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craftgrrl2007-05-04 07:48 pm
madfishmonger.livejournal.com) wrote in craftgrrl2007-05-04 07:48 pm
How to make a circle skirt
Thanks to the lovely ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
timemachine, I have not only a new skirt, but the knowledge to make another. Let's see if I can explain this to you...
1. First, of course, you must pick your fabric. This uses quite a bit, so be sure you have enough.
2. Measure your waist at the point you want to wear the skirt. Now (here's where you get to use high school geometry) divide this number by 3 to find the diameter of the waist. Then divide this number by 2 to find the radius. The skirt length, which you'll measure next, is the radius of the bottom. Don't forget to add the radius of the waist to the radius of the bottom of the skirt.
3. Pet the ever-helpful cats climbing all over your fabric and playing with your measuring tape.
4. Mark a centre point on the fabric that's the length of your skirt plus seam allowance.
5. Mark from the centre point the radius of your waist.
6. Make a half-circle either by pinning or holding the measuring tape at the centre point and marking around. You don't have to draw a circle as you go, you can just make dots and connect them later.
7. Add a seam allowance on the inside of your waist half-circle of about a half inch.
8. Now make another half-circle for the bottom, using the same centre point, adding 2 inches for seam allowance.
9. Pet ever-helpful cat.
10. Cut! (with the help of another cat)
11. Hold it up and see if it fits (halfway) round your waist, and if it's approximately the right length.
12. Lay the half you've cut on the rest of your fabric and trace around it. Enlist the help of the cat, as they simply won't leave you alone anyway.
13. Make a waistband (unless you're making an elastic waist). You'll want it to be about 1 1/2 inches wide, so you need to double that since it's going to be folded (3 inches), then add 1 inch for seam allowance (1/2 inch on both sides), so it'll be a total of 4 inches wide. It'll be as long as your waist diameter (as it has to fit round your waist), with about 2 inches for a button flap and seam allowance. An easy way to cut this instead of marking 4 inches up all the way down is to measure it up 4 inches, cut, then fold it over (of course, be sure you're folding it straight) and cut.
14. Sew! Sew up one side of the skirt (right sides together of course) from the waist to the hem (your hem doesn't need to be perfectly even), then do the same on the other side, but leave a space from the waist for a zipper. Leave a little seam allowance at the top here too. You of course won't need to worry about the zipper here if you're making an elastic waist. Just sew in the elastic and flip your seam. Otherwise, read on.
15. Now the waistband. Right sides together, sew the two ends, and turn it so you get nice pointy corners.
Lovely pointy corner -
16. Sew the zipper. Reinforce the end of your seam. Match the right side of the zipper to the right side of the fabric. Flatten it out with your seam allowance turned it so it looks all neat (you can iron it if you like). Place and pin the zipper on the wrong side, and unzip it. Transfer the pins to the wrong side of the fabric. Sew as close as possible to the zipper.
17. Pet the ubiquitous kitty.
Flip it over when you get to the bottom and reinforce it. Line up the zipper nice and neat with your pretty seam on the other side, zip it closed. Starting at the bottom, carefully sew over the zipper, then up the other side. Get as close as you can to the zipper head as you can, then, leaving the needle in the fabric, unzip it.
And hooray, you've sewn your first zipper! (Well okay I have)
18. Try on the skirt to see if it fits. I found it too big and had to take in the seam.
19. Now for the waistband. Fit the lovely pointy edge of the waistband to the edge of the open zipper. Sew along this (right sides together).
Watch out for puckering, it's likely here and there's so much fabric you might have to go back and redo it a couple times like I did. When you get round to the end, go over a bit onto your button flap.
20. Turn the waistband in, tuck in the edge so it's nice and neat, and pin it. The inside of the waistband should be lower than the outside. Don't forget your button flap, that needs to be nice and neat too. Sew it up.
21. Add a cute button and buttonhole (I haven't finished it yet).
22. Sew up your hem.
23. Wear your skirt! I used some of the mountain of vintage fabric I was given by my grandmother. A lady at work told me I gave her a flashback to her childhood; that fabric was everywhere in the 60's or late 50s. I love it!
