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To make your pattern, tape together newspapers to make a sheet
that is 45 inches square or larger.
Now, look for your hip measurement in the first column of
the following chart:
Hip Size
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2 Panels
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3 Panels
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| 30 in. (76 cm) |
6 in. (16 cm) |
3.5 in. (8 cm) |
| 32 in. (81 cm) |
7 in. (17cm) |
3.5 in. (9 cm) |
| 34 in. (86 cm) |
7 in. (18 cm) |
4 in. (10 cm) |
| 36 in. (91.5 cm) |
7 in. (18 cm) |
4 in. (10 cm) |
| 38 in. (96.5 cm) |
7 in. (19 cm) |
4.5 in. (12 cm) |
| 40 in. (101.5 cm) |
8 in. (20 cm) |
4.5 in. (12 cm) |
| 42 in. (106.5 cm) |
8 in. (21 cm) |
4.5 in. (12 cm) |
| 44 in. (112 cm) |
8 in. (21 cm) |
5 in. (13 cm) |
| 46 in. (117 cm) |
9 in. (22 cm) |
5 in. (13 cm) |
| 48 in. (122 cm) |
9 in. (23 cm) |
5.5 in. (14 cm) |
| 50 in. (127 cm) |
9 in. (23 cm) |
5.5 in. (14 cm) |
| 52 in. (132 cm) |
10 in. (25 cm) |
5.5 in. (14 cm) |
| 54 in. (137 cm) |
10 in. (26 cm) |
6 in. (15 cm) |
| 56 in. (142 cm) |
10 in. (26 cm) |
6 in. (15 cm) |
| 58 in. (147 cm) |
11 in. (27 cm) |
7 in. (16 cm) |
| 60 in. (152 cm) |
11 in. (28 cm) |
7 in. (17 cm) |
| 62 in. (158 cm) |
11 in. (28 cm) |
7 in. (17 cm) |
| 64 in. (163 cm) |
12 in. (29 cm) |
7 in. (18 cm) |
| 66 in. (168 cm) |
12 in. (30 cm) |
7 in. (18 cm) |
| 68 in. (173 cm) |
12 in. (30 cm) |
8 in. (19 cm) |
| 70 in. (178 cm) |
13 in. (32 cm) |
8 in. (19 cm) |
| 72 in. (182 cm) |
13 in. (33 cm) |
8 in. (20 cm) |
| 74 in. (188 cm) |
13 in. (33 cm) |
8 in. (20 cm) |
If you plan to make a skirt with 3 half-circle panels, find
the corresponding measurement in the "3 Panels" column.
If you plan to make a skirt with 2 half-circle panels, find the
corresponding measurement in the "2 Panels" column.
Set your compass to the size indicated by the table. Or, if
you don't have a compass, tie one end of a string to a pencil.
Then cut the string so that it is the length indicated in the
table above.
For those who like to know such things, here is how I calculated
the numbers in the table: For the 2-panel column, I first divided
by the hip measurement pi (3.14159). Since you set a compass
to half the length of the diameter (distance across the circle),
I then divided by 2 to get the radius (the compass measurement).
For the 3-panel column, I first divided the hip measurement by
3 and multiplied by 2 to go from having a circle and a half total
to having just one circle. Next I divided by pi (3.14159) to
get the diameter, and then divided by 2 to get the compass setting.
In all cases, I rounded up to the next larger inch and added
one additional inch so that the resulting skirt wouldn't have
gaps where the panels meet. This allows for the straight edges
to be turned under and hemmed while still covering the hips adequately.
Anchor the compass or one end of the string at one corner
of the newspaper, and then use the pencil end to draw an arc.
This is the hip line for your pattern.
Next, fill in the blanks on this table:
| ____ |
The measurement used for your compass setting
or string length |
| ____ |
The desired finished length |
| ____ |
The amount you plan to turn over on the top edge
when finishing the skirt. If you use my recommended bias tape
method, this should be 1/4 inch or .5 cm. |
| ____ |
The amount you plan to turn over on the bottom
edge for the hem. If you use my recommended narrow hem, this
should be 1/2 inch or 1 cm. |
| ____ |
Add up all the above numbers. |
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Tie one end of a string to a pencil. Then cut the string so
that it is the length indicated in last line of the table above.
