Skirt Instructions

The PDF option didn't work. I tried and tried and TRIED, but oh well. So, I'll just post it on my blog. Sorry it took so long! First, I should have taken pictures throughout the process. Sorry! Second, I'm sorry if it doesn't make sense. You can always ask me questions!

Circle skirts
1. Take measurements of the child you want to make the skirt for. The waist, and the length. For the length, I measured from waist to just below the knee.
2. Here is the math you will need for the pattern:
For the waist- make sure to do it in this order-
Take the waist measurement, add 4 inches, then divide by 6, then add an inch or so. Here’s the reasoning… You add 4 inches so you can get it over the hips. Divide by 6 because you are making six pieces, and add an inch for the seams on both sides.
Example: 19.5 inches + 4 = 23.5. 23.5 /6 = 3.9. 3.9 + 1 + 4.9 inches. This will be the width at the top.
For the length-
Take your length measurement, add 2 ½ inches at the top, and about ½ inch at the bottom. The 2 ½ inches is for the elastic waisting at the top, and the ½ inch is for the hem at the bottom.
Example: 9.5 inches + 2.5 = 12. 12 + .5 = 12.5
NOTE: I tend to round up a little, just in case. I’d rather cut off material than not have enough, you know? So in the previous example, I’d round to 13 inches.
3. Now is time for making the pattern. It’s really easy. Draw a straight horizontal line at the top that is the width of the math you did for the waist. From the example, it would be a line that is 4.9 inches long.
Then, make a mark at the bottom for the length you found. From the example, I’d make a dot that is 13 inches below.
Next, draw a line straight down from the two sides of your 4.9-inch line that is 2.5 inches long. Again, this is for the elastic waist. This will give you what looks like 3 sides of a rectangle. Like this:

From there, you eyeball a diagonal line outward down to the length of the dot you drew. The more outward you go, the more full and frilly the skirt will be.
Fold over the piece down the center, and draw a line on the opposite that is symmetrical.
Last, draw a little bulging, circularish line that connects the sides.
This is what it should look like:

NOTE: Any changes you make to the pattern will be multiplied six-fold. So, if per se, you make a first skirt and it is too big or too small in the waist, be careful how much you cut off or add to this pattern. If you need an inch off the skirt, you can only cut off 1/6 of an inch on the pattern. Does that make sense?
4. Cut out six pieces of the pattern with your chosen material.
5. Now’s the time for sewing. You need to put two of the pieces of the pattern together, with the front of the material facing each other.
6. Sew them together on the right side, with about a ½ inch seam.
7. Open it like a book, so you’re now looking at the front of the material. Now put another piece onto the right, with the two fronts again facing each other. Again, open it up, and put another piece on, and continue doing this until you’ve done all 6. Then sew the 1st and the 6th together, with the fronts facing each other. They should now be in a circle, and the skirt should be inside out.
8. Make sure to iron the seams down, so they are open like a book. It helps with the rest of the sewing. It will look like this:

9. Now it’s time to get the elastic in. Keep the skirt inside out. Fold down the top about an inch. Then fold it again an inch. The elastic will fit in there.
10. Sew at the bottom of your waist part, all the way around, but leave about 2 or 3 inches to get the elastic in.
11. Then put the elastic in. Make sure to measure the elastic at the original measurement you measured your little one’s waist at, plus about a ½ inch. You’ll find out why in a minute. Another tip- put a safety pin in the end of the elastic to help you get it through the waist. (If you’re a beginning sewer, you might not know this trick. I certainly didn’t. My hubbie gave that tip to me. ) J
12. Cinch the elastic out so you have a lot of elastic to work with. Now you need to sew the two sides of the elastic together. (This was why you needed to add about ½ inch.)
13. Fit all the elastic back in the waist, and sew the last 2-3 inches together of the waist. I tried it on my daughter first to make sure it fit her waist before I sewed that last 3 inches.
14. Now’s time for the hem. What I found out the first time is that the less the hem, the easier to sew. The more the hem, the harder, because it folds onto itself a lot more. It tends to do that when you’re sewing in a circle. So anyway… pin the skirt up about ¼ inch at each seam point.
15. Iron the whole hem up around the bottom about ¼ inch. You don’t have to iron it, but it makes it easier to work with.
16. Now fold it up again about ¼ inch. By folding it up twice, you don’t get any fraying of the material every time you wash it.
17. I personally don’t iron it up again, because I’m lazy. But if you do, it will be easier to sew.
18. Sew the hem. If you’re like me, It will fold up a little at some points. But it doesn’t really cause an issue in the skirt. You can’t even tell on the front.
You’re done! Try it on your little one and have her twirl!