customizing the onstage tutu skirt: curtain call

Guess who’s been playing around with patterns again? That would be Shelley from Bartacks and Singletrack. She's back with a delightful twist on the Oliver + S Onstage Tutu Skirt pattern—a perfect project for the holidays. This skirt is absolutely charming, ideal for fancier occasions. And if you've got a doll-loving child, Shelley’s modification includes instructions for a doll-sized version too. Imagine how sweet it would be for a little one to match their doll with this festive outfit. Talk about a stocking stuffer worth considering! Thanks, Shelley, for sharing this fantastic tutorial!

Hello everyone. Are you juggling a mountain of sewing projects before Christmas? Count me in—my list is as long as ever!

Here’s a quick and easy way to jazz up the Onstage Tutu Skirt for a last-minute party look that’s sure to impress the lucky recipient.

 

 

We’re essentially adding a casing to the reverse side of the outer skirt layers. A ribbon will run vertically through the casing, acting as a drawstring to lift the skirt—like raising the curtain on a grand performance.

What You’ll Need:

• The Onstage Tutu Skirt pattern—available as a free download.
• Fabric for the main skirt and a lightweight fabric like voile, georgette, silk, or tulle for the overskirt. Go bold—it’s Christmas after all!
• A small strip of fabric measuring 1.5” wide and as long as the overskirt. Alternatively, you can use 1” single-fold pre-made bias binding.
• 3/8” ribbon. You’ll need double the length of your overskirt, plus an extra 20” for a stylish bow.

Let’s dive into the sewing!

First, follow the pattern instructions to construct the skirt and overskirt. I decided to keep my overskirt slightly shorter than recommended—about 1.5 inches less. Since my overskirt fabric needed hemming, I did this after sewing the center back seam. Remember, the pattern doesn’t include a hem allowance for the overskirt because tulle doesn’t typically require hemming.

 

 

If you’re not using bias binding, press the long edges of your casing strip under by 1/4 inch. Then press one short end up by another 1/4 inch. Leave the other short end unpressed.

 

 

Mark the half and quarter points on both the skirt and overskirt as per the pattern instructions. I placed my casing slightly off-center, just to the right of one of the front quarter marks, but feel free to position it however you prefer.

Lay the overskirt wrong side up and pin the casing right side up to the skirt where you’ve chosen to place it. Align the folded short end with the hem (or bottom edge) of the overskirt.

 

 

Edge-stitch the casing to the overskirt along both long edges. Then sew another vertical row of stitching straight down the middle. Leave the top and bottom ends of the casing open.

 

 

Using a bodkin or any similar tool, thread the ribbon up one side of the casing, out the top, and back down the other side. Pull the ribbon through until the free ends are evenly matched, ensuring no loose loops remain at the top.

 

 

The remaining steps follow the original pattern instructions. The only difference is creating two sets of gathering stitches across the overskirt’s front section—one from a side marking to the casing and the second from the casing to the opposite side seam. The center front and side markings of the skirt and overskirt should still align while gathering, but avoid pulling the casing and ribbon.

Since I aimed for something super fancy, I added some lace to the bottom of my main skirt. A big thanks to Dubhels2003 (@dubhels2003) from the Oliver + S forum for gifting me the ribbon and lace trims. How she knew they'd match my leftover fabrics is almost magical!

These trims arrived after I sent her an outgrown dress. Ever heard of the "Up For Grabs" thread in the forums? It’s where beautiful, much-loved (or never-worn) Oliver + S garments are shared to find new homes. For me, this embodies the incredible spirit of our sewing community—and makes this the perfect Christmas skirt!

 

 

I wish you all a wonderful holiday season and hope you enjoy your sewing as much as I do!

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