How to create a circle skirt pattern
If you are not using my SkirtMeUp◌ app for Android 👩💻
1. Choosing Volume
A ballet dancer, or a retro star?
🤔 What is it?
The volume of your new skirt can range from a full to a quarter of a circle. To imagine the fullness, think of the difference between the space for your waist and for your legs. Wearing a full skirt is almost like squeezing yourself through a doughnut shape and having all that outer circle flow around your body. A quarter of a circle pattern — on the other hand, allows the smallest leg space.
🤔 How do I choose?
You might want to choose by thinking about the occasions on which you are planning to be wearing your new skirt. The fuller the volume, the more dramatic effect you usually achieve with the garment. So depending on your use-cases (literally), you might want to read the following descriptions.
→ Full Circle:
Choosing a full circle is perfect for creating a fancy retro skirt, allowing enough space for a fluffy petticoat underneath. Left without it, it will be as wavy as possible. Think of the doughnut shape I mentioned as the maximum of hem length we can get!
🎯 Recommended Use-Cases
Cocktail or a fashionable day dress, a ballet skirt, for expressive dancing (anyone a fan of Kate Bush?) or to sit on a picnic blanket comfortably
🧵 Recommended Fabrics
Lightweight textiles in general — printed or solid colour cotton satins or poplins, with extra lining (or an extra layer underneath) if necessary, same in polyester or rayon, taffeta for a fancy dress, tulle for a top layer of a ballet skirt
→ 3/4 Circle:
Three-quarters of a circle pattern is the perfect choice for a first short circle skirt. It proves to be less dramatic than from the full circle pattern but still looks rather interesting from a variety of fabrics. A full-length number from a softly-draping textile will be visually impactful and might double as evening wear.
🎯 Recommended Use-Cases
Skater-style every-day skirt, visually striking long day dress
🧵 Recommended Fabrics
Almost anything will work when sewing a short version, but I would stay away from heavier fabric — especially for a floor-length gown, as the fullness of the pattern will make the final garment rather weighty
→ Half Circle:
By choosing the half-circle, you are selecting a pattern for a very versatile skirt pattern. Not overly dramatic, but comfortable enough are the keywords here. Also a good option for a long skirt but in all cases, please check that you will be able to walk in the final product. You can do so by calculating the hip and leg space in the next step!
🎯 Recommended Use-Cases
An every-day, evening, carpet-, or beach-ready skirt, a flowy gown, or a dramatic day dress, depending very much on your fabric of choice
🧵 Recommended Fabrics
Less volume means less fabric, and that results in less weight — velvet or a thin — printed or not, neoprene (synthetic rubber) for a winter holidays frock, printed cotton, rayon, silk, or polyester poplin or satin for a — possibly lined, summer dress
→ 1/4 Circle:
Sleek looking skirt for when you don’t want too many fabric folds. You might see examples of these with the waves forming mostly on the hips or being quite stiff on the sides almost like an A-line skirt (think 80s nurse uniforms), but you can also choose to create a version that will sit flat on there and fold waves in the front and back. Depending on the textile, this might sometimes feel like Sophie’s choice. To decide, I recommend to hold the fabric in the direction of the final product and see how it drapes, folds, and moves. One-quarter of a circle skirt can prove tricky, as it does not allow too much space for the hips. I recommend triple-checking the circumference in the next step.
🎯 Recommended Use-Cases
No-frills business or work skirt, saving a lot of fabric while still getting a bit of a flare of the circle through
🧵 Recommended Fabrics
Anything goes, but I would stay away from heavy rigid fabrics, as the low volume might make it look even stiffer — unless you want to achieve that kind of effect!
🤔 What if I can’t decide which fullness?
For this advice, I consider the first two options being fuller and the second two narrower. If in doubt, or this is your first sewing project, I recommend choosing the 3/4 quarter for a short skirt, and the half-circle for a long one. If your shape is that of an hourglass, consider a fuller skirt, rather than not. If you have no idea about the length, go with the short option, as that will always be more versatile and less tricky to cut from the textile. Think of the amount of fabric for a long skirt! If you don’t have too much, or you would rather not risk it, try the half or one-quarter, rather than 3/4. From my experience, the smaller section of the circle, the more needed it is for me to check that the pattern accommodates for my hips and legroom. I will explain this in detail in the next step. Yes, I did accidentally sew skirts that would not fit me in the past! 😅 Take it as a gift from me to you that both my app and this article include the calculations.
