If you haven't checked it out already, you might find the tutorial for the Day of the Dead Gal useful:

http://needlenoodles.com/home/node/135

The skirt is made in a very similar way.

Also, if you're having trouble with the "sl st in front two loops of prev. dc", I have a diagram available here:

http://needlenoodles.com/pics/tutorial/front_loops.png

(It's for tr instead of dc, but both work in about the same way)