Making a pattern is just as much as part of sewing as whipping up a seam on your machine. In some ways, this step is even more important. You can unsew a seam, but you can’t uncut fabric once your scissors have wielded their shiny jaws. In fact from here on sewing becomes more like construction. Measuring needs to be precise. There’s an old carpenter’s motto, “measure twice, cut once” that I try to remember when I work with fabric. Following a pattern becomes much like following a blueprint. You need to mark your cut pieces so they fit together just right.
Today, we are going to make a full circle skirt pattern. So dear seamsters hop in and let’s get the party started!
Ordinaries:
Pen Scissors Measuring tape Seam ripper Brown Paper
Ready, Set, Sew!
In a circle skirt you’ll have 2 circles. The inner circle which is where your waist or your hip is and then the outer circle which is the length or the hem of the skirt. These are the things you need to figure out; the radius of the inner and the outer circle. To do this you need to use this Circle Skirt Chart, I found at eHow. So go ahead feel free to download and save it for your own reference.
How to:
Step1: Figure out where you want the skirt to rest ; either on your waist or on your hip then take that measurement. In this tutorial, I am making my little one’s simple full circle dress so I measured just below her tiny chest. I got 19 inches.
Step2: Take that measurement and add on 4 inches like so… 19″+4″ = 23 inches
Step3: Take a look at your chart and go down to the number you just calculated. Note that each column represents how full you want the skirt to be and since we are making a full circle skirt we are taking the very last column. That number is the radius for your waist or your inner circle. I got…. 3 of 5/8th inches (inner circle radius)
Step4: Take a piece of brown paper you may also use an old newspaper or a calendar. Make sure that the top left corner is that of a perfect square or 90 degrees.
Step5: Take your measuring tape and puncture a hole to the 1 inch mark with something sharp, I used my seam ripper.
Step6: From the 1 inch mark you’ll add in your inner circle radius so if it’s 3 of 5/8″ it will be 4 of 5/8th inches.
Step7: At the first puncture, you’ll place that point right at the corner of your paper. Pull the measuring tape straight and place your pen on the second puncture then swing it from side to side to create an arc.
Step8: Depending on where you want your skirt to sit either from your waist or hip measure down from there to how long you want the skirt to be. I wanted it 13 inches long.
Step9: From the second puncture you’ll add on to that measurement so 4 of 5/8th” + 13″ = 17 of 5/8th” long
Step10: Place the 1st puncture onto the corner of your paper again (which is on the number 1″ mark), place the pen onto third puncture (which is the 17 of 5/8th” mark)
same as step 7 swing it from side to side then you’ll have the second arc which is the outer circle of the skirt. The draft should look like this…
Step11: Add half an inch seam allowance to each side of the pattern as well as in the inner circle then cut it out…
Step12: Fold the fabric in quarter folds. Pin down the pattern onto the fabric then cut out your circle…
it should look like this…
To create a waistband you just basically take your waist or hip measurement or where you want the skirt to sit and that’s going to be the length of your elastic. Your fabric needs to be longer than your elastic with added seam allowance. For the width, depending on how thick or thin you want it to be say 2 inches then double that amount therefore it’ll be 4 inches width. Measure that amount down to your fabric cut it out, create a tube and thread your elastic through. Join the skirt and the waistband together and you’ll have a perfect full circle skirt.
Here are some of the designs I created using that helpful chart:
You can design tons of wearable products using that chart I’ve just shared with you (but obviously not those little baby shoes hehe) you just have to have fun and be creative. And remember to stay inspired!
sealedwithastitch 