Anchor the compass or one end of the string at the same corner
of the newspaper as before (or have a second person hold it in
place for you), and then use the pencil end to draw an arc. This
will be the lower edge of the skirt.
Cut out the pattern. The finished shape will be a quarter
circle with its tip cut off as shown in this diagram.
Instead of drafting your own pattern as described above, you
could alternately purchase a ready-made pattern. See Belly
Dance Costume Patterns elsewhere on this web site for more
information on commercially-available patterns.
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Cutting Out The Skirt
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Completely open up your fabric so it doesn't have any folds
at all. Place your pattern in one corner of the fabric as shown
above and pin it into place. Cut along the solid lines, but do
not cut the dotted line. Pick up the pattern piece and place
it so that one of the straight edges matches the uncut part along
the dotted line. Cut along the solid lines. You'll end up with
a half circle piece shaped like the diagram.
Cut out your additional panels, flip-flopping the position
of the pattern as shown so that you don't waste any fabric.
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Seams/Slits
If making a 3-panel skirt, with right sides together, sew
two of the panels together along one of the straight edges. This
will be the center back. You can leave the other straight edges
open to form slits that would expose your thighs in front if
you wish, or you can seam them instead for a more covered look.
It depends on what you want the finished skirt to look like.
For a 2-panel skirt, people usually seam at least one side
of it, but the other side can be left open as a slit if desired.
If you decide to leave a slit or two, hemming the straight
edges on either side of the slit is optional. It depends on your
fabric and your preferences. Normally, when cutting the skirt
out you will align the straight edges of the pattern piece with
the selvages (finished edges) of the fabric as shown in the cutting
diagrams above. Because these edges of the fabric have been woven
in a way to prevent raveling, you could leave them unhemmed if
you wish. Sometimes people decorate the sides of the slits, other
times not. Some fabrics such as glitter dot or chiffon have selvages
that aren't very attractive. If this is the case, you may wish
to hem the straight edges of the skirt. Click
here for directions on how to make the type of hem that I recommend.
Make Elastic Casing at Top Edge
Make a casing for the elastic in the top edge of each panel.
I recommend using wide bias tape because it is a very easy way
to deal with the curved edge. Click here
for detailed instructions on how to do it. Even though those
instructions tell you how to insert the elastic, don't do it
yet--wait until after you have finished hemming the bottom edge
and applying your trim.
Hanging the Skirt
Now, using either pins or basting stitches, attach the top
edge of the skirt piece to a wire hanger. Hang it in an out-of-the-way
place for at least one month. The longer, the better. This
is very important. Many fabrics will stretch along the bias,
which is the diagonal. If you don't hang your skirt to let the
stretching happen before you hem it and put trim on the bottom
edge, then it will stretch later when your store your skirt or
wear it. The result will be an ugly, uneven lower edge, which
will be a real nuisance to remedy after you have hemmed and decorated
it. So hang it. Clip clothespins about every 6-8 inches along
the lower edge to give added weight and encourage the stretching
to happen.
Is it really necessary to wait 1-2 months before finishing
your new skirt? You might be able to skip the hanging stage,
depending on what fabric you use for it. There are some fabrics
that don't "grow" over time.
Fabrics That Require Hanging
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Fabrics That Don't Require Hanging
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| Charmeuse |
Tissue Lamé |
| Satin |
Foils (Liquid Gold, etc.) |
| Georgette |
Many Knits |
| China Silk |
Nylon Tricot |
| Crepe-Backed Satin |
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| Chiffon |
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| Glitter Dot / Confetti Dot - it needs trimming,
but you can do it immediately rather than waiting 1-2 months. |
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If you don't see the fabric you want to use on this table,
hang it. When in doubt, hang it.
