Adding a petticoat under a skirt is one way to make it fuller.
Most skirts have more volume at the bottom than at the top. However, some skirt styles look better with more volume and thickness at the top of the skirt near the waistband. You can add volume to any skirt by using a petticoat or by adding ruffles to the top of the skirt. This modification looks best with full skirts, but you can add ruffles to any kind of skirt, including straight skirts.
Instructions
Petticoat
1. Measure the length of the skirt where you want to add the additional volume. If you want more volume at the top 10 inches of the skirt, then use that measurement.
2. Place the petticoat under the skirt while wearing the skirt. Measure the length of the petticoat. If it is longer than the area where you want to add volume, make a mark with tailor's chalk where you want to cut the petticoat.
3. Cut the petticoat along the marked line with scissors to shorten it to the correct length. Hem the edge of the petticoat if desired.
Ruffles
4. Measure the circumference of the top of your skirt. Add 10 inches to this measurement. Record this measurement as your length.
5. Cut three 3 ½-inch wide strips from the cotton fabric you chose for the ruffles. The length will be the measurement from the previous step.
6. Sew a ¼-inch hem into all sides of the strips. Gather the hem slightly along the long sides until the strips are the same length as the circumference of the skirt. Sew along the top of each strip so you have three long lengths of ruffles that fit around the top of the skirt.
7. Pin the long end of one strip to the top of the skirt, just below the waistband. Pin the long end of the second strip about 2 inches above the bottom of the first strip and the long end of the third strip two inches above the bottom of the second.
8. Sew the strips in place around the skirt. You can also make the strips thinner if you want more localized volume in the skirt top.
Tags: more volume, where want, above bottom, around skirt, inches above, inches above bottom