I am so thrilled today to finally be sharing the bedding I made for George’s nursery!I was set on a color scheme for the space almost from day one, and I was delighted when I found Premier Fabrics had just the fabrics in the colors and patterns I was looking for, and at a really terrific price. For this bedding, I used their chartreuse zigzag, royal blue damask, and turquoise polka dot.I found two primary sources of inspiration for the construction of the crib bedding:this crib bumper tutorial from Sew4Home andthis gorgeous crib bedding set,complete with a truly unique ruffled crib skirt. The bumper tutorial was a pleasure to work with: so easy to follow! Although a tutorial wasn’t available for the crib skirt, I knew without a doubt from the very moment I laid eyes on it that this was a DIY project I wanted to tackle for this space, so I set to work creating a pattern of my own.This ruffled crib skirt really is a very straightforward project, but I won’t lie: it is fairly time consuming. With an abundance of ruffled sections (16, to be exact!), this isn’t a project you can expect to crank out in one evening. I highly recommend that you commission the use of a serger to finish the edges of the ruffled pieces with a rolled hem if at all possible. These are very long pieces of fabric you will be working with, and doing a standard narrow hem on each section would be a ton of work! That being said, it is entirely possible to do this project without a serger. I will include instructions for both serger-users and standard machine-users in this tutorial so you can choose the option that’s right for you.So, ready to see how this is done? Let’s get started!For this project, you will need…(Please note that all yardage specifications are based on 54-inch home decorator fabric.)Fabric 1 (top and bottom tiers) – 2.25 yardsFabrics 2 and 3 (middle tiers) – exactly 1 yard (I recommend buying a bit more so you have some wiggle room)90-inch muslin – 3.5 yardsRotary cutter and matCoordinating threadWashable ink markerBasic sewing supplies: shears, measuring tape, etc.To begin, make your fabric cuts.**NOTE: Tier 1 is at the top of the skirt and tier 4 is at the bottom (closest to the floor). Thus, the wider (7″) section of ruffles is at the top of the finished skirt, closest to the mattress. This top-most (tier 1) section is wider than the rest to allow for a portion of the ruffles to be concealed under the mattress once the bed is made without having that section appear narrower than the rest of the ruffled tiers.From Fabric 1: 6tier 1 ruffle strips that are 7×54″and6tier 4 ruffle strips that are 6×54″From Fabric 2:6tier 2 ruffle strips that are6×54″From Fabric 3:6tier 3 ruffle strips that are6×54″From Muslin: 2long tier 2 connecting strips that are 5.5×54″2short tier 2 connecting strips that are 5.5×29.52long tier 3 connecting strips that are 9.5×542short tier 3 connecting strips that are 9.5×29.52long tier 4 connecting strips that are 13.5×542short tier 4 connecting strips that are 13.5×29.51platform piece that is 55×30.5″Note: Measurements above are based on the use of a serger. If you do not have a serger, add 1/2 inch to the length measurement of each of the ruffle strips you cut from fabrics 1, 2 and 3. (For example, you will cut strips that are 7.5×54″ and 6.5×54″ from fabric 1.)step 1 / Align two of the short edges of two of your ruffle strips from tier 1, right sides facing, and pin together. Stitch together with a 1/4″ seam. Press seam open. Finish seam either with pinking shears, a zig-zag stitch, or an overlock stitch. Repeat with two more of your tier 1 strips. Repeat this process with four of your tier 2, 3 and 4 ruffle strips, so that you have two long ruffle strips and two short ruffle strips for each tier.step 2 / Using your serger, finish both of the short edges and one of the long edges of each of your ruffle strips with a rolled hem.To keep things tidy, first hem the short sides before hemming the long lower edge. If you do not have a serger, use a narrow hem on each of these sides. To complete a narrow hem, fold under the edge 1/4″ and press. Fold under another 1/4″ and press. Stitch.
step 3 / Working with your muslin connecting strips, finish each of the short edges on each of these pieces with an overlock stitch using your serger. (If you do not have a serger, use your sewing machine’s overlock stitch or a zig-zag stitch.) Set these connecting pieces aside for now.
