To calculate the tiers of a gathered skirt, start from the top: its cut width is your hip measurement multiplied by a gathering ratio, 1.8 for a classic fullness, and each tier below is 1.5 times as wide as the one above. Divide the finished length between the tiers, with the top tier a little shorter than the others, then add the casing, seam and hem allowances. For a 97 cm (38 in) hip and a 70 cm (27 1/2 in) midi length, three tiers come to 175, 262 and 393 cm (69, 103 and 155 in) around and take about 2.3 m (2 1/2 yd) of 140 cm (55 in) wide fabric.
How do you calculate the width of each tier?
A tiered skirt is a stack of rectangles, each gathered into the one above, and three numbers size it: your hip, the length and the fullness you like.
Tier 1 (top): hip × gathering ratio. The ratio is how much longer the fabric is than the edge it is gathered to. With an elastic waist, the top tier is gathered onto the waist elastic and must also pass over the hip: a ratio of 1.5 is softly gathered, 1.8 is the classic dirndl, 2.5 is very full. A 97 cm hip at 1.8 gives 175 cm.
Tier 2: tier 1 × 1.5, so 262 cm. Tier 3: tier 2 × 1.5, so 393 cm. A factor of 1.5 between tiers gives the familiar prairie shape; 1.3 is gentler and uses less fabric, and 2 is dramatic and only works in very light fabric.
| Tier | Around, finished | Cut as, on 140 cm fabric | Gathered onto |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 (top) | 175 cm (69 in) | 2 strips of 88 cm plus allowances | the waist elastic |
| 2 | 262 cm (103 in) | 2 strips of 131 cm plus allowances | the bottom of tier 1 |
| 3 (bottom) | 393 cm (155 in) | 3 strips of 131 cm plus allowances | the bottom of tier 2 |
Round each tier to a whole number of strips: nobody can tell 393 from 400 cm around. When a strip is wider than your fabric, as the 131 cm strips are on 110 cm (45 in) fabric, cut more, narrower strips; the extra seams disappear in the gathers. The gathering ratio calculator shows how different ratios look before you cut.
How long should each tier be?
Measure from your waist to where you want the hem and divide it between the tiers so the top one is slightly shorter. For a 70 cm midi in three tiers, 20, 24 and 26 cm (8, 9 1/2 and 10 1/4 in) looks balanced; equal tiers look heavy at the top. Two tiers in a 60 cm (23 1/2 in) knee length work at 27 and 33 cm (10 5/8 and 13 in).
Then add the allowances to each cut height:
| Tier | Finished | Added | Cut height |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 20 cm | 7 cm casing for 3 cm elastic, plus a 1.5 cm seam | 28.5 cm (11 1/4 in) |
| 2 | 24 cm | 1.5 cm seam at the top and the bottom | 27 cm (10 5/8 in) |
| 3 | 26 cm | 1.5 cm seam plus a 2.5 cm hem | 30 cm (11 3/4 in) |
The casing allowance is twice the elastic width plus 1 cm (3/8 in) for the first fold and a little room for the elastic to move. The elastic length calculator gives the elastic for your waist; as a rule, cut it 3 to 5 cm (1 1/4 to 2 in) shorter than the waist measurement.
How much fabric does a tiered skirt take?
Cut each tier as strips across the full width of the fabric, selvage to selvage, and add up the strip heights: two strips of 28.5 cm, two of 27 cm and three of 30 cm come to 201 cm, so 2.3 m (2 1/2 yd) with the pocket bags and shrinkage. A three-tier maxi at the same ratio needs about 3 m (3 1/4 yd); a two-tier knee length about 1.5 m (1 5/8 yd).
Cutting across the width runs the crosswise grain around the skirt, which is usual for tiers. With a one-way print or a border print, cut the strips along the selvage instead and allow more fabric.
Light and medium-light wovens gather best: cotton poplin, lawn, double gauze, seersucker, viscose and voile. The higher the ratio, the lighter the fabric should be, or the waist and the tier seams get bulky.
How do you sew a tiered skirt step by step?
- Cut the strips with a rotary cutter and a long ruler, or tear cotton along the crosswise grain for perfectly straight strips. Mark the center and the quarter points of every long edge with small snips or chalk.
- Join each tier into a loop. Sew the short ends of each tier's strips together, right sides together, into a ring, and finish the seams. If you want in-seam pockets, put them in two of the top tier's seams, at the sides, before closing them.
- Gather the top edge of tier 2. Sew two rows of the longest straight stitch, at 1 cm and 2 cm (3/8 and 3/4 in) from the edge, breaking the stitching at each seam so no single thread has to pull 130 cm of fabric. Leave long thread tails. The guide on gathering fabric evenly covers thread tension and pulling the bobbin threads.
- Join tier 2 to tier 1. Pin the gathered edge of tier 2 to the bottom of tier 1, right sides together, matching the seams and the quarter marks. Pull the bobbin threads from each break until the sections fit, spread the gathers evenly with a pin, and pin every 5 cm (2 in). Stitch at 1.5 cm with the gathers on top so you can see them, finish the seam, and press it up toward the top tier. A row of topstitching 5 mm (1/4 in) above the seam keeps it flat.
- Join tier 3 to tier 2 the same way. For the long bottom tier, gathering over a cord with a wide zigzag is quicker than two rows of stitches; the post on gathering methods compared weighs the options.
- Sew the casing. Finish the top edge, press 1 cm (3/8 in) to the wrong side, then press 3.5 cm (1 3/8 in) for 3 cm elastic, and stitch close to the inner fold leaving a 5 cm (2 in) gap at a seam. Thread the elastic with a safety pin, overlap the ends by 2 cm (3/4 in), zigzag them, and close the gap. The guide on sewing an elastic waistband casing has the details, including stitching through the elastic at the seams so it cannot twist.
- Hem. Press 1 cm then 1.5 cm (5/8 in), and stitch. Straight tiers have a straight hem, so there is no need to let the skirt hang first.
- Press the tier seams up and the gathers lightly from the wrong side with the point of the iron, so you do not flatten them.
What are the common mistakes on a tiered skirt?
- Gathers bunched at the seams. The quarter marks were skipped. Mark both edges and match them before pulling the threads.
- A bulky waist. The top tier is too full for the fabric. Lower the ratio of the top tier to 1.5 and keep the 1.5 factor between the tiers below it; the skirt stays full at the hem.
- Gathering threads that snap. One continuous row over a whole tier. Break the stitching at every seam and pull from each break.
- Tiers that sag unevenly. The strips were cut off grain. Tear or cut on the crosswise grain and check every strip's height.
Two tiers or three?
Two tiers at a knee or midi length are quick, flattering and use the least fabric. Three tiers suit a midi or maxi, where each tier can be 20 cm or more and the fullness builds toward the hem. More than three tiers at everyday lengths become narrow bands that look busy; keep them for very long skirts.
Can the tiers be calculated for you?
Sewly's gathered skirt pattern has a tiers option, 1 to 3, with the gathering ratio from 1.3 to 3 and each tier one and a half times as wide as the one above; the top tier is drafted slightly shorter so the gathers sit lower. The tiers come as cutting dimensions rather than printed pages, with a note when a panel is wider than your fabric and the elastic length for your waist, so you can mark the rectangles directly on the fabric with a ruler and chalk.