As a note: I suggest drafting out all patterns first on tissue paper. Newspaper works also, but as a warning-- the print can rub off pretty easily onto light colored fabric.
This will be for a fairly simple petticoat with an inner lining. All of the pattern pieces are plain rectangles that you'll be gathering. If you want extra "fluff," just repeat the pattern (except for the waistband and lining, of course) to add another layer.
If your skirts are ~21in, a 17-18in long petticoat should work well without peeking out from the bottom. If you are taller and wear longer skirts, lengthen the petticoat accordingly. This pattern is intended for someone with a waist measurement between 20in and 30in. If your waist is larger than this, the best thing to do is take your waist measurement, multiple by three, and then divide by two. This will be how long your pieces of fabric should be. Tulling/Netting should be 3x that amount.
Materials:
Cotton Broadcloth or Batiste
Tulle or Netting
From the broadcloth or batiste:
Cut two pieces of fabric 36in x 8in (the fabric part above the netting). Sew together down the short sides.
Cut two more pieces 36in x 3in (a waistband). Sew together down short sides. Fold in half and iron flat (it will now be a loop 2yds x 1.5in)
And cut two more pieces 36in x 18in (lining). Sew together down short sides, and hem up the bottom.
From your Netting or tulle:
**As a note. Tulle and Netting, being stiff and open synthetic "webs," are not fabrics that are built to unravel, so it's not entirely necessary to hem them, or serge them. It looks a little nicer (especially on tulle), but you can achieve an equally 'nice' look by stitching 1/2in wide flat raschel lace along the bottom edges of tulle before its ruffled, or ribbon. If you want to do a folded hem, add an inch to the bottom.
You will want two pieces of tulle/net 3 yards long and 10in wide.
To achieve the right amount of poof, you generally want to ruffle something down to 1/2 or 1/3 its original size. Since you don't have to be super-exact with this, it may be easiest to cut 6 pieces of tulle/net 36in x 10in, and then join them all together along the short sides. If you're going to attach lace/ribbon to the bottom edge, do so now.
Once you have your giant loop of tulle/net, run a long stitch along the top edge of the tulle (1/2in-1in from the edge) and with right sides together, gather it down onto the 8in wide section of fabric. Stitch together.
When done, it will look roughly like
this.
With wrong sides together, put the lining INSIDE of the piece that you just finished, lining up the top edges of the fabric pieces. (
Paint Image again) Take the waistband and attach it to the two fabric pieces however you're accustomed to doing an elastic waistband, inserting a piece of elastic slightly larger than your waist measurement (You want the waist of the petticoat to sit just below the waistband of your skirts, to eliminate bulk)
With elastic in place, finish off the waistband, trim threads... and
there you go.
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