How to make a ribbon skirt

Serene Weasel Traveller is a skilled seamstress and artist from the Piikani Nation. In this tutorial, she shares her knowledge and experience in making ribbon skirts and invites you to make your own!

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Sewing Sequence for Ladies Ribbon Skirt

Materials required for one skirt 

• 2.5 meters of fabric

• Ribbon at least 2.5 meters per colour for each row of ribbon

•  Thread

• Scissors

• Pinking shears (optional)

• Lighter or matches

• Elastic band 1.5 inches width and at least 1.5 meters in length 

• Ruler

• Yardstick (optional)

• Iron and ironing board 

• Measuring tape 

• Straight pins (optional)

• Large safety pin

Step One: Preshrink the cotton fabric

Note that preshrinking is not required if you are using satin fabric or any other fancy fabric.

• Machine wash the cotton in warm water.

• Fully dry the fabric in the dryer.

• Press the fabric with an iron to remove all the wrinkles.

Step Two: Measure

• Use a measuring tape to measure the circumference of the waistline and record that length for later.

• Use a measuring tape to measure the desired length of the skirt starting from the waistline down calf level and record that measurement for later.

Step Three: Transfer Measurements to the Fabric

• Decide the direction of the fabric from top to bottom.

• Fold the fabric in half lengthwise.

• Divide the waistline measurement by four (eg. a waist of 36 inches divided by 4 is 9 inches).

• Marking the waist with a ruler, draw a straight line from the straight edge of the paper 9 inches, plus 4 inches, total length of wais line is 13 inches. 

• Mark the length of skirt (the length is the distance from the waist to the hem.

• Add 2 inches on top of the skirt above the planned top of the waist for an elastic band.

• Add 2 inches to the bottom of the skirt for the hem.

• Draw a line across the fabric that measures the width of the first line drawn for the waist and add 6 extra inches (eg. if the waist is 13 inches, add 6 inches for a total of 19 inches).

Step Four: Cutting out the fabric

• Cut out the first panel.

• Use the first panel as a pattern to create an identical second panel.

• You should have two panel pieces, one for the front of the skirt and one for the back and back once it is unfolded.

Step Five: Applying Ribbon

• Lay the fabric pattern down on a flat surface.

• Measure and put a mark using a thin marker 4 inches, or the desired height, above the bottom of the hem for the ribbon placement.

• Draw a line across the bottom of skirt.

• Stitch the bottom of the ribbon down with a sewing machine, following that line. You will want to sew ribbon down over top of the drawn line.

• Determine the length of ribbon needed to sew from one edge of the skirt to the other edge and cut ribbon a little longer than the width of skirt.

• Lightly singe the edge of the ribbon strips with a lighter or match to prevent fraying and unravelling.

• Stitch the top of the ribbon down once the bottom is sewn down.

• Using the iron, press the ribbon to prevent puckering.

• Proceed to stitch the next ribbon on by either stitching directly above the first ribbon, or remeasure the distance between ribbons.

• Follow steps for applying ribbon to the front and back skirt pieces 

Step Six: Assembling the Skirt 

• Once ribbons are attached, place front and back skirt pieces together. You should have the ribbons on the inside facing together.

• Line the ribbons up together and use straight pins to hold both pieces together.

• Using a sewing machine, stitch the side seams together. The seam should be sewn at half an inch to prevent seam splitting. You should use the ruler markings on your sewing machine.

• Using the iron, press the seams flat.

Step Seven: Hem the Skirt

• Measure 2 inches from the bottom of the skirt for the hem, and mark using a thin marker or use straight pins to hold the hem in place.

• Using the iron, press the hem.

• Using the sewing machine, stitch the hem in place.

Step Eight: Waistband and Elastic 

• Fold the top of the waist material down 2 inches for the elastic 

• Using the iron, press the waistband on the fold.

• Stitch the bottom of the waistband down along the length of the waist line leaving a 2-inch space opening for the elastic to be inserted

• Thread the elastic through the 2-inch space using a large safety pin attached to the end of the elastic. Shim it through the entire length and join the two ends of the elastic.

• Elastic should be the same length as the original waist measurement (eg. 36 inches).

• Stitch the ends of the elastic band together and stitch opening closed

You are done!