Self-drafted Half-Circle skirt
2025-Oct-08, Wednesday 01:00 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
chebeI'm back to self-drafting skirts again. I haven't been completely satisfied with the instructions given in the Sew What Skirts book, so I did a bunch of research around the internet and came up with my own process that works for my brain.
I want an elasticated waistband, so I'm working with the hip measurement, but this process also works for a waist measurement with a closure and different waistband choice.
- h; hip (or otherwise largest) measurement + 2.5cm (wearing ease)
- r; h divided by 3.14 (~π), gives you the radius
- l; decide how long you want the skirt
- on grid tissue paper (in centimetres), from (2,2) (treating it as (0,0)), draw a 90° arc at a length of r -> waistline
- from the waistline draw a 90° arc at a length of l -> hemline
- draw in the two straight lines joining the waistline to the hemline at the edges of the arc -> side-seams
This is now the basic half-circle skirt, without any seam allowances.
To add seam allowances of 1cm;
- around the outline of waistline, side-seams, and hemline, draw another line at 1cm of a distance (at the waistline this gets closer to (0,0), at the hemline it gets further away from (0,0)
- if you want a deeper hem add the necessary extra length to the hemline
Now you can cut 2 of this pattern piece, and sew together along the side-seams.
But you might also want a waistband.
To add an elasticated straight waistband;
- draw a rectangle the width of r, the height of your elastic*2 (rounded up)
- add seam allowance of 1cm all around
- cut 2
I also drew side-seam pockets, added seam allowances, and cut four.
I cut two skirt pieces, two waistband pieces, and four pocket pieces, from the home-dyed violet cotton denim/twill, 225gsm (roughly 8oz), left over from my Seamwork Audrey jacket, v.2. I used Gütermann thread colour 257 for the construction sewing, and black thread for the overlocked/serged edge finishings. And of course you will need elastic for your waistband as well.
- to simplify things I finished all raw edges on the overlocker/serger first
- pin and stitch the four pocket pieces to the skirt side seams, right sides together
- iron the pockets away from the skirts, and understitch the pocket openings to the seam allowance
- pin and stitch the two skirt pieces together, following the outline of the pockets, right sides together
- stitch two of the short ends of the waistband pieces together, to become one long piece
- fold under the seam allowances of the two other short ends of the waistband piece, and top-stitch
- fold the waist band in half along the width (maintaining the width, halving the height), and baste along the long edge, in the seam allowances
- pin the waistband to the skirt waistband, right sides together, lining up the closed seam with one of the side seams, and having the two open short ends meeting flush at the other side seam. Stitch in place
- thread the elastic through the waistband, try on the skirt, find the comfortable length of elastic needed, cut the elastic, stitch the elastic ends together, and distribute fullness across the waistband
- slip stitch the open short ends of the waistband together by hand (the elastic is loose in the waistband, making it easier to replace in future. If you prefer you can stitch the elastic in place at each of the waistband side seams)
- turn the skirt hem up, press. Turn the hem up again, and press, to create a narrow double turned hem. Hand stitch in place with a felling stitch, as invisible as possible.
It's a lovely skirt. Fits great, easy to wear, with plenty of swoosh for a day skirt. There is no visible stitching, except for the top-stitching indicating the place in the waistband to open to replace the elastic. (And maybe a flash of the pocket understitching from time to time.) I confess that I made this skirt to work through an idea for a skirt in a more expensive fabric, and am happy to proceed with that idea now. It's also a great starting point for endless variations on the theme. With the caveat that there is a limitation in what's possible depending on your waistline measurement, the length desired, and the width of your fabric. At some point you need to switch to a gathered panelled style.
Pattern Making
I want an elasticated waistband, so I'm working with the hip measurement, but this process also works for a waist measurement with a closure and different waistband choice.
- h; hip (or otherwise largest) measurement + 2.5cm (wearing ease)
- r; h divided by 3.14 (~π), gives you the radius
- l; decide how long you want the skirt
- on grid tissue paper (in centimetres), from (2,2) (treating it as (0,0)), draw a 90° arc at a length of r -> waistline
- from the waistline draw a 90° arc at a length of l -> hemline
- draw in the two straight lines joining the waistline to the hemline at the edges of the arc -> side-seams
This is now the basic half-circle skirt, without any seam allowances.
To add seam allowances of 1cm;
- around the outline of waistline, side-seams, and hemline, draw another line at 1cm of a distance (at the waistline this gets closer to (0,0), at the hemline it gets further away from (0,0)
- if you want a deeper hem add the necessary extra length to the hemline
Now you can cut 2 of this pattern piece, and sew together along the side-seams.
But you might also want a waistband.
To add an elasticated straight waistband;
- draw a rectangle the width of r, the height of your elastic*2 (rounded up)
- add seam allowance of 1cm all around
- cut 2
I also drew side-seam pockets, added seam allowances, and cut four.
Construction
I cut two skirt pieces, two waistband pieces, and four pocket pieces, from the home-dyed violet cotton denim/twill, 225gsm (roughly 8oz), left over from my Seamwork Audrey jacket, v.2. I used Gütermann thread colour 257 for the construction sewing, and black thread for the overlocked/serged edge finishings. And of course you will need elastic for your waistband as well.
- to simplify things I finished all raw edges on the overlocker/serger first
- pin and stitch the four pocket pieces to the skirt side seams, right sides together
- iron the pockets away from the skirts, and understitch the pocket openings to the seam allowance
- pin and stitch the two skirt pieces together, following the outline of the pockets, right sides together
- stitch two of the short ends of the waistband pieces together, to become one long piece
- fold under the seam allowances of the two other short ends of the waistband piece, and top-stitch
- fold the waist band in half along the width (maintaining the width, halving the height), and baste along the long edge, in the seam allowances
- pin the waistband to the skirt waistband, right sides together, lining up the closed seam with one of the side seams, and having the two open short ends meeting flush at the other side seam. Stitch in place
- thread the elastic through the waistband, try on the skirt, find the comfortable length of elastic needed, cut the elastic, stitch the elastic ends together, and distribute fullness across the waistband
- slip stitch the open short ends of the waistband together by hand (the elastic is loose in the waistband, making it easier to replace in future. If you prefer you can stitch the elastic in place at each of the waistband side seams)
- turn the skirt hem up, press. Turn the hem up again, and press, to create a narrow double turned hem. Hand stitch in place with a felling stitch, as invisible as possible.
Result
It's a lovely skirt. Fits great, easy to wear, with plenty of swoosh for a day skirt. There is no visible stitching, except for the top-stitching indicating the place in the waistband to open to replace the elastic. (And maybe a flash of the pocket understitching from time to time.) I confess that I made this skirt to work through an idea for a skirt in a more expensive fabric, and am happy to proceed with that idea now. It's also a great starting point for endless variations on the theme. With the caveat that there is a limitation in what's possible depending on your waistline measurement, the length desired, and the width of your fabric. At some point you need to switch to a gathered panelled style.
Finished, front
Photo by chebe