🏁 Checkpoint 1/3
Decided on the fullness? Note it down!
2. Measuring!
The length, the waist, and the step
🤔 Why do I need to measure myself/a person?
I understand this might be inconvenient and not even possible in all cases. You can decide to find a garment made from a similar fabric and measure the width (times two, mind!) and length instead. I advise strongly against finding out the circumference like this though — the stretchiness of your old and planned skirt might be completely different.
🤔 What if I don’t have a tape measure?
No worries! Use a piece of string instead, and then measure the distances on it with an ordinary ruler. Worst case, you can use a cable, for example, your unplugged charger without damaging it. When using potentially deadly tools, please mind any pets, kids, or cognitively impaired individuals in your household.
🤔 Can I even measure?
To gain an accurate waist (or wherever the skirt is going to be sitting on your body) measurement, breathe in first, then wrap a tailor measuring tape around your waist, and finally allow it to expand while exhaling.
🤔 How do I choose the right length?
The length will represent the distance between the top of the skirt (usually sitting on your waist), and the lower hem. In this case, measuring a few other garments from a similar fabric on their seams to figure out the length, is advisable. You might also try hanging a piece of string or a tape measure from your waist (or wherever suitable) with the distance on it, to see where the hem falls. You might need to do this a few times before you find the desired magically perfect length. Not to complicate things, for long skirts, even the height of your shoes’ heels matters.
🤔 In which units should I measure?
The key here is to choose one kind of unit, and then stick to it. Traditionally, I would pick either centimetres or inches.
📝 Circumference C
The number of units — with decimal numbers if needed, around your waist or wherever you want your skirt to sit. Note it down as C.
📝 Length L
The number of units — with decimal numbers if needed, starting at your waist or wherever you want your skirt to sit to the hem. Note it down as L.
🧮 How wide will be the skirt at the lower hem? (optional)
- Full Circle: C + 2*π*L
- 3/4 Circle: C + 1.5*π*L
- Half Circle: C + π*L
- 1/4 Circle: C + 0.5*π*L
🤔 Where do I get the π?
π — being the mathematical constant Pi. You don’t have to have a scientific calculator in your phone, type the formula with your numbers into the Google search! The search engine’s calculator will understand even if you type a plain pi instead of the symbol π (not pie though, om, nom, nom 🥧).
📝 Hip depth D (optional)
The number of units — with decimal points if needed, starting at your waist or wherever you want your skirt to sit, ending at your hips. If you are not sure where this is, make a tight loop with a string/tape measure, and see where it gets stuck. 😅 I would expect the hip depth to be around 20 centimetres or 8 inches. Note it down as D.
🧮 How wide will be the skirt at my hips? (optional)
- Full Circle: C + 2*π*D
- 3/4 Circle: C + 1.5*π*D
- Half Circle: C + π*D
- 1/4 Circle: C + 0.5*π*D
🤔 Not completely sure?
If you are deciding between two numbers, I would recommend going with the higher, as you can make a garment smaller easier than larger.
🏁 Checkpoint 2/3
Measured the circumference of the body the skirt will be sitting on, and the length? Optional: Checked the space for hips and legs to move.
3. Layout It Out There
You made your bed, now lie in it. Or not?
🤔 What happened here, like seriously?
It’s okay! We have our measurements, and we would be able to draft our pattern with them, but it is a good sewing practice to think about the layout on the fabric before committing to any textile cutting! How to lay the patter on will affect tremendously where all the waves, seams, pockets, and zippers will be!
→ Centre:
Great first choice! This layout has the most options on how to cut it out of fabric and assemble. The centre of the skirt aligns with the straight grain of the textile (usually how you roll it out of the roll). Because of the fabric weave, the waves will be folding on the sides, creating stretchiness in the side seams, which might need interfacing to stabilise the seams.
