skirts like these.
Cotton tulle is usually matte and a bit rough and silk is VERY fine and soft - both
characteristics that I don‘t find ideal for a big tulle skirt.
- For a very voluminous A-shaped skirt style I recommend a stiff tulle quality.
Ordinary polyamide tulle that you can find in any fabric store for a very low price
works well for this purpose.
- For a flowing mermaid skirt style I recommend a soft tulle quality, which is
often sold as bridal tulle and is more expensive than the stiffer qualities.

- For a „bell shaped“ skirt style I recommend a combination of stiff and soft
tulle. The stiff tulle will give the skirt some volume from underneath, whilst the
top layers of soft tulle will add an elegant finish and weigh the hem of the skirt
down into the desired bell shape.
I will explain in more detail how to create different styles later, but first I‘ll show
you how to draft a yoke pattern and the base layer for the skirt.
2) Patterning the Yoke & Base Layer

All of my tulle skirts are based on the same concept:
- The base is a fitted yoke made out

of cotton fabric, that starts slightly
below the waist and goes down over
the hips.
- A base layer of soft tulle is sewn

onto that skirt yoke. It is cut as a
semi-circle, which is closed at the
center back.
- Layers of ruffled tulle are sewn onto

that tulle base, to build the volume
from the bottom up to the waist.
Skirt yoke, semi-circular base layer and tulle ruffles
Since different skirt styles require different amounts of fabric, I recommend cal-
culating the needed fabric in detail with the help of small-scale sketches before
ordering the materials.
For that we will need the pattern of the yoke and a detailed sketch or pattern for
the semi-circular base layer, which the tulle ruffles will be sewn onto later.

The yoke pattern:
To draft a bespoke yoke pattern, you will need the following measurements:
1) Waist Circumference
2) Upper Hip Circumference (Measure 10cm below the waist circumference.)
3) Full Hip Circumference (Measure around the fullest part of your bottom.)
4) Distance between Waist Circumference and Full Hip Circumference
(Measure from the waist down to the fullest part of the bottom.)
We start with a rectangle that is as high as the distance between the Waist and
Full Hip (4) and as wide as 1/2 of the Full Hip Circumference (3) + 1cm ease.
1/2 Full Hip Circumference + 1cm

Then we add a verti-
Distance Waist - Full Hip
cal line in the middle

of the rectangle.
The front of the yoke

will be to the left of
that line and the back
1/2 1/2
of the yoke will be to
the right of that line.
Waistline
Next, we add a ho-

10cm
rizontal line 10cm

Upper Hip Line below the waist.
This is the Upper Hip

Line.
Full Hip Line

Now we need to take some width out at the waist to fit the yoke to the body.
We will take out darts at the front and back of the yoke and we will also curve
the side seam inwards over the hips.
It requires a bit of maths to figure out how much width needs to be taken out:
Subtract your waist circumference from your full hip circumference and divide
the result by two (since we only draft one half of the yoke pattern).
Example:
My waist circumference is 62cm.
My full hip circumference is 90cm.
90cm (full hip) - 62cm (waist circumference)

= 14 cm width to be taken out
2
1/2 of this amount is taken out at the waistline, left and right from the side
seam. In my example that is 7cm (3.5cm to the left of the side seam and 3.5cm
to the right of the side seam). I mark this out on the pattern.
CF CB If you don‘t have as

much difference bet-
ween your waist and
hip measurement,
Side Seam
your measurement
can be much smaller
than mine.
Next, we will draw in the side seam in a smooth curve from the full hip line to
the new side seam marks.

CF CB
Again, if you have
less difference bet-
ween waist and hips,
your side seam might
be much straighter in
shape.
As the waistline drops in the front of the body on most people, we will now raise
the waistline at the side and in the the back by 1cm.
CF CB
From the side seam
towards the center
front the new waist-
line is sloping down
in a gentle curve.
Now we still have the remaining width from our calculation to take out in the
shape of darts.
Depending on the proportions you are working with, the amount and size of the
darts will differ in your yoke pattern.
- If you have only a small difference between the waist and full hip measure-
ment, you only need one dart in the back part of the yoke.
This is the case if you have 0.5 - 3cm of width left to take out.
- For figures with an average difference between the waist and full hip measure-
ment, you can also add a dart in the front part of the yoke.
This is the case if you have 3 - 5cm of width left to take out.

