Have you ever made a circle skirt?

They are SOOOO much fun!  

Twirl, twirl, dance, twirl, pose for mum's camera, then twirl and dance some more.

They are pretty easy to make, but the maths can be a bit painful if you are not so familiar with pi.

This is a rough guide of how to make it:

1. First, take some measurements of the person you are making the skirt for.  You need a finished length and a hip measurement.  (64cm finished length for Saskia, a tall 5 year old and 60cm hip)
2. You now need to find the radius of the hip circumference.  To do this the equation is: radius = circumference divided by (2xpi) or R = C/2PI                                                                                For Saskia's skirt it looks like this:  
• r = 60/(2x3.14)
•   = 9.5cm
3. To find the length you are cutting the hem of the skirt, add the hip radius (9.5cm to the finished length plus a couple of centimetres for seam and hem allowances).  This gives us 9.5 + 60 + 2 = 71.5cm.
4. Get a BIG piece of fabric (I used a vintage sheet I picked up at an op-shop.  These skirts take up a surprisingly huge amount of fabric.  So it is not very cost effective to use your best designer fabrics).  1 single bed sheet was used to make these 2 skirts and I had only scraps left over.
5. Fold the fabric in quarters.

1. With your fabric folded in quarters, place your tape measure at the top corner and measure down one edge 71.5cms and mark with tailor's chalk.  Continue moving your tape measure across the fabric in an arc marking with your chalk as you go.  
2. Now do the same with the hip radius of 9.5cms.
3. You should end up with two quarter circles drawn - one with a radius of 71.5cms and one with a radius of 9.5cms.
4. Cut out the circles.
5. Cut a waistband (rectangle) - The total hip measurement plus seam allowance: 62cm x 5cm.  This is wide enough for use with 2cm wide elastic.
6. Stitch the waist band ends together right side facing.  
7. Overlock one edge of the waist band.
8. Press the waist band in half
9. Stitch the raw edge of the waistband to the skirt waist.
10. Measure the length of elastic required for your model, add a couple of cms and then stitch together.
11. Place the elastic inside the waistband casing and fold the overlocked edge over to the wrong side of the fabric and stitch down.  I find it easiest to stitch from the wrong side and gradually easing the elastic inside the casing as I stitch, moving the fabric along as you get closer to the end.
12. Now hem the skirt anyway you choose.
13. You are finished!  Time for twirling fun!

Have a good weekend everyone!

Also, I am adding this post to Our Creative Spaces - joining in on the creative sharing that abounds in blogland :)