✂️ Layout Options to Consider
- One Piece Only (3/4, Half, 1/4 Circle)
✔ can have a zipper in the seam
✔ suitable for one in-seam pocket, but requires care if combined with an invisible zipper in the same place - Two Pieces with Side Seams (Full, 3/4, Half, 1/4 Circle) 🌟
✔ can have a zipper in one of the side seams
✔ suitable for in-seam pockets — be careful if combined with an invisible zipper in the same side seam - Two Pieces with Front and Back Seams (Full, 3/4, Half, 1/4 Circle)
✔ can have a zipper either in the back or in the front (think lapped zipper — like on pants) - Three Pieces with Side and Back Seams (Full, 3/4, Half, 1/4 Circle)
✔ the perfect option for a zipper either in the back or in one of the side seams
✔ suitable for in-seam pockets — be careful if combined with an invisible zipper in the same side seam - Four Pieces (Full, 3/4, Half, 1/4 Circle)
✔ suitable for in-seam pockets in one or both of the side seams
✔ can have a zipper in any of the seams — be careful when combining with pockets
🌊 Waves Location
On the sides mostly!
→ Side:
Aligning the straight grain with the sides of your pattern will create a skirt with wavy centre parts. This layout allows up to four different assembly options. It might require extra interfacing in front and back seams, as that is where the fabric will usually stretch more, especially if you wish to place a zipper there. You might notice that I recommend using full circle only for two out of these options. The reason is simple — trying to align one side seams with the straight grain will necessarily mean that the other seam has to be parallel to make the skirt symmetric. If you think of cutting a doughnut in half, the cuts are all going the same direction, but once you eat more of each part, this is not true anymore. Similar to smaller sections of the circle.
✂️ Layout Options to Consider
- Two Pieces with Side Seams (Full Circle)
✔ can have a zipper in one of the side seams
✔ suitable for in-seam pockets — be careful if combined with an invisible zipper in the same side seam - Two Pieces with Front and Back Seams (Full, 3/4, Half, 1/4 Circle)
✔ can have a zipper either in the back or in the front (think lapped zipper, like on pants) - Three Pieces with Side and Back Seams (Full Circle) 🌟
✔ the perfect option for a zipper either in the back or in one of the side seams
✔ suitable for in-seam pockets — be careful if combined with an invisible zipper in the same side seam - Four Pieces (Full, 3/4, Half, 1/4 Circle)
✔ suitable for in-seam pockets in one or both of the side seams
✔ can have a zipper in any of the seams — be careful when combining with pockets
🌊 Waves Location
Front, and back mostly!
→ Gore:
The skirt will have four pieces with the centre of each aligned with the fabric’s straight grain. That will create an evenly wavy product, and overall the most uniform of the four options. I would say this might be a good option for a formal looking skirt.
✂️ Layout Options to Consider
- Four Pieces (Full, 3/4, Half, 1/4 Circle)
✔ suitable for in-seam pockets, possibly with interfacing for stability
✔ can have a zipper in any of the seams
🌊 Waves Location
On sides of each piece, but rather small
→ Bias:
Bias runs diagonally under 45 Degrees on the straight grain, and a pattern cut on it is the ultimate choice for creating Old-Hollywood-style frocks. The disadvantage is that — as you can imagine, you might not fit the whole pattern piece on the fabric width. Further pattern manipulation might be needed as the pattern pieces will be laid diagonally on the fabric. Cutting bias allows you to make the most of the soft drape property of the textile but also makes the task and the subsequent cutting more difficult due to stretching. If you are attempting to sew on the bias, you might want to make the use of a few extra tricks for sewing slippery and stretchy fabrics — adding a paper in between the fabric layers and pinning carefully around the seam. To prevent the cut pattern pieces from moving, you can baste (sew with long stitches with a tearable cotton thread) along the seams first by hand.
✂️ Layout Options to Consider
- Four Pieces with Bias Towards Sides (Full, 3/4, Half, 1/4 Circle)
✔ suitable for in-seam pockets, with interfacing for stability
✔ can have a zipper either on the side or in the back - Four Pieces with Bias Towards Centre (Full, 3/4, Half, 1/4 Circle)
✔ suitable for in-seam pockets, with interfacing for stability
✔ can have a zipper either on the side or in the back
🌊 Waves Location
In the ideal, evenly waving as the fabric drapes down
🤔 How do I pick?
If in doubt, choose the centre aligned layout with the pattern’s centres running on the fabric’s straight grain. This layout has the most number of options on how to use. Alternatively, depending on your pocket placement (chose above), I would recommend the side layout as a safe choice too. I also placed a little star next to the options with which I would consider to start, if not sure! 🌟
4. Hang On Just a Minute!
Seam and hem allowance, and cutting on folds!