- If the difference between the waist and full hip measurement is quite big - this
is usually the case with curvy figures - I recommend adding one dart in the front
and two darts in the back of the yoke.
That way the width that has to be taken out is more evenly distributed than with
only one very big dart in the back.
I would recommend three darts in your pattern if you have more than 5cm of
width left to be taken out.
Positioning of the front dart:
If your yoke pattern requires a front dart, measure 1/10 of the full waist circum-
ference from the side seam to the left. That is where the right leg of your dart
will start. It will go down to the upper hip line.
1/10 Waist Circumference

CF CB
If your yoke pattern
doesn‘t require a
front dart, you can
just skip this step.
Positioning of the back dart(s):
1/2 1/2
CF CB
If your yoke pattern
requires one dart in
15cm
the back, it should

sit in the middle
between the side and
back seams and have
a length of 15cm.

If your pattern requires a second dart in the back, start by measuring 1/10 of the
full waist circumference from the center back to the left.
This is where the right leg of the first back dart will sit. Again, this dart should
be 15cm long.
1/10 Waist C.
CF CB The second back dart
will sit in the middle
15cm
between the first dart
and the side seam. We
will determine its positi-
on after the first dart is
drawn in.
Distributing the width between the darts:
This is very individual and depends on the figure and proportions. If there is only
one dart in the back, it‘s quite easy: All of the width will go into that one dart.
CF CB
This dart can have a
width of 0.5 - 3cm.
If you have more than

3cm but less than 5cm
left, you can take out
the remaining width as
a dart in the front of the
CF CB yoke pattern.
To the left you can see

a 1.5cm wide front dart
taken out at the position
we determined on the
previous page.

If you have more than 5cm of width to take out, I would recommend the follow-
ing guidelines for distribution:
- The right back dart should be the biggest dart. It can be as wide as 4.5cm.
- The dart in the front can be as wide as 2cm.
- The left back dart should be a bit smaller than the right back dart and it can
be up to 3.5cm wide.
Take a close look at the figure you are working with and then distribute the width
as needed. For example, if the figure has a very pronounced bottom but a flat
stomach, the darts in the back should be bigger.
If the figure has a round belly and not as much hips and bottom, the dart in the
front should be bigger, etc..
In my example I have distributed the remaining 7cm as follows:
1/2 1/2
CF CB 1.5cm in the front,
2.5cm in the left back
14cm
dart and 3cm in the

right back dart.
The left back dart should

be 14cm long.
Once all darts are placed, it‘s time to check the upper hip measurement.
CF CB
Compare 1/2 of your own

upper hip circumference
(2) with the upper hip
measure +
compare measurement MINUS
to 1/2 of the darts on the pattern.
Upper Hip

The measurement on your pattern should be 1 - 2cm bigger than 1/2 of the
measurement you have taken on the body, as your yoke needs some ease around
the hips.
If your pattern is too narrow, you can round the hip curve outwards to make it
wider. If your pattern is too wide, you can take in the side seam to make the
pattern narrower at the upper hip level.
CF CB If adjusting the side

seam isn‘t enough, you
can also make the darts
longer or shorter to take
out or to add width to
the upper hip measure-
ment on the pattern.
The basic draft is now finished, but we still have to manipulate the pattern to
remove the darts.
I would also recommend shortening the yoke a bit, as it doesn‘t have to go down
to the full hip for our purpose.
First, I lowered the yoke at the waist by 2cm.
I prefer my skirts to sit slightly below the waist, so the waist band doesn‘t add
bulk underneath corsets or tops. You can leave your yoke pattern at waist level,
if you prefer, or cut it down even lower than I did on my pattern.
CF
2
2 2 CB I cut the bottom edge at
the level of the (right)
back dart.
In the front I copied the
sloped down curve from
the top edge to the bot-
tom edge.

The next step is to remove the darts from the yoke pattern.
To do this, draw a ver-

tical line through the
center of each dart and
cut along these lines.
Now you can close the

darts by rotating the
pieces and taping the
legs of the darts on top
of each other.
Underneath shorter darts new little gaps will appear at the bottom edge.
These can be left in the pattern as extra ease.
The top and bottom edges can be rounded into smooth curves now.
Depending on how many

darts you have and how
wide these are, your
yoke pattern could look
even curvier than mine
or almost straight.
As a final step we need

to draw a horizontal line
through both panels.
2/3
2/3
This line should be 1/3

of the panel height from
1/3
1/3
the bottom edge.

