***UPDATE: If you don’t want to do the calculations, we now offer a FREE sewing pattern for a dress with a tiered skirt, which you can mash with the Reverie or pretty much any other bodice with a seam at the natural waist! Check out the Talia Tiered Dress.***
When I was organizing my fabrics recently, I saw these shades of green/teal together and thought, how awesome would a tiered dress be in these fabrics, creating an ombre effect! I decided to use the Reverie Dress for it, with the pleated shoulder strap hack. It turned out amazing, and I wanted to share with you the steps to make a tiered skirt.
For a dress that already has a gathered skirt (like the Reverie), a tiered skirt is a very easy modification to make. And with one extra calculation, they can easily be added to ANY bodice at the waist!!
Here are the steps to calculate your skirt tier dimensions, from an existing gathered skirt pattern:
If you are working with a dress/bodice that doesn’t already have a gathered skirt to measure, here’s how you would get your starting dimensions:
Once you’ve got your measurements, simply cut your pieces, and gather each tier to the width of the one above it (start at the bottom and work your way up), then sew them together. Next, sew your side seams to form the full skirt. Then gather the top of the skirt to the circumference of the bodice waist, and sew them together, and you’re done!!
I love tiered skirts, they are so twirly and full, and the ombre effect is simply spectacular!!`