🤔 Can I have my pattern now?
Yes and no! We do have all measurements and information needed to calculate details of our pattern so that we can add a seam and a hem allowance to it.
🤔 What is the seam allowance you mentioned?
Did you download a few patterns, and notice that some of them have dashed lines around their edges? Or were — on the contrary, missing those? A seam allowance marks an extra strip fabric on the wrong side (inside) of the finished garment so that you can hold two or more pieces together. In some countries, downloaded designs might traditionally include seam allowance, and in others, you lay the paper on the fabric and cut with an extra amount around the pattern. Seemingly-missing seam allowance is sometimes also a technique used by professorial tailoresses and tailors, so they can adjust it as they see fit. A neat trick from the old days is to choose a larger allowance for seams on body parts that might be changing over time so that you can use the extra fabric when re-fitting.
🤔 What is the hem allowance?
I bet you see where this is going! Hem allowance is the extra strip of fabric that you will most likely fold and sew (possibly with the invisible stitch) to make a finished hem of your future skirt.
🤔 How do I use the seam and hem allowance?
You can choose to draft the seam allowance and hem allowance to remember to always cut it out of the fabric! There is nothing more silly I have done in sewing than cutting a pattern without any extra space for seams! 🤦♀️ Alternatively, you can draft without allowances, and make little marks on the paper to remember how many units to add to the hem or the outline of your pattern pieces. Making a case for omitting seam allowances is also when you are often placing and cutting a pattern piece on a fold, so you don’t accidentally add extra fabric.
🤔 What does it mean to cut on fold?
Imagine you want to cut a pattern piece of the garment out of the fabric symmetrically with no seam in the middle. You overlap the fabric to fit the paper, and place it literally on the fold, then cut the two layers together. Voila! A symmetric piece of garment is born! As our pattern will always represent a quarter of the finished skirt, we could cut it out of the fabric four times and sew them together. Cutting on fold allows you to connect some of the pieces without duplicating them. In a few rare cases, you can cut the whole skirt out in one piece, but you will need to manipulate the pattern first — connect all four parts.
📝 Radius R of circumference C
The radius is the most important information we need to create the pattern. It says how far it is from the centre of a circle to the waist seam. It changes depending on the fullness you chose in the first step, as the radius directly reflects any change in the waist circumference. Note it down as R.
🧮 What is the radius R to the top of my skirt without my seam allowance?
- Full Circle: C ÷ (2*π)
- 3/4 Circle: (2*C) ÷ (3*π)
- Half Circle: C ÷ π
- 1/4 Circle: (2*C) ÷ π
📝 Seam allowance S (optional)
You can incorporate seam allowance to the waist seam. I would pick anywhere between 0.5 to 3 centimetre or 3/16 to 1-3/16 inches, depending on your sewing skills. I find 1.5 centimetres or 5/8 inch a pretty comfortable seam allowance for most fabrics. Including it in the pattern, reduces the value of the radius. Note it down as S.
🧮 What is the radius to the top of my skirt with my seam allowance included?
- Full Circle: C ÷ (2*π) - S
- 3/4 Circle: (2*C) ÷ (3*π) - S
- Half Circle: C ÷ π - S
- 1/4 Circle: (2*C) ÷ π - S
- 😅 In short: R - S
📝 Radius F of hem circumference
The radius to the hem is the previous one to your waist plus the desired length of the skirt. You can imagine this as measuring from the centre of the void in a doughnut to its crusty outside. Note it down as F.
🧮 What is the radius to the hem of my skirt without my hem allowance?
- Full Circle: C ÷ (2*π) + L
- 3/4 Circle: (2*C) ÷ (3*π) + L
- Half Circle: C ÷ π + L
- 1/4 Circle: (2*C) ÷ π + L
- 😅 In short: R + L
📝 Hem allowance H (optional)
As explained before, hem allowance is the extra fabric on the bottom of the skirt that you will most likely fold and neatly finish. The amount will depend on your style and preference, but usually, it is larger than the seam allowance. I choose to add a few centimetres, or an about one inch when cutting this out of the fabric. Note it down as H.
🧮 What is the radius to the hem of my skirt with my hem allowance included?
- Full Circle: C ÷ (2*π) + L + H
- 3/4 Circle: (2*C) ÷ (3*π) + L + H
- Half Circle: C ÷ π + L + H
- 1/4 Circle: (2*C) ÷ π + L + H
- 😅 In short: R + L + H
🤔 Is that it?