This is the reference line, where the semi-circular base of the skirt will be sewn
onto the yoke later.
The base skirt pattern:
The base skirt is a semi-circle of tulle, which is sewn to the yoke at the marked
line. It forms the A-shaped base onto which the ruffled layers of tulle will be
sewn, to build up the volume of the skirt.
In my experience a semi-circle works really well, as it is wide enough to give

some room for movement and a flattering silhouette.
A base layer cut in a 3/4 circle or full circle would overlap at the hem and the
sewn on ruffles would create unnecessary bulk around the feet.
It‘s not strictly necessary to make a pattern for this base layer. If you prefer, you
can mark and cut the semi-circle directly on the tulle fabric.
In order to determine the dimension of this semi-circle we will need two refe-
rence measurements:
1) The waist measurement:
Measure the marked

horizontal line on your
measure
measure yoke pattern and double
it for the full circumfe-
rence measurement.
2) The length of your skirt from the marked line on the yoke downwards:
Hold the yoke pattern against your body at the correct height. Then measure
from the marked line down to where you want the skirt to end.

I prefer to sew the skirt base to the yoke roughly at the upper hip level, because
I don‘t want all the tulle layers to sit at the waist / top of the yoke where they
would add a lot of bulk underneath corsets or tops. A lower placed skirt base
also distributes the weight of the fabric better over the whole yoke.
I always start with a small-scale

sketch of the semi-circle to figure out
the dimensions and placement on the
tulle, before I start marking and cut-
ting the fabric.
First we need to calculate the size

of the small inner circle of the skirt
base. This is the edge that will be
sewn to the yoke.
It should fit onto the yoke without
gathering.
Small-scale sketch for 1/4 of the semi-cicular base skirt
The formula for this semi-circle is Circumference Measurement ÷ Pi = Radius
Example:
My measurement at the marked horizontal line of my yoke is 80cm.
80cm (measurement from the yoke)

= 25.5 cm radius
π
That means that the inner semi-circle has a radius of 25.5cm in my case.
Once that inner semi-circle is drawn, you just have to mark the desired length of
your skirt from that semi-circle outwards and draw another semi-circle there.
This is the hem line of your skirt base.

In my case the skirt length is 100cm.
That means the semi-circle pattern

for my skirt base is 251cm
(2x skirt length + 2x radius) long and
skirt length calculated radius 125.5cm (skirt length + radius) high.
If you are taller, want to wear the skirt with higher heels, or just prefer your skirt
to be longer than floor-length, you can extend the skirt length as much as the
fabric width allows (tulle usually is 140 - 150cm wide).
3) Calculating the Tulle layers

This step is very variable, as it completely depends on the volume and silhouette
you want to achieve with your skirt and the type of tulle you want to use.
Here are some examples to help you with making a decision:
- Voluminous A-shaped skirt:
This skirt has 7 layers of stiff poly-

amide tulle and each layer is 5x as
long as the base layer.
Gathering stiff tulle to 1/5 of it‘s

length results in very fluffy, volumi-
nous ruffles with a lot of stand.
I would recommend using AT LEAST

7 layers of tulle for a skirt similar to
this. The more layers you add, the
fuller the skirt will turn out.

- Full „bell shaped“ skirt:
This skirt has 6 layers of stiff poly-

ester tulle from the bottom to about
mid height of the skirt and then 7
layers of softer bridal tulle layered on
top, going up almost to the waist.
The stiff bottom tulle layers are 3.5x

as long as the base layer.
The soft upper tulle layers are 9x as

long as the base layer.
As you can see in the example above, soft tulle creates less volume.
On the other hand it looks smoother and denser and has a more elegant flow
than stiff tulle.
My example also shows that you need SIGNIFICANTLY more tulle and layers
with soft tulle, in order to achieve a full look and decent volume.
(Compare the stiff tulle ruffles gathered to 1/3 of their length to the soft tulle
ruffles gathered to 1/9 of their length.)
I would recommend using a total of 10 - 15 layers of stiff and soft tulle for a
skirt style as the one shown above.
- Flowing mermaid skirt style:
I haven‘t done one of those myself yet, but from examining such skirts done by
other people, I would recommend using 15 - 20 layers of soft tulle.
Each layer should be at least 10x as long as the base layer, for a dense and
beautiful drape of the skirt.