step 4 / Working with one of your ruffle pieces, stitch a line of gathering stitches 1/8″ and 1/4″ from the unfinished long edge. Repeat with each of your ruffle pieces from all four tiers. Gently pull on the bobbin thread of your gathering stitches to ruffle each of your pieces. You will need to gather each piece so it is shortened by approximately 50%.
step 5 / Working with one of your short tier 2 ruffles and one of your short (5.5×29.5″)muslin tier 2 connecting strips, adjust the gathers so the ruffled piece is the same width as the muslin piece. Pin the pieces together, right sides facing, and stitch together with a 1/2″ seam. Finish your seam with an overlock stitch on your serger or a zig-zag stitch on your sewing machine. Repeat with the other short tier 2 ruffle and the remaining short tier 2 muslin connecting strip.You will repeat this step with the each of the long tier 2 ruffle pieces and the long muslin tier 2 connecting strips, connecting one ruffle piece to one connecting strip.
When all of your tier 2 ruffles and connecting strips are sewn together, move on and do the same with all of your tier 3 ruffle and muslin connecting strips, and then all of your tier 4 ruffle and muslin connecting strips. Be sure to sew the short ruffles to the short connecting strips and the long ruffles to the long connecting strips in each tier.
step 6 / Place one of your completed short tier 4 panels face up on your work surface. Place one of the short tier 3 panels face up on top of the tier 4 piece, aligning the top raw edges of each panel, so that the right side of the tier 4 panel faces the wrong side of the tier 3 panel. Layer the tier 2 panel on top of the tier 3 and 4 panels in the same manner. Pin all three layers together, and baste them together along their top edge using a 1/4″ seam. Working with one of your short tier 1 ruffle pieces, adjust the gathers on the piece so that it is the same width as your stacked lower tiers. Pin the ruffle face up on top of the lower tiers, so that the wrong side of the ruffle piece faces the right side of the lower tiers, and baste stitch the ruffle on top of stacked lower tiers 1/4″ from the top raw edge. One short side of your crib skirt is complete!
Now, repeat this step with your remaining short tier 2, 3 and 4 panels and your remaining short tier 1 ruffles. Then move on and do the same with your long tier 2, 3 and 4 panels and tier 1 ruffles. At the end of this step, you will have two complete stacked short ruffled sides for your crib skirt and two complete stacked long ruffled sides.
step 7 / Use your washable ink marker to mark a 1/2″ square at each of the corners of your muslin platform. Trim these squares away. Working on one of the long sides of your platform piece, pin one of your long ruffled panels to this side, right sides facing, aligning the top raw edges of the pieces. Stitch together using a 1/2″ seam. Finish the seam with an overlock stitch on your serger or a zig-zag stitch on your machine. Repeat on the remaining sides of your platform piece, matching the short sides with the short ruffled pieces and the remaining long side with the remaining long ruffled piece.
Hooray! You are finished!
Project Notes:
For my crib, this pattern results in a crib skirt that is a few inches above the ground. I planned it this way to make vacuuming under the crib easier than if the skirt went all the way to the floor. If you want to add length to your skirt based on your particular crib’s dimensions, or if you simply prefer a longer skirt, I recommend doing so by adding length to thebottomruffle.***Interested in seeing some of the other projects from the nursery? Click below to explore!
Pennant Valance and Custom DrapesPolka Dot Fabric Wall DecalsPainted Laminate Nursery BookshelfPom Pom Baby MobileDIY Framed ChalkboardPainted Antique DresserHoneycomb Wall Canvas
Thanks so much for stopping in!Linking this to…Skip to My LouHome Stories A to ZSerenity NowOopsey DaisyLil LunaCreations by KaraEvery Creative EndeavorTatertots & JelloFlamingo Toes
Amy @ Positively Splendid
Having grown up in a home brimming with sewing notions and paintbrushes, Amy has a deep love for all things creative. On any given day, you’ll find her knee-deep in her latest creative endeavor, with projects ranging from sewing and crafts to home decor and kid-friendly ideas. Amy believes that everyone, regardless of skill level or experience, possesses the ability to create something beautiful, and Positively Splendid was born of her passion for helping others harness their innate creative potential.
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