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I made a DIY tiered maxi skirt and gathered dress from one capsule wardrobe pattern. Well, I made them with no cohesion in mind.
My goal was to test it out and add some new garments to my collection. Although I’m not going back to a minimalist lifestyle, this would be good for one.
I’ll tell you all about the pattern, materials, process, and share some of my photos. You might want to make one of your own.
Protea Capsule Wardrobe Pattern
The Protea sewing pattern by Megan Nielsen is a capsule wardrobe in that you can make a top, skirt, and dress. They are pull-on, loose-fitting garments, so no zippers or closures are needed.
The top and dress have two neck and sleeve variations. You can make them fitted or fluttered, along with a round or square neckline. In addition, there are front darts at the bust.
The skirt has an elastic waistband with a drawstring. It is also tiered and gathered, but you could extend it without the tiers.
One dress variation has a drawstring. The skirt and dress have pockets, because we love pockets, right?
This is a beginner-friendly sewing pattern. It’s easy to sew, and the directions are clear.
I got a PDF pattern, and I have a tutorial if you’re not sure how to use them.
Materials
Here are the things I used to make my garments. Light to medium-weight fabrics are good for this.
Fabric
To make my top, I went for a muslin because I only made a mockup for the sizing. It’s a lightweight cotton, and actually, I could have dyed it and worn it.
I used a polyester crepe to make my dress, and I found it in the fashion district near me. It’s a dark blue with a big, bold flower print.
It has a nice drape to make a dress or skirt. When looking closely, you can see the texture. It looks like it’d be rough on the inside, but it has a soft hand.
I don’t sew much with poly because of my fabric allergies, but I used it anyway. I had it lingering in my stash.
For the skirt, I used a linen-rayon blend that I found at Joann. I love the turquoise color, but the drape wasn’t as flowy as the poly.
Suggested fabrics for the project include shirt or dress fabrics such as cotton, shirting, voile, batiste, lawn, silk, crepe, rayon, chambray, and linen.
Notions
You’ll need elastic for the waistband of the skirt. I used 1-1/4-inch (1.25-inch) wide woven non-roll elastic for the casing. I didn’t choose knit elastic this time because of the weight.
If you make the skirt or dress variations with the drawstring, you’ll need ribbon or cord.
I used lightweight fusible interfacing for the neck facing of the dress and top.
Needle
I used a size 80/12 universal needle, and if you use lighter-weight fabrics, you may want to size down.
Thread
For my sewing machine, I used matching Gutermann all-purpose sewing thread made of polyester.
For the serging, I used Maxi-Lock spun thread, made of polyester.
Sewing My Capsule Wardrobe
Sewing the garments was pretty straightforward. I didn’t run into any issues!
Prepping
I made a muslin to test out the fit of the top, but I don’t know what I did with it after making it.
With the Protea, I was able to choose the size to the nearest inch. With commercial patterns, it’s the nearest 2 inches.
I did my normal prewashing and cutting. When cutting the polyester crepe, I should have used a stabilizer, but I didn’t.
It was tricky to cut, but I was really using it as my mockup. I wasn’t in love with the fabric, but thought it’d be fine to run a test.
Because it was dark, the fabric was hard to mark. I used white tailor’s chalk, but I couldn’t quite get all my markings on there.
The linen was easier to cut because it was more stable. And of course, the muslin fabric was the easiest to cut.
Construction
After fitting my mockup, I was ready to sew the dress. You’ll use the same pattern piece for the top and dress bodice.
I had to staystitch, especially when using crepe. This stuff stretched, and worked my patience!
And making darts with crepe or flowy fabrics is no walk in the park either.
When making the neckline facing, I like to finish it with the serger rather than folding it over. Good thing I went with the rounded one. The square neck would have been a nightmare with this fabric.
I chose to topstitch around the neckline instead of tacking it down. I find it stays in place better this way.
After sewing up the side seams, I worked on the skirt. The pockets are in the side seams.
Before gathering the skirt, I marked the side and center seams at the top. This helped me equally distribute the fabric.
I use a straight pin for this, as it’s easier to see when moving the fabric around.
You’ll need to baste the pockets across the front of the skirt before attaching the top. If you don’t, they’ll flop around at the sides.
I used this same process when making the maxi skirt, except it was attached to a waistband. You’ll need to gather the top and all the tiers.
Oh yeah, I always save my hemming for the end. That way, I can decide if anything needs to be shortened.
Adjustments
When I finished my dress, I thought I’d like it better with shorter sleeves. So I took a couple inches off the length.
After I did that, I brought in the waist a bit by pulling in the sides of the bodice. Yes, this was a hassle, and I had to redo part of the dress.
Next time, I’ll add the drawstring channel, which is one of the variations.
Finishing Details
I made my own drawstring instead of using cord or ribbon. To do this, I measured out a long piece of fabric, much longer than the waist.
Longer is better than shorter, as you can cut it later. Then I sewed it right sides together to create a tube.
I used my tube turner to flip it out, and voila! I had a matching drawstring for the skirt.
Project Notes
I’d say the garments fit true to size, and the dress is more of a relaxed fit.
Any fabric with a drape can be tricky to work with, so if you’re beginning, you’ll want to use stable fabrics like cotton. The crepe was a hassle to sew.
I’d also go with lighterweight fabrics for the tiered skirt next time. They’re easier to gather, but then I’d probably have to add a lining.
I’ve got some upcycling ideas brewing up, and think I’ll try a patchwork skirt next time.
Final Thoughts
This is a nice capsule wardrobe pattern, and I’ll use it again. I’m thinking a fun challenge would be to make garments to last one week.
Planning colors and designs that can be mixed and matched together would be nice. But then again, the pieces being stand-alone are great too!
More Sewing Projects
I have many other related posts on my blog. You might want to check them out.
- By the way, the black knit top I’m wearing with my skirt can be found here.
- I also made paper bag pants from the same designer that are so cute.
- If you’d like to learn how to put elastic in a casing, I have a step-by-step tutorial.
- Looking for tips for making clothes? I’ve got some for you.
I’d love to hear all about your sewing journey!
Originally published: September 9, 2025