I usually sew the top 3 to 5 layers onto the yoke, above the base layer.
These top layers are set quite close to each other, so the yoke is covered, with
no fabric showing through the tulle.
The remaining lower layers are evenly distributed on the skirt base.
If you decide to use stiffer tulle for the bottom layers, you can place them wider
apart and then set the top soft tulle layers closer together.
If you only use soft tulle, the layers can be evenly distributed.
The diagram to the left shows the

reference lines, where the tulle lay-
ers will be sewn onto the base in my
example.
I decided to sew 6 stiff tulle layers and 3 soft tulle layers onto the skirt base.
That means that 9 layers of tulle have to be placed on the base in total.
The remaining 4 layers of soft tulle will be sewn onto the yoke later.
Since my skirt length is 100cm, I

marked reference lines every 10cm
on my skirt base pattern.
10cm
If you have less layers and/or a longer skirt base, your lines will be placed fur-
ther apart. If you have more layers and/or a shorter base skirt, your lines will be
placed closer together.
With these lines set, we can calculate the length and height of each ruffle.

measure
Measure along the first reference line
to determine its length.
Then measure from the line to the
outer edge of the semi-circle to deter-
mine the height of the ruffle.
measure
I always add 1cm to the height of each ruffle, so the skirt base doesn‘t show
underneath. That means my lowest ruffle is 11cm high.
The length of the lowest reference line is 362cm in my case.

I will use stiff tulle for this ruffle and cut the tulle strip 3.5x as long as my
length measurement.
That means my lowest ruffle has to be 1267cm long (362cm x 3.5).
If you are working with softer tulle or just want to achieve more volume, multiply
the length of your reference line with how many times the length you want to
use for your ruffles.
Now we have to determine how many 11cm high strips of fabric we need to cut
from our tulle fabric in order to piece together a 1267cm long strip.
Divide your strip length by the width of your fabric and round that number up.
Example - Lowest Ruffle:

My lowest ruffle should be 1267cm long and my fabric is 150cm wide.
1267cm (length of the tulle strip)

= 8.45 -> rounded up to 9
150cm (width of fabric)
In my case I have to cut nine 11cm strips from my tulle fabric for the first ruf-
fle, which means that the first ruffle requires 99cm of tulle in total.

The second ruffle will be a bit shorter, but twice as high as the first ruffle.
measure
In the diagram to the left you can

see how I measure the length of the
second reference line and the height
of the second ruffle.
measure
This time I add 2cm to the height measurement, so the second ruffle covers the
hem of the base skirt, as well as the first ruffle at the bottom edge.
The extra length might be a bit too much, but it‘s better to trim and even out
the length of the ruffles later, than ending up with too short layers where you
can see the ruffles underneath.
My second ruffle is 22cm high (including the 2cm of extra height) and the se-
cond reference line is 331cm long.
Again, I want the tulle strip 3.5x as long as this measurement.
Example - Second to Lowest Ruffle:

My next ruffle should be 1195cm long (331cm x 3.5).
The formula is the same as for the previous ruffle.
1195cm (length of the tulle strip)

= 7,97 -> rounded up to 8
150cm (width of fabric)
For this ruffle I have to cut eight 22cm strips from my tulle fabric, which means
that the second ruffle requires 176cm of tulle fabric, in addition to the 99cm of
the first ruffle...

