In Part 1 of this 3-panel mermaid skirt series, I showed you how to make your own pattern for this 3-panel belly dance mermaid skirt. If you missed it, start from there 🙂
In this tutorial, I’ll show you how to cut the fabric, and assemble all pieces together. Let’s get started!
How to Make a 3-Panel Belly Dance Mermaid Skirt
Cut fabric
As I mentioned in Part 1, we’ll use stretch fabric to make this mermaid skirt. You need about 3 times your skirt length plus 15cm (6in).
First, check the direction of stretch. If your fabric is 2-way stretch, check which direction it stretches. If it is 4-way stretch, check which direction is stretchier.
And place your pattern on your fabric, with the direction of stretch or the stretchier direction is parallel to the waistband of your pattern.
Since the pattern includes seam allowances, simply follow the pattern and cut out the panel. Repeat 2 more times, so you have 3 identical panels.
And that’s it! Let’s start assembling.
Sew your 3-panel belly dance mermaid skirt!
The sewing part of this mermaid skirt is very simple. First, take 2 of the panels, and place them right sides together. And match up one of the sides, and do a zigzag stitch with a 1cm (3/8in) seam allowance.
Open it up, and take the other panel. Place it on top of the last panel right sides together, and again, do a zigzag stitch with a 1cm (3/8in) seam allowance.
Then place the first and last panel’s right sides together, and align the edges. Here, if you want a slit, sew about 20cm (8in) down from the top.
If you don’t want a slit, simply sew all the way. Use a zigzag stitch with a 1cm (3/8in) seam allowance.
And for the slit version, open up the seam allowance like this. Fold 1cm (3/8in) from the edges to the wrong side, and do a straight stitch right next to the raw edges to create a nice, finished slit.
How to Finish the Waistband (with or without elastic)
Now we practically have a skirt! Try it on, and check the length on you. There should be a full panel in the front, and a seam at the back center.
The skirt pattern was made according to the measurement on the back side of your body, so it should fit pretty well on the back side. Remember there’s still a 2.5cm (1in) seam allowance at the top of the skirt, so fold this amount from the top edge towards the wrong side and check the length. There’s a 1cm (3/8in) seam allowance at the bottom.
But the front side is likely a bit too long for you. And that means you did this right. Here, simply fold the top edge of the front side of the skirt as much as you need to adjust the length. Then place pins or clips to keep the fold in place.
Carefully take off the skirt, and replace your pins or clips so that the fold is smooth and even between the front and back. And do a zigzag stitch 2.5cm (1in) away from the fold.
If the waistband area felt a little loose when you tried it on, you can insert elastic here at this point. Let me show you how to insert elastic that doesn’t create a muffin top effect.
About 12cm (4 3/4in) from the seams of the front panel, make marks on the wrong side.
Place an end of 2.5cm (1in) wide elastic at the left mark, over the center back seam. Align it against the raw edge, and do a zigzag stitch close to the edge.
Pull the elastic while you sew. Sew all the way to the other mark.
Trim the excess elastic, and fold it towards the wrong side to encase the elastic. Then reposition your pins or clips for the rest of the waistband, and do a zigzag stitch from 2.5cm (1in) from the fold.
By adding elastic just to the back side, we can avoid muffin top in the front or at the sides.
Now on the wrong side, trim any excess fabric. Be careful not to snip the good part by accident.
At the bottom, simply fold 1cm (3/8in) from the edge towards the wrong side, and do a straight stitch.
And your 3-panel belly dance mermaid skirt is complete! It’s completely custom-made to your measurements, so it’s very comfy, and the flare opens up beautifully as you twirl in it. It’s a fun and easy project, and a great, beautiful skirt perfect for a dance costume or girl’s night out!
Do you love mermaid skirts?
And, if you love mermaid skirts, I’d love to invite you to check out this brand new course, Daria Mermaid Skirts premium course! The course will cover how to make these 2 mermaid skirt designs. They are gorgeous and fancy, and I’m loving the flowy layers.
If you’re curious to make your own mermaid skirts like these, learn more at SparklyBelly.com/mermaid 🙂
Hope you liked this 3-panel belly dance mermaid skirt tutorial, and if you did, please share this tutorial with your dancer and costumer friends!
And if you want to make more belly dance costuming bits, join my FREE email course, Belly Dance Costume Making 101 below and get lots of beginner-friendly tutorials!
Click here to join Belly Dance Costume Making 101!
Thanks for reading, and keep sparkling!
P.S. Pin this image on your next project board 🙂
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