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I made a DIY tiered skirt with mixed prints in knee length, and just love it. With the light colors, it’s my go-to summer skirt.
It’s flowy and gathered, with a nice comfy elastic waistband with a flat front. It was easy to make, and easier to twirl around in!
Join me as I tell you about the pattern, materials, my process, and share some of my photos.
McCall’s M8066 Skirt Pattern
McCall’s M8066 sewing pattern has an A-line shape with gathering at the waist. It is also known as Posie McCalls.
You have the option to make a tiered skirt like mine, or not. You can make a gathered skirt without tiers.
What I like about the pattern is the flat front elastic back waistband, which makes it comfortable to wear. I love these kinds of skirts because they have less bulk around the waist.
It’s also a level one in their Learn to Sew collection. So, if you already have sewing basics, you might want to tackle this skirt.
Materials
Here’s everything I used to bring this creation to life. This is a great project to use up your cottons.
Fabric
Although the sewing pattern doesn’t suggest rayon, I used it for kicks. I wouldn’t use rayon as a beginner in sewing.
It’s a bit tricky to sew because it’s a silky fabric. It tends to slide around and unravel easily.
Rayon also comes in different weights. I got my fabric from Joann, and it’s good for tops and bottoms.
The two different fabric designs I chose for the tiers are in the same color scheme. I love wearing white and off-white—just keeping them clean is another story.
If you’re a beginner, you may want to use a lighter-weight cotton woven fabric. It’s more stable than using silky types like I used.
The suggested fabrics for this sewing pattern are cotton blends, lawn, and polished cotton.
Notions
I needed a couple of notions. First, I used a 1-1/4 inch (1.25-inch) knit elastic for the waistband.
Also, I used lightweight fusible interfacing for the front waistband.
Needle
Use the correct needle when sewing your fabric. I used a size 75/11 universal needle for sewing the rayon.
If you use a cotton blend, you might use a size 80/12 universal needle. If it’s lighter weight, you might use a finer needle.
Thread
For my sewing machine, I used matching Gutermann sew-all thread made of 100% polyester.
I serged the seams using Maxi-Lock serger spun thread. It’s made of 100% polyester too.
Sewing My Skirt
Making a skirt like this is usually straightforward. However, I’ll note that I lined it, so I didn’t follow the directions.
Prepping
Although I always advise making a mockup, I didn’t make one here. Instead I measured the flat pattern waistband to make sure it’d fit over my hips.
With size medium, there was enough fabric in the back for me to slip on and off.
By the way, cutting rayon can be annoying, or any silky material for that matter. It’ll drape and move around on the cutting table.
I know how to work with it. But that’s another reason why I’d stick to woven fabrics for beginners.
Construction
This skirt was basically layered rectangles. You’ll sew them together at the sides, or at one side.
Then you’ll gather the layers lengthwise. You can either run a basting stitch and gather, or use a serger.
I always prefer the serger because I can set it to gather. And by golly, it does an amazing job!
I still have to adjust the gathers, and this takes time. You’ll want to make sure they are distributed evenly all the way around.
I always mark the side and center points to help me with this. They also have more markings on the pattern you’ll want to use.
You don’t want the fabric to be bulky on one side or area when gathering.
Once I pin the layers in place, then I bast them. After that, I run a permanent stitch and serge the ends.
Gathering is easier if you use lightweight fabrics. So, this rayon was easy to gather, but a pain to keep in place.
I only had 2 layers to gather for the knee-length version. You can make 3 tiers for the maxi length, or no tiers at all.
The elastic waistband, might be a little tricky. It has that flat front, and is longer in the back.
Adjustments
As I mentioned before that I added a lining. The fabric is rayon and it’s light-colored and lightweight.
Without a lining, it was see-through. And I wasn’t going for the sheer look.
I used lightweight polyester to make a lining because I had some in my stash. Plus, I needed something opaque.
Given it’s a rayon skirt, I preferred to line it in a similar fabric. When I looked around and ordered swatches from fabric stores, nothing was opaque enough.
If you add a lining to your skirt like I did, this pattern, like many others, doesn’t explain how to do this.
I cut the skirt front and back in the lining fabric. You’ll want to use the length of the finished skirt minus one inch.
You don’t need to make tiers for the lining. If you do, it’ll be bulky—unless that’s the look you’re going for.
I sewed the lining together at the side seams. Then I finished the hem with a lingerie stitch with my serger. You could use a rolled hem or zig-zag.
I basted the lining to the skirt top before gathering. Then I gathered both at the top.
The waistband came last, and I made some changes to my process at that point.
Project Notes
Note that this skirt doesn’t have pockets. I have sewn similar patterns that have them.
Maybe they left them out because this is a level one sewing pattern. I didn’t add pockets this time, but this will be a future adjustment.
Final Thoughts
I like how pretty my skirt turned out. And the length is perfect for those hot summer days.
I plan to make another, but in some other colors. Because I’m lucky to go through the day without getting at least one stain on this skirt!
More Sewing Projects
- I’m wearing my T-shirt that goes with my skirt. Do you like making a knot in yours too?
- I hacked a regular pattern into a flat front elastic back waist skirt and show you how.
- I upcycled linen pants into a new wrap skirt and put elastic in the back waist.
- Would you like to make a fun and easy sock-hop costume?
Originally published: August 12, 2024