Once you have calculated the required amount of tulle for each ruffle, you have
to add those numbers up, in order to get the the total amount of tulle needed.
If you mix different qualities of tulle, add up the numbers for the stiff tulle la-
yers and then add up the numbers for the soft tulle layers separately.
Apart from the tulle for the ruffles, you will also need SOFT tulle for the base
layer (this should always be made from soft tulle, but more on that later).
We drafted or sketched the pattern

for the skirt base layer in the previous
chapter.
This layer needs to be cut twice (one

layer wouldn‘t be supportive enough
for all those ruffles.
Semi-circular base layer, cut twice from soft tulle
That means you have to double the total length of your semi-circle and add that
number to the tulle you need for your soft ruffles.
If you only want to use stiff tulle for your skirt, you will still need twice the
length of your base layer of soft tulle.
All of these numbers and calculations might seem very confusing and like a te-
dious process to figure out, but I think it‘s really worth the effort.
A big tulle skirt can require anything from 20 up to 75m of tulle, depending on
the style and material. It‘s really difficult to estimate how much you will need in
your case without proper calculations, as it depends on so many factors.
I can only speak from my own experience and say that it is just as annoying to
run out of fabric halfway through the skirt, as it is ending up with 15m of left-
over tulle just because „you just wanted to make sure to have enough material.“

Here is a summary of all materials required for a big tulle skirt:
For the yoke you will need:

- 25 - 30cm soft cotton drill with a bit of stretch (outer layer of the yoke)
- 25 - 30cm of stretch lining (inner layer of the yoke)
- Hook and eye tape in the length of the center back of the yoke
For the base layer you will need:

- Soft tulle: 2x total length of your semi-circular base layer (usually 5 - 6m)
For the ruffled layers you will need:

- Stiff tulle: If some or all of your ruffles are made from stiff tulle, add up the
calculated numbers. I would recommend to buy 1 - 3m extra, as stiff tulle isn‘t
that expensive and it‘s always good to have a little bit of extra fabric.
- Soft tulle: If some or all of your ruffles are made from soft tulle, add up the
calculated numbers as well and add the result to the amount for the base layer.
For soft tulle I calculate very carefully instead of buying extra fabric, as it is
usually more expensive and buying extra fabric will increase the cost.
4) sewing the Yoke & Base Skirt

As fabric for the yoke I recommend a
soft cotton drill with a bit of stretch.
It will be sturdy enough to carry the

weight of the tulle layers and the
stretch will make it more comfortable
to wear. Alternatively you can also use
cotton sateen or plain woven cotton
for the outer layer of the yoke.
For the inside of the yoke I used stret-

chy viscose lining fabric.
Soft cotton drill with a bit of stretch

The center front is cut on the fold and I use 1cm of seam allowance around all
edges. Then I close the side seams on both layers and press them open.
Yoke pieces, cut and marked Pinned side seams on the outer layer and the lining
Next, I put both layers on top of each other, right side to right side, and sew the
top edge and the bottom edge of the yoke.
These seams now have to be clipped and pressed open over a sleeve board be-
fore the yoke can be turned.
Stitching the top and bottom edge of the yoke Clipping the seam allowances in curvy areas

Pressing the seam open over a sleeve board Turning the yoke and pressing the edges
Once the yoke is turned and pressed, I secure both edges with topstitching.
There are different options for how to

close the yoke in the center back.
My preferred way is hook and eye
tape, as it makes the skirt adjustable,
is easy to install and doesn‘t add bulk
underneath corsets or tops.
I would recommend looking for high

quality hook and eye tape from the
roll, so you can cut it exactly to the
required length.
High quality hook and eye tape
The tape I am using is open on one side, so the yoke can be sandwiched in bet-
ween the two layers of the tape.
The picture on the following page shows where the center back marking of the
yoke should lie inside the tape. You might have to trim off a bit of the yoke to
make it fit into the tape.

I use pins to secure both sides of the
tape and then check that the tape is
positioned correctly.
The hook side of the tape should sit

on the right side of the yoke, with the
hooks facing inwards.
The eye side of the tape should sit on

the left side of the yoke, with the eyes
facing outwards.
The center back of the yoke is indicated by the red lines.
If you find it difficult to sew on the tape with just pins, you can also baste it in
place before you sew it on.
I use a dense and narrow zig-zag machine stitch over the edge of the tape to
sew it on. Then I finish the top and bottom edge of the tape with the same zig-
zag stitch.
Any fraying areas can be sealed with a lighter afterwards.
The tape is sewn on with dense and narrow zig-zag stitch. Finished hook and eye closure