I hope this was clear. My notes were hastily scribbled as I went.
timemachine, I have not only a new skirt, but the knowledge to make another. Let's see if I can explain this to you...1. First, of course, you must pick your fabric. This uses quite a bit, so be sure you have enough.
2. Measure your waist at the point you want to wear the skirt. Now (here's where you get to use high school geometry) divide this number by 3 to find the diameter of the waist. Then divide this number by 2 to find the radius. The skirt length, which you'll measure next, is the radius of the bottom. Don't forget to add the radius of the waist to the radius of the bottom of the skirt.
3. Pet the ever-helpful cats climbing all over your fabric and playing with your measuring tape.
4. Mark a centre point on the fabric that's the length of your skirt plus seam allowance.
5. Mark from the centre point the radius of your waist.
6. Make a half-circle either by pinning or holding the measuring tape at the centre point and marking around. You don't have to draw a circle as you go, you can just make dots and connect them later.
7. Add a seam allowance on the inside of your waist half-circle of about a half inch.
8. Now make another half-circle for the bottom, using the same centre point, adding 2 inches for seam allowance.
9. Pet ever-helpful cat.
10. Cut! (with the help of another cat)
11. Hold it up and see if it fits (halfway) round your waist, and if it's approximately the right length.
12. Lay the half you've cut on the rest of your fabric and trace around it. Enlist the help of the cat, as they simply won't leave you alone anyway.
13. Make a waistband (unless you're making an elastic waist). You'll want it to be about 1 1/2 inches wide, so you need to double that since it's going to be folded (3 inches), then add 1 inch for seam allowance (1/2 inch on both sides), so it'll be a total of 4 inches wide. It'll be as long as your waist diameter (as it has to fit round your waist), with about 2 inches for a button flap and seam allowance. An easy way to cut this instead of marking 4 inches up all the way down is to measure it up 4 inches, cut, then fold it over (of course, be sure you're folding it straight) and cut.
14. Sew! Sew up one side of the skirt (right sides together of course) from the waist to the hem (your hem doesn't need to be perfectly even), then do the same on the other side, but leave a space from the waist for a zipper. Leave a little seam allowance at the top here too. You of course won't need to worry about the zipper here if you're making an elastic waist. Just sew in the elastic and flip your seam. Otherwise, read on.
15. Now the waistband. Right sides together, sew the two ends, and turn it so you get nice pointy corners.
Lovely pointy corner -
16. Sew the zipper. Reinforce the end of your seam. Match the right side of the zipper to the right side of the fabric. Flatten it out with your seam allowance turned it so it looks all neat (you can iron it if you like). Place and pin the zipper on the wrong side, and unzip it. Transfer the pins to the wrong side of the fabric. Sew as close as possible to the zipper.
17. Pet the ubiquitous kitty.
Flip it over when you get to the bottom and reinforce it. Line up the zipper nice and neat with your pretty seam on the other side, zip it closed. Starting at the bottom, carefully sew over the zipper, then up the other side. Get as close as you can to the zipper head as you can, then, leaving the needle in the fabric, unzip it.
And hooray, you've sewn your first zipper! (Well okay I have)
18. Try on the skirt to see if it fits. I found it too big and had to take in the seam.
19. Now for the waistband. Fit the lovely pointy edge of the waistband to the edge of the open zipper. Sew along this (right sides together).
Watch out for puckering, it's likely here and there's so much fabric you might have to go back and redo it a couple times like I did. When you get round to the end, go over a bit onto your button flap.
20. Turn the waistband in, tuck in the edge so it's nice and neat, and pin it. The inside of the waistband should be lower than the outside. Don't forget your button flap, that needs to be nice and neat too. Sew it up.
21. Add a cute button and buttonhole (I haven't finished it yet).
22. Sew up your hem.
23. Wear your skirt! I used some of the mountain of vintage fabric I was given by my grandmother. A lady at work told me I gave her a flashback to her childhood; that fabric was everywhere in the 60's or late 50s. I love it!
I hope this was clear. My notes were hastily scribbled as I went.