Yes! Well done! 🎉
Get Kit Ostrihon’s stories in your inbox
Join Medium for free to get updates from this writer.
🏁 Checkpoint 3/3
You calculated the value of the radius R for your waist circumference C.
5. Ta-Da!
Here come the patterns!
🤔 Can you remind me of the bare minimum of the letters we used?
Yes! The following measurements and values are the essential ones.
- C — Circumference of your waist or where the skirt is going to sit
- L — Length of the finished skirt
⚠️ Does not include hem allowance H - R — Radius of the (waist seam) circumference
⚠️ Does not include seam allowance S - F — Radius of the hem circumference
⚠️ Does not include hem H nor seam S allowance
🤔 What about the other letters on the patterns?
You can see that we will need to calculate the distance between the corners of the pattern piece to approximate the angle between the sides. After all, each skirt piece represents a segment of a circle. In some cases, finding the geometric relation between the triangle’s sides is straightforward. For example, when you measure 90 Degrees. In others, I advise to draft the radius and measure the distance on the intersection. For now, you can see that I added T and B as the distance between the corners like this. I will explain the T and B later. I won’t be adding the hem and seam allowance to the pattern, as in some cases, you will be manipulating the pattern pieces, and it is more convenient this way.
- H — Hem allowance
⚠️ (➕) To be added to the length of the skirt L/radius F of the hem circumference when cutting out the pattern piece or adding it to the pattern draft - S — Seam allowance
⚠️ (➖) To be subtracted from the radius R/radius F of the hem circumference when cutting out the pattern piece or adding it to the pattern draft - T — Distance between the upper corners of the pattern piece
⚠️ Does not include hem H nor seam S allowance - B — Distance between the lower corners of the pattern piece
⚠️ Does not include hem H nor seam S allowance
→ Full Circle:
⚠️ This pattern represents one-quarter of the skirt.
⚠️ It does not include hem H nor seam S allowance.
🤓 You can either manipulate the pattern pieces as suggested underneath, and then add extra space on your paper pattern draft, or place the pattern pieces on the fabric and cut them out with the seam and hem allowance around in mind.
- Centre Cut — Two Pieces with Side Seams
* Cut 2x on the fold with the centre front and centre back aligned with the straight grain - Centre Cut — Two Pieces with Front and Back Seams
* Cut 2x on the fold across the straight grain - Centre Cut — Three Pieces with Side and Back Seams
* Cut 2x with the centre back aligned with the straight grain
* Cut 1x on the fold with the centre front aligned with the straight grain - Centre Cut — Four Pieces
* Cut 4x with the centre front and the centre back aligned with the straight grain - Side Cut — Two Pieces with Side Seams
* Cut 2x on the fold across the straight grain, with the side seams aligned with the straight grain - Side Cut — Two Pieces with Front and Back Seams
* Cut 2x on the fold with the sides aligned with the straight grain - Side Cut — Three Pieces with Side and Back Seams
* Cut 2x with the side seams aligned with the straight grain
* Cut 1x on the fold across the straight grain, with the side seams aligned with the straight grain - Side Cut — Four Pieces
* Cut 4x with the side seams aligned with the straight grain - Gore Cut — Four Pieces
* Cut 4x with the centre of each piece aligned with the straight grain - Bias Cut — Four Pieces with Bias Towards Sides
* Cut 4x with the centre front and the centre back aligned with the straight grain (for the full skirt it is effectively the same as Centre Cut — Four Pieces; for most textiles and the full skirt also identical to the other bias cut) - Bias Cut — Four Pieces with Bias Towards Centre
* Cut 4x with the side seams aligned with the straight grain (for the full skirt it is effectively the same as Side Cut — Four Pieces; for most textiles and the full skirt also identical to the other bias cut)
→ 3/4 Circle:
⚠️ This pattern represents one-quarter of the skirt.
⚠️ It does not include hem H nor seam S allowance.
🤓 You can either manipulate the pattern pieces as suggested underneath, and then add extra space on your paper pattern draft, or place the pattern pieces on the fabric and cut them out with the seam and hem allowance around in mind.