Finally, I thread mark the line where
the skirt base will be sewn onto the
yoke later.
We have marked it on our pattern at
2/3 down the height of the yoke.
Now the yoke is done and we can move

on to the base layer of the skirt.
As mentioned, I recommend soft syn-

thetic fibre tulle for this layer.
Thread marked attaching line for the base skirt
I use two layers of it, cut double and

connected with basting stitches along
the edges and along the lines where
the ruffles will be sewn on.
The best way to cut such big pieces of

tulle is laying it out on a cutting table
that fits the whole width of the fabric.
I align the edge of the fabric with the

edge of the table and secure it with
weights, so it can‘t shift anymore.
Cut and marked base skirt, made from two layers of soft tulle
If you don‘t have a big enough table, you can also lay out the tulle on the floor.
Maybe your floor has some kind of pattern or straight lines on it, which you can
use as reference for aligning the edges.
This can take a while, since such soft and light fabrics tend to shift a lot.
Weights along the edges of the fabric help to keep the layers wrinkle free and
straight, so you can lay out the pattern on top.

The tulle layers are kept straight and in the correct position with weights
Since I didn‘t make a paper pattern

for my skirt base, I use a tape mea-
sure and pins to mark the semi-
circular shapes on the tulle.
I mark the lines with pins and then

follow with a contrasting thread and
small basting stitches.
That also secures both layers on top

of each other.
Marking the semi-circular base skirt with a tape measure
On the following page you can see that I have only marked 1/4 of a circle with
the tape measure. Afterwards I folded the tulle layers over and traced the lines
onto the second half with more thread and basting stitches.
At the bottom edge I leave 2cm of seam allowance around the hem, just in case
the skirt turns out a bit too short somewhere.

2nd half of the base layer, folded over and thread marked Cutting the hem of the base skirt with 2cm of seam allowance
Next, I thread mark vertical lines halfway, 1/4 and 1/8 through the semi-circle.
These will help you to position and evenly distribute the tulle ruffles on the base
layer later.
Thread marking vertical lines on the base layer at 1/2, 1/4 and 1/8 of the semi-circle
Finally, I thread mark the circular reference lines for each ruffle, as explained
earlier in this tutorial. The upper semi-circle, where the base will be sewn onto
the yoke, can also be cut out now. I use 2cm of seam allowance there as well.

Thread marking the reference lines for the ruffles Cutting out the upper semi-circle of the base layer
The base layer will be closed with a simple seam at the center back, with a 15 -
20cm slit left open at the top.
Afterwards the seam is pressed open and the thread marks along the seam can
be removed. I also topstitch around the slit, to stabilize it.
Leaving a 15 - 20cm slit open at the top of the base skirt Closed seam and topstitched slit in the center back
Now it‘s time to prepare the ruffles.

5) Making the Ruffled Tulle Layers
We have already calculated the length and height for each ruffle earlier in this
tutorial. I recommend cutting 2 - 3 ruffles in one go and then sewing and atta-
ching them, before starting with the next layers.
That allows you to check the volume

and look of the lower ruffles and adjust
the next ruffles, if necessary.
In order to cut the strips of tulle in an

even and efficient way, you can fold
the fabric several times. That will give
you a small piece with multiple layers
on top of each other, which is easy to
handle and quick to cut.
Bottom layers, cut and with sewn in gathering thread
I secure these stacked layers on top of each other with pins and then use the
cut piece as a template for the following pieces of the same ruffle.
Measuring the height of a tulle layer and marking it with pins Using a cut strip as template for the following strips

Once you have cut the tulle strips for a few ruffles, piece them together with ver-
tical seams, trim the corners of the seam allowances and press the seams open.
Trimming the corners of the seam allowances Pressed open piecing seam
Depending on the length of the strip, this might take quite a while.
Next, we need gathering seams to reduce the tulle strips to the desired length
and to add the volume to our ruffles. I personally prefer to use gathering threads
instead of a ruffler foot or other methods to make tulle ruffles.
In my opinion thread gathered ruffles

look much more even and neat than
the results of a ruffler foot.
Also, a ruffler foot can shred your tul-
le, because it‘s such a fine fabric.
For the gathering threads sew two par-

allel rows of machine stitching with a
BIG stitch length (4 - 6mm) along the
top of each ruffle.
DON‘T backstitch at the beginning
and the end and leave the threads
Two parallel rows of gathering stitches
hanging. We will need them later.

