How to Sew a Pretty Cottagecore Skirt Step By Step

In this tutorial, I'll show you how to sew a cottagecore skirt from scratch. I'll be tracing a long skirt I already own, so you don't need a cottagecore skirt sewing pattern.
I seem to have a knack for buying fabric with one project in mind and then using it for something completely different. I bought white cotton fabric and some lace, thinking I would make a milkmaid style shirt, but then I realized I had enough fabric to make a long, floaty skirt!
I based the design of this skirt on the cottagecore aesthetic, but I noticed it also somewhat resembles an Edwardian-era petticoat. Either way, it’s flowy and romantic and I absolutely love it, and I hope you will, too.
Tools and materials:
- 2 yards of white cotton fabric
- 2 yards of eyelet lace
- White invisible zipper
- A full skirt (for the pattern)
- Scissors
- Pins
- Measuring tape
- Fabric chalk
- Sewing machine
1. Use a skirt to create the pattern
To start, I folded my fabric in half, and laid a skirt I already owned on top of it. Leaving one and a half inches around the skirt for seam allowance, I used pins to mark where to cut all around the skirt.
2. Cut the fabric
I cut the fabric around the skirt, using the pins as a guide.
3. Sew up one side seam, and pin the other
Once the fabric was cut, I had one front piece and one back piece for my skirt. I pinned the pieces together along one side, right sides facing, and sewed the seam.
I left the other side open, so I could place a zipper there later.
4. Hem the top edge of the skirt
Next, I folded over the top edge of the skirt about half an inch and sewed it down.
5. Measure and cut fabric for a waistband
I used a ruler and fabric chalk to mark where to cut for the waistband. I measured a width of 6 inches, and to get the measurement for the length, I simply measured my waist and added an inch and a half for seam allowance.
Then, I cut the waistband out of the fabric, using the chalk lines as my guide.
6. Pin the waistband to the top edge of the skirt
I pinned the waistband all the way across the top edge of the skirt.
7. Add the zipper
Once the waistband was in place, I pinned the zipper along the top of the open side seam, sewed it down, and then sewed down the rest of the side seam.
8. Create ruffles
I wanted to add a ruffled border to the hem of the skirt, so I cut a length of eyelet lace about one and one-third the length of the hem of my skirt.
I ran the solid section of the fabric through my sewing machine using a long straight stitch.
I did not backstitch at the beginning or end of the stitches. Once I finished stitching the length of the fabric, I pulled gently on the ends of the thread, bunching up the fabric as I pulled, creating ruffles.
9. Attach the ruffles to the hem of the skirt
I adjusted the ruffles so they were spread evenly along the length of the fabric. When I was satisfied with how it looked, I pinned it to the hem of the skirt, right sides facing, and sewed down.
10. Make a ribbon for the waistband
I would have liked to use the same eyelet lace to make a border around the waistband, but I did not have enough.
So, I found a different piece of lace and decided to make a bow for the waistband instead.
11. Pin and sew the raw edges
I pinned the raw edges along the length of the ribbon and sewed it down.
12. Tie a bow
Once the edges were hemmed, I tied my ribbon into a pretty little bow.
13. Make the finishing touches
Before attaching the bow, I sewed the two ends of the ruffle together by hand.
Then, I sewed the bow by hand onto the center-front of the waistband.
My beautiful, romantic cottagecore skirt is complete!
Cottagecore skirt sewing tutorial
This skirt is just so flowy and feminine and I love it so much! I hope this tutorial was helpful. Let me know what you think of this skirt in the comments below.
Enjoyed the project?
Suggested materials:
- White cotton fabric
- Eyelet lace
- White invisible zipper
- Full skirt
- Scissors
- Pins
- Measuring tape
- Fabric chalk
- Sewing machine
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this i like to do it with a thirt !
Me too i am a beginner and am already happy !
Hello, It's actually called Alabama Channing. That is the women's name and she has created a whole wardrobe that you hand stitch. It's quite amazing. She works on the premise of slowing down and relaxing through hand stitching. I bought a book she wrote and have made a skirt and blouse using her techniques. You can go to Amazon and just punch in her name under books and they should come up for you. 😊 Sorry for writing her name wrong.