- Centre Cut — One Piece Only
* Connect two pattern pieces
* Cut 1x on the fold with the centre front aligned with the straight grain - Centre Cut — Two Pieces with Side Seams
* Cut 2x on the fold with the centre front and centre back aligned with the straight grain - Centre Cut — Two Pieces with Front and Back Seams
* Connect two pattern pieces
* Cut 2x the connected pattern pieces with either the centre front or the centre back seam aligned with the straight grain - Centre Cut — Three Pieces with Side and Back Seams
* Cut 2x with the centre back aligned with the straight grain
* Cut 1x on the fold with the centre front aligned with the straight grain - Centre Cut — Four Pieces
* Cut 4x with the centre front and the centre back aligned with the straight grain - Side Cut — Two Pieces with Front and Back Seams
* Cut 2x on the fold with the sides aligned with the straight grain - Side Cut — Four Pieces
* Cut 4x with the side seams aligned with the straight grain - Gore Cut — Four Pieces
* Cut 4x with the centre of each piece aligned with the straight grain - Bias Cut — Four Pieces with Bias Towards Sides
* Cut 4x on the fabric’s bias - Bias Cut — Four Pieces with Bias Towards Centre
* Cut 4x on the fabric’s bias
→ Half Circle:
⚠️ This pattern represents one-quarter of the skirt.
⚠️ It does not include hem H nor seam S allowance.
🤓 You can either manipulate the pattern pieces as suggested underneath, and then add extra space on your paper pattern draft, or place the pattern pieces on the fabric and cut them out with the seam and hem allowance around in mind.
- Centre Cut — One Piece Only
* Connect two pattern pieces
* Cut 1x on the fold with the centre front aligned with the straight grain - Centre Cut — Two Pieces with Side Seams
* Cut 2x on the fold with the centre front and centre back aligned with the straight grain - Centre Cut — Two Pieces with Front and Back Seams
* Connect two pattern pieces
* Cut 2x the connected pattern pieces with either the centre front or the centre back seam aligned with the straight grain - Centre Cut — Three Pieces with Side and Back Seams
* Cut 2x with the centre back aligned with the straight grain
* Cut 1x on the fold with the centre front aligned with the straight grain - Centre Cut — Four Pieces
* Cut 4x with the centre front and the centre back aligned with the straight grain - Side Cut — Two Pieces with Front and Back Seams
* Cut 2x on the fold with the sides aligned with the straight grain - Side Cut — Four Pieces
* Cut 4x with the side seams aligned with the straight grain - Gore Cut — Four Pieces
* Cut 4x with the centre of each piece aligned with the straight grain - Bias Cut — Four Pieces with Bias Towards Sides
* Cut 4x on the fabric’s bias - Bias Cut — Four Pieces with Bias Towards Centre
* Cut 4x on the fabric’s bias
→ 1/4 Circle:
⚠️ This pattern represents one-quarter of the skirt.
⚠️ It does not include hem H nor seam S allowance.
🤓 You can either manipulate the pattern pieces as suggested underneath, and then add extra space on your paper pattern draft, or place the pattern pieces on the fabric and cut them out with the seam and hem allowance around in mind.
- Centre Cut — One Piece Only
* Connect two pattern pieces
* Cut 1x on the fold with the centre front aligned with the straight grain - Centre Cut — Two Pieces with Side Seams
* Cut 2x on the fold with the centre front and centre back aligned with the straight grain - Centre Cut — Two Pieces with Front and Back Seams
* Connect two pattern pieces
* Cut 2x the connected pattern pieces with either the centre front or the centre back seam aligned with the straight grain - Centre Cut — Three Pieces with Side and Back Seams
* Cut 2x with the centre back aligned with the straight grain
* Cut 1x on the fold with the centre front aligned with the straight grain - Centre Cut — Four Pieces
* Cut 4x with the centre front and the centre back aligned with the straight grain - Side Cut — Two Pieces with Front and Back Seams
* Cut 2x on the fold with the sides aligned with the straight grain - Side Cut — Four Pieces
* Cut 4x with the side seams aligned with the straight grain - Gore Cut — Four Pieces
* Cut 4x with the centre of each piece aligned with the straight grain - Bias Cut — Four Pieces with Bias Towards Sides
* Cut 4x on the fabric’s bias - Bias Cut — Four Pieces with Bias Towards Centre
* Cut 4x on the fabric’s bias
6. Extra Magic ✨
Actual drafting!