Another tip is to stitch these gathering seams very slowly.
That might sound annoying, as it will take even longer to do these seams on the
long strips of tulle, but it helps to prevent the thread from breaking.
Stiff tulle is quite rough and can break the thread if you sew very fast. That‘s
something we want to avoid, as it‘s much easier to gather strips with continuous
threads, than with lots of interruptions.
Before we start attaching the ruffles

onto the base, we need to set marks
at 1/2, 1/4 and 1/8 of each strip.
You can do this by folding the strip

and placing a pin at each fold or by
using thread and tailor‘s tacks.
These marks will be placed on the

1/2, 1/4 and 1/8 marks on the skirt
base, so the width of the ruffles is
evenly distributed across the skirt.
1/2, 1/4 and 1/8 markings on a ruffle
I usually start by pinning the first ruf-

fle to the center back with the seam
where the loose threads are hanging.
Then I match each mark on the ruffle

to the 1/2, 1/4 or 1/8 marks on the
base skirt and secure it with pins.
With the center back of the base layer

already closed, you won‘t be able to
lay out the whole layer flat on the
table. Instead you have to rotate it,
while pinning the ruffles in place.
First ruffle pinned onto the base layer

The ruffle is much longer than the segment on the base layer. It has to be gathered to the correct length.
Once all marks are pinned onto each other, we can start gathering the ruffle.
That is done by pulling JUST the bobbin threads of BOTH gathering seams.
Pull the threads until the ruffle has the same length as the base segment, then
start distributing the fabric evenly over the whole segment.
Pulling on the bobbin threads to gather the fabric Distributing the ruffles evenly over the whole segment
Placing weights at both sides of the segment you are gathering helps to keep the
base layer in place.

Weights on both sides of the segment help to keep the base layer in place, so the ruffle can be distributed and pinned easily.
Work your way around the whole skirt, gathering, distributing and pinning down
the ruffle. The pulled out threads can be knotted and cut off, so they don‘t get
in the way when you sew the ruffle on.
The ruffle should be sewn to the base with a smaller stitch length (2 - 2.5mm)
and the seam should sit exactly in the middle between the two gathering seams.
The pulled out threads can be knotted and cut off. Sewing on the ruffle between the two gathering seams
Afterwards you can remove the basted reference line from the base layer.

You can also remove the gathering
thread, but it‘s not mandatory.
If you have chosen a gathering thread

that matches the tulle in colour, you
can also leave them in the skirt.
If you decide to remove them, take

care to NOT accidently pull out the
seam that secures the ruffle.
That would undo all the gathering.
Removing the basted reference line from the base layer
The following ruffles can be sewn on in the same way, one after the other.
It‘s also a good idea to put the skirt onto a dressform every now and then, to
check how the ruffles look, if you are happy with the volume, etc..
Sewing on the next ruffles in the same way Checking the look of the ruffles on the dressform
In my example I covered about half of the base skirt with ruffles from stiff tulle.
That provides a lot of volume at the bottom, so the top layers, which are made
of soft tulle, will get pushed out.

In the picture to the left you can see
how the fine tulle looks gathered.
As I mentioned earlier, I used a lot

more fabric than with the stiff tulle to
achieve such a dense effect.
Once the whole base layer is covered

with ruffles, you can pin it to the yoke
along the marked line.
Densly gathered ruffle, made from soft tulle
Make sure to align the CF and side

marks of the skirt with the CF and side
seams on the yoke during this step.
The edges of the slit should start just

outside of the hook and eye tape on
each side, so there is no gap when the
skirt is worn fully closed.
If you want to wear the skirt at a wider

setting, the volume of the upper tulle
layers will cover the gap.
Pinning the base skirt to the yoke along the marked line
The skirt base is sewn to the yoke with a small stitch length (2 - 2.5mm).
I usually do three rows of stitching, as you can see on the following page.
That way the base skirt is securely anchored and can withstand the weight of all
the tulle layers.

Now you can sew the remaining tulle
layers directly onto the yoke.
I always place these top layers very

close together for a dense effect that
completely covers the yoke.
You can decide how much of the yoke

you want to cover.
You can go up to the top edge or you
can leave a bit of the yoke empty, so it
forms a visible waist band.
Base skirt, sewn to the yoke with three rows of stitching
Two more layers, stitched directly onto the yoke Final layer in a contrasting colour
Of course you can also experiment with different colours for your layers.
I personally love to add one single darker layer on top of a coloured skirt. It adds
some depth to the design and can also make a nice transition from a dark corset
or top to the lighter skirt.

