Drafting Instructions – Circle Skirt Foundation

Have you ever wondered how to draft a Circle Skirt Sewing Pattern? If you don’t trust calculators and want to do the math on your own, this is your chance! This is a step by step instruction where I’ll show you the different Circle Skirt Foundations and how to make them.

This pattern is the base for designs like the 1/4, 1/2, 3/4 and Full Circle skirts, or the bubble skirt.

Measurements

Before we start, let’s see what measurements we need first. We’re only going to need 2 measurements:

WAIST CIRCUMFERENCE

Measure where you want the skirt to sit. The natural waist normally sits just below your rib-cage and in most cases is the thinnest part of your body.

SKIRT LENGTH

Measure how long you want the skirt to be from where you measured your waist, down. Modifying the length later on is really easy, so don’t worry too much.

Pattern Drafting Instructions

When talking about Circle skirts, there are 4 main options: The 1/4, 1/2, 3/4 and Full Circle skirts. They are all drafted the same way but use different formulas to calculate the radius.

In this image you can see how these skirts look like when using fabrics with structure. If you use fabrics that drape, they will look less bulky. Before you start, here is some basic information:

  • Some fabrics like chiffon or crepe will have elasticity to them and you should have that into account. If that’s the case, remove up to 2.5cm from your waist circumference.
  • Normally, patterns are cut on the grain of the fabric. Circle skirts on the other hand, go on all directions including the bias (the bias is the line that forms 45 degrees with the cross and grain of the fabric). This means the skirt will drape differently depending on how you cut it. This also means that when finished, the weight of the fabric will be distributed differently across the skirt and you’ll have uneven hems. You can either fix it during pattern drafting or after sewing.
  • I show you how to draft the pattern without seam allowances because it’s easier to understand. If you want to draft them with the pattern, just add them to your waist circumference and to the skirt length
  • Finally, to calculate the longitude of a circle you’ll need π = 3,142

1/4 Circle Skirt

The first Circle skirt on the list is the 1/4 circle skirt. As the name says, you only need to draw 1/4 of the skirt for this pattern. To draft it, follow these instructions:

  • Draw a cross in the middle of your paper. The middle point is O
  • O-A: this is the radius of your circle: 2 x Waist circumference / π
  • Draw 1/4 of a circle using O as the centre
  • A-B: this is the length of your skirt
  • Draw the second 1/4 circle using O as the centre and O-B as the radius

Now add the seam allowances (instructions below)

1/2 Circle Skirt

The second Circle skirt on the list is the 1/2 circle skirt. As the name says, you only need to draw 1/2 of the skirt for this pattern. To draft it, follow these instructions:

  • Draw a cross in the middle of your paper. The middle point is O
  • O-A: this is the radius of your circle: Waist circumference / π
  • Draw half of a circle using O as the centre
  • A-B: this is the length of your skirt
  • Draw the second 1/2 circle using O as the centre and O-B as the radius

Now add the seam allowances (instructions below)

3/4 Circle Skirt

The next Circle skirt is the 3/4 circle skirt. As the name says, you only need to draw 3/4 of the skirt for this pattern. To draft it, follow these instructions:

  • Draw a cross in the middle of your paper. The middle point is O
  • O-A: this is the radius of your circle: 2/3 x Waist circumference / π
  • Draw three quarters of a circle using O as the centre
  • A-B: this is the length of your skirt
  • Draw the second 3/4 circle using O as the centre and O-B as the radius

Now add the seam allowances (instructions below)

Full Circle skirt

The last skirt is the Full circle skirt. This time you’ll have to draft the full circle. To draft it, follow these instructions:

  • Draw a cross in the middle of your paper. The middle point is O
  • O-A: this is the radius of your circle: Waist circumference / 2π
  • Draw a circle using O as the centre
  • A-B: this is the length of your skirt
  • Draw the second circle using O as the centre and O-B as the radius

Now add the seam allowances (instructions below)

Once you’re done drafting the pattern you have to add the seam allowances. These are some guidelines on how to do it:

  • 1cm for normal seams
  • 1.5cm for french seams
  • 2.5cm for the hems

As you can see, the radius is smaller the bigger the circle is. But if you measure the inner circle/arc, it should always be equal to your waist circumference!

Remember this is just the Circle Skirt foundation and if you want to make it into a design, skirts ALWAYS need something to hold them to your waist. This can be a waistband, a yoke, an elastic or a facing, so be sure to draft it. My go to option is always a rectangle waistband because it’s very simple:

  • Waistband length: It’s the waist circumference + 4cm (the 4cm are in case you want the waistband to overlap so you can add a button)
  • Waistband width: You can make it as wide as you want. I normally go for a 4cm waistband

And just like that, you learnt how to draft the circle skirt sewing pattern. Now you can make it as a simple skirt, change the design or even add it to a dress. Possibilities are endless! For more information on how to modify this pattern, click here.

Still curious? Here’s more