After 1-2 months have elapsed, take a scissors and even out
the lower edge. Some people like to insert the elastic (see below)
in the top edge and put the skirt on to have someone else use
the scissors to even out the hem while they are wearing it. If
you have any figure issues that could cause a skirt to hang unevenly
on you (for example, one leg longer than the other, or a voluptuous
back side), then this approach is advisable. A skirt that seems
perfectly even on the hanger could look uneven on some bodies.
Remove the skirt piece from the hanger if you haven't already
done so.
Finishing It
To hem the bottom edge: First, place the raw curved edge in
your sewing machine and stitch a line 1/4 inch (.64 centimeters)
from the edge all the way around the curved edge. Next, sit in
a comfortable chair and turn the hem under along the stitching
line, and turn it under again. Pin into place about once every
12 inches (30 centimeters). You’ll find that the stitching
line makes it easy to get the curve to behave itself. Then, machine-stitch
the hem in place. Click here for more detailed
instructions on making this hem.
Some people like to turn the hem toward the right side
when using a wide trim because then, when they apply the trim,
it entirely covers the hem and that means no hem will be visible
at all, regardless of whether the audience sees the right side
or the wrong side. Speaking for myself, I don't do this because
I'm in the habit of turning it to the wrong side and I figure
the audience won't get a close enough look at my hem to care
whether it's visible on the wrong side anyway. Do whichever you
prefer.
Decorate
If you purchased a trim for the curved edge, sew it into place
now. I usually machine-sew my trim because it goes much faster
than hand-sewing. Because of my distance from the audience they
usually won't be able to tell the difference anyway. But if you
are a perfectionist, or if you want a particularly special look,
you can hand-sew it.
If you left one or more slits, you might consider decorating
the edges of the slits. Some people do this, others don't.
If you prefer to use a hand-sewn bead-and-sequin edging, you
could finish the lower edge using the Turkish
edging made from 8-mm cup sequins and rocaille beads that
was on two costumes I purchased in Turkey.
Inserting the Elastic
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Attach either a bodkin (see photo at right) or a large safety
pin to one edge of the elastic. Thread the bodkin or the safety
pin through the casing at the top edge of the single half-circle
piece (if making a 3-panel skirt with 2 slits) and pull the elastic
through. Next thread the bodkin through the top edge of the two
half-circle pieces that were sewn together. You will now have
all three of your skirt pieces on the elastic, with two of them
sewn together and a gap between those and the third.
Sew the raw edges of the elastic together, and adjust the
casing at the top edge of the skirt to cover them.
If you have chosen to leave slits, try on the skirt and determine
whether you want to add a few inches of stitching to close the
top of each slit for a more modest look.
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How To Wear A Circle Skirt
Position the seam at the center back. Allow the two slits
to fall open in front, at the thighs. If you prefer to keep your
thighs covered, you can do one of the following:
- Sew the slits closed, just like you sewed the center back
seam.
- Wear a second skirt underneath, which is positioned such
that its seam falls in the center front.
- Wear pantaloons underneath.
The circle skirt can be worn with a variety of different costume
items, for different looks. The pictures shown throughout this
article demonstrate how you can wear two or three circle skirts
made of different fabrics together. Note that in the double veil
picture near the beginning of this article, the red circle skirt
is tucked at the hip to give the appearance of an accent skirt
worn over the top of the other two circle skirts. (The green
skirt is on top, then the red skirt immediately below it, then
the gold skirt closest to the body.)
You could wear a single circle skirt over the top of pantaloons.
I usually choose to wear at least one other item with my circle
skirt: either an overskirt in a different shape, a second circle
skirt in a different fabric, or a pair of pantaloons. This is
because a single skirt can accidentally fly open while you're
spinning and expose your bottom. With more than one layer, you
are less likely to flash the audience with a view of your panties.
(Even if you don't mind letting the audience see your panties,
they probably would rather not see such a spectacle--especially
if they have their children with them.)
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