6) Final Steps
Once all layers are sewn on, your skirt might still look a bit unruly.
This can easily be fixed with steam. If you want your tulle layers to fall more
smoothly, put the skirt on a dress form and treat the layers with your steam iron.
With one hand I „comb“ and pull the

tulle downwards and with the other
hand I apply steam from the waist
towards the hem.
You will quickly get a feeling for how

much steam you need to apply to
achieve the desired effect.
A lot of steam applied from a close

distance will flatten the tulle, so it
has less volume.
Little steam, applied from further
Steaming the tulle from the waist towards the hem
apart will gently smooth the tulle
whilst still leaving some of the volume
in the fabric.
In the picture to the left you can see

how smoothly the steamed layers fall
down now.
Once the finished skirt is on the

dressform you might also realize that
the hem is quite uneven.
If you prefer a very precise hem line

where all layers have the same length,
The layers are steamed and the hem is trimmed.
you can trim the layers now.

In my example I only trimmed the front part of the hem, from side seam to side
seam. On the sides and in the back I quite like the effect of each layer being a
bit longer than the previous one.
I always put the dressform on my cut-

ting table for this, as I find it easier to
cut the layers in an elevated position
instead of having to crouch on the
floor.
If you want to trim the hem of the

skirt, smooth down the layers with
your hands and pin them together
about 10cm above the desired length.
Elevating the skirt makes it easier to trim the hem.
You can use a ruler, a tape measure or a skirt marker to determine an even line
before you start cutting.
Securing the layers with pins above the hem Trimming off excess length

If there are a lot of layers that need to be trimmed, I recommend lifting the top
layers up and securing them on the dressform.
That way you can start with the bottom layers and even them out first, before
letting the top layers down again and trimming the hem of those as well.
The following pictures show my finished tulle skirt: A bell shaped style, made
from a mix of stiff and soft tulle, trimmed to floor length in the front and with a
slightly cascading hem line in the back of the skirt.
Finished tulle skirt
With the tips and information in this tutorial you should be able to create your
own opulent tulle skirts now.
I hope you found the instructions helpful and easy to understand and that I
could answer all the questions you might have had about making such skirts.
Happy sewing and thanks for reading!

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Opulent Tulle Skirts

Materials, Cutting & Construction

1) Choosing a Silhouette & Materials

Opulent Tulle Skirts | Copyright www.royalblack.at 1

For my tulle skirts I mostly use synthetic fibre tulle.

Opulent Tulle Skirts | Copyright www.royalblack.at 2

2) Patterning the Yoke & Base Layer

- The base is a fitted yoke made out

- A base layer of soft tulle is sewn

- Layers of ruffled tulle are sewn onto

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1/2 Full Hip Circumference + 1cm

cal line in the middle

The front of the yoke

Next, we add a ho-

rizontal line 10cm

This is the Upper Hip

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90cm (full hip) - 62cm (waist circumference)

CF CB If you don‘t have as

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Positioning of the front dart:

1/10 Waist Circumference

Positioning of the back dart(s):

the back, it should

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Distributing the width between the darts:

If you have more than

To the left you can see

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In my example I have distributed the remaining 7cm as follows:

dart and 3cm in the

The left back dart should

Compare 1/2 of your own

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CF CB If adjusting the side

First, I lowered the yoke at the waist by 2cm.

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To do this, draw a ver-

Now you can close the

Depending on how many

As a final step we need

This line should be 1/3

the bottom edge.

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The base skirt pattern:

In my experience a semi-circle works really well, as it is wide enough to give

1) The waist measurement:

Measure the marked

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I always start with a small-scale

First we need to calculate the size

Small-scale sketch for 1/4 of the semi-cicular base skirt

The formula for this semi-circle is Circumference Measurement ÷ Pi = Radius

80cm (measurement from the yoke)

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That means the semi-circle pattern

3) Calculating the Tulle layers

Here are some examples to help you with making a decision:

- Voluminous A-shaped skirt:

This skirt has 7 layers of stiff poly-

Gathering stiff tulle to 1/5 of it‘s