I am officially in love with half circle skirts! They are quick to make, they look amazing and I can tuck my top in without look crazy ginormous! Less bulky than their full circle relatives but still nicely full, the half circle skirt is perfect. I want to make one in every colour and print! You can certainly look forward to a few variations! These are nice and easy, so let’s get sewing….
You’ll need to make a pattern for the half circle skirt first. I have a simple method here, just use your waist measurement plus seam allowance for the back seam. Or there is a link to a calculator for 1/2 or full circle skirts in my full circle wrap skirt post. I cut a waistband that’s 6″ deep and as long as my waist plus seam allowance. You can make yours as deep as you like but I’ll be using 6″.
I need 2m of fabric, at least 1m wide for a skirt. If you have a smaller waist or want a shorter skirt, you’ll need less. If your waist is more than a few inches bigger than mine or you want a much longer skirt, you may need double that. You will also need a 9″ or longer zip and interfacing for the waistband.
To fit my skirt on the fabric, I need to fold it lengthwise. The bonus of this method is that both back seam edges are selvedges, so there is no need to finish them by overlocker or zig zag etc. But this can mean the design on the fabric is sideways, upside down or looks strange. Because I have trouble thinking in 3D, I draw the design onto paper and cut a ‘model’ skirt out and see how it looks. However you envisage it, it’s worth thinking about before you cut!
Cut out skirt in one piece, 6″ deep waistband and 3″ deep fusible interfacing.
Apply fusible interfacing to the wrong side to of the longer side of the waistband. Overlock (or zig zag or pink or other edge finish) the long, interfaced edge and both short edges. My short edges are both selvedges, so no finishing was required.
Press waistband in half lengthwise (hotdog style) but make the finished side 1/4″ longer than the raw edge.
Pin the waistband to the waist of the skirt, raw edges and right sides together. Sew or overlock together. Press seam up towards the waistband.
Pin the back seam, right sides together. Make a mark on the seam 9″ down from the fold in the waistband. This is where your zip will stop.
With your machine set to a basting stitch, start sewing at the waistband fold (no back stitch) and sew to the mark you just made. Change your machine to back to a regular stitch and stitch forward a few stitches and then back stitch. Continue sewing to the hem and backstitch again.
Press the seam open. Centre the zipper face down on the seam allowance so that the zip begins at the waistband fold. Pin the zipper tape to the seam allowances ONLY.
Change to a zipper foot and sew from the top of the zipper tape, down to the zipper stop mark, sewing through the zipper & seam allowance ONLY. Repeat of the other seam allowance. This will hold your zipper still so you can topstitch it.
Press the waistband in half again making sure the waistband is neatly folded on the inside of the skirt. Pin to secure. Sewing from the right side, sew a box around the zipper. This will be secure the zipper and also inner waistband. Use a seam ripper to remove basting stitches.
Change back to a regular machine foot and either stitch in the ditch or topstitch to secure internal waistband. Be sure the seam allowances are flipped up inside the waistband.
Now you are ready to hem! I love bias binding or an overlocker rolled hem because they’re quick and easy on curved hems but go with what works for you.
I am so in love with these skirts! The black is a wardrobe staple (this is the first black skirt in my wardrobe, I haven’t had one for four years!!) and will get tonnes of wear and I adore this mid century flamingo print. I love how vintage a half circle skirt looks, especially when it’s made up in a retro novelty print, don’t you? I am going fill my wardrobe with these! If you make your own, I would love to see pics xxxxx
I am so in love with these skirts! The black is a wardrobe staple (this is the first black skirt in my wardrobe, I haven’t had one for four years!!) and will get tonnes of wear and I adore this mid century flamingo print. I love how vintage a half circle skirt looks, especially when it’s made up in a retro novelty print, don’t you? I am going fill my wardrobe with these! If you make your own, I would love to see pics xxxxx
5 Comments
Excellent tutorial………….!
Hello Sarah, May I ask what kind of fabric you used for the black version? It is interesting the way it drapes and gives a different look to the flamingo print. Thanks for the tutorial!
Hey there! The flamingo print is a really crisp cotton, the black in these photos is a broadcloth but my current black skirt is a cotton twill. I prefer a cotton twill/drill for plain colour skirts, they hang in beautiful ripples like this ric rac skirt. But super light weight skirts from rayon or thin poplin do too like this gingam skirt.. I feel like quilting weight has the least buckle factor. Using a heavier bias helps but you can always go with horsehair braid in the hem can increase the effect.
Hope that helps! Happy sewing xxx
Very helpful – thank you! It is hard to know when you are starting out what kind of fabric to use so your advice is much appreciated.
No worries! I think that heavier fabrics give you a nice buckle at the hem. I just posted an awesome zip hack and the skirt pictured uses Ikea fabric which is lovely and thick and usually quite affordable. Happy Sewing xxx