🤔 Hang on! I don’t have a plotter or anything! How do I draw all of that on a paper?
Put on your magic hat, and collect the following items!
- Butchers paper roll or a high number of office papers taped together (if you can use masking tape or sticky brown paper tape you get in stationery or artist stores)
- A piece of string long enough to match the value of the full radius F (R+L)
- A sharp pencil, a push pin, or a sewing pin (be careful not to damage the surface underneath your paper — if you care about it, use a piece of cloth underneath; also, when using potentially deadly tools, please mind any pets, kids, or cognitively impaired individuals in your household)
- A marker or a pencil that will leave a mark on the paper
- Magical patience and perseverance (optional but handy!) ⚗️🧙♀️
📝 Distance T between the upper two corners of the pattern piece
With the full skirt, your draft will represent the exact one-quarter, with a 90 Degree angle in-between its sides. That allows you to take advantage of the paper’s usual property of being cut under this angle. You can also use a standard school triangle ruler to find the right angle. For other options, calculating the distance between the corners of your pattern might be the only option for how to draft without technical tools. This distance is the one shorter of the two, and you can note it down as T.
🧮 What is the distance T between the two upper corners?
- Full Circle: 2 * R * sin(π/4) = √2 * R
- 3/4 Circle: 2 * R * sin((3*π)/16)
- Half Circle: 2 * R * sin(π/8)
- 1/4 Circle: 2 * R * sin(π/16)
📝 Distance B between the lower two corners of the pattern piece
Similar to the upper distance, you can calculate the length B for the lower corners too.
🧮 What is the distance B between the two lower corners?
- Full Circle: 2 * (R + L) * sin(π/4) = √2 * (R + L)
- 3/4 Circle: 2 * (R + L) * sin((3*π)/16)
- Half Circle: 2 * (R + L) * sin(π/8)
- 1/4 Circle: 2 * (R + L) * sin(π/16)
🤔 I still don’t get it. Why do I need the T and B?
If you chose the full circle skirt, then you can see that the pattern is the exact one-quarter. In that case, you can easily mark two circles on your paper and use a regular triangle ruler to find the 90 Degree angle of your one-quarter circle. Remember, we are looking for a particular section of a circle. In other cases, measuring the exact Degrees might be much trickier, and that is why it might be more useful to measure the straight distance between the corners of your pattern piece.
🤔 I got it! What next?
Now you can repeat the following steps to draw all your distances! We are creating an improvised geometric drawing compass to draft the circle and find intersections of the lines to mark the pattern piece’s corners!
- Tie the string around your marker/pencil on one side
- Measure and mark the desired distance (R, F, L, T, and B) on the string using a ruler (you might need to move a few inches/centimetres at the time)
- Pin the pin through the mark on the string, so that you have the marker/pencil on the other side and the desired distance in-between
- Draw the circle holding the pin in place and the marker facing straight down — you can measure and adjust this a few times
- Repeat as necessary
🤔 Okay. Can you show me how?
Yep! Here are the step-by-step by step instructions on how to create the actual pattern piece!
Step 1. Mark a dot on one side of your paper, and mark it with the pin. Draw a circle with the radius F for the hem circumference. This distance is the same as R with the skirt length L added. Draw a line between the pin and any point on the circle. Mark the intersection!
Step 2. With the pin at the same spot — the centre of the previous circle, draw another one from there. In this case, the radius for the waist circumference. Out of the two values you noted before, this one is the shorter. Remember, that this distance does not include the seam allowance. Find the intersection between the new circle and the faint line, and mark it.
Step 3. Measure the value of B on your drawing compass. That will be the distance between the lower corners of your skirt’s pattern piece. Stick the pin in the intersection you made in the first step — on the larger circle. Find and mark the intersection between this and the measured distance B.
Step 4. Now is the time to find the upper two corners. Measure the value of T on your drawing compass. Stick the pin in the intersection you made in the second step — on the smaller circle. Find and mark the intersection between this and the measured distance T. You should see four markings that form the four corners of your pattern piece now. You could also find the last point by measuring the length L of your skirt from the lower skirt corner.
Step 5. Finally, outline the pattern piece connecting the dots. By using the improvised drawing compass, you will create a piece that represents one-quarter of your skirt! Congratulations! It seems like you have successfully drafted your pattern! 💜
Happy pattern drafting and sewing! 🧵✂️🌟
