Circle Skirt Tutorial

Remember when I warned you that I wasn't going to be able to post as regularly as I'd like?  And when I warned you that my pictures aren't always going to be stellar?  This post exemplifies both those things.  Well, actually I suppose the amount of time elapsed between this post and the last post exemplifies the irregular posting.

Anyways, this post is going to be mostly copied over from my old blog, The Chronicles of Mercy's Mom.  This was part of a tutorial on making a twirly top, but the pictures got all messed up.  I'll move the full tutorial over eventually, but for now this is just the part on making a circle skirt.

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First you need the measurement of where your skirt will be worn at. If you are attaching the skirt to the bodice of a top, measure the length of the bodice.  If you are making a skirt, measure around the waist. 

This one was made to be attached to a shirt bodice, so the measurement was 20".  Divide your measurement by 3.14. (20/3.14=6.37).  Divide the answer by 2. (6.37/2=3.18). I rounded down to 3". This is the measurement for the radius of your inner circle. 

To get the second measurement needed you first need to determine the length you want the skirt to be.  Mine is 9". Add the radius of the first circle to this number, (9+3=12).  This is the radius of the outer circle.

Take your fabric and lay it out, folded in half.  Make a compass using your measuring tape, a pin, and a marker.  Use this to draw a half circle. You want the flat part of the half-circle along the fold. 

 (Ignore that inner circle, I forgot to take a picture while I actually did this part, I had to go back and reenact it.)

Now do the same for the smaller circle.  Make sure you pin it in the same place so the inner circle is centered.  I usually make a little dot where the pin was so I know it's in the same place.

Now that you have your two half circles drawn, cut along each line.  After you've finished cutting, unfold the piece you just cut.  You should have this-

 

You've got a circle skirt!  Now all that's left to do is attach it to a waistband if you're doing a skirt, or the bodice if you're making a top. 

I love circle skirts.  I love the way they drape whether it's as a skirt or top.  I love how perfect for twirling they are. 

One of the things I love most about them is that it's a great way to change up a pattern for a different look.  If the pattern calls for a gathered skirt it's pretty easy to sub in a circle skirt instead, just measure the bodice where you'd attach the gathered skirt and use that measurement when calculating your inner circle. 

Remember the Delaney I showed you a couple days ago?  This is the same pattern, only I did a circle skirt instead of a gathered one. 

And did I mention circle skirts are perfect for twirling?

I have at least two patterns that I've sewn in the last week that I'm itching to try with a circle skirt.  I'll make sure report back when I do.  

For now though, I'd love to hear what you're going to attach a circle skirt to!