How to make a circle skirt

1. Materials & tools

Materials (adult skirt)

• Soft, drapey fabric (cotton, linen, double gauze) — a full circle needs a lot; roughly 110 cm wide × (skirt length + waist radius + 15 cm), about doubled
• Waist elastic (2–3 cm wide) — the waist measurement

Tools

• Sewing machine (or needle and thread)
• Fabric marker or pencil
• Ruler and scissors
• Iron
• Pins or clips

2. Make the pattern (auto-generated in Katagami)

With the Katagami pattern tool, you just enter the finished size and it drafts a seam-allowance-included pattern, tiled to print at actual size on Letter or A4.

1. Open the tool
   Open the pattern tool and choose “Adult clothes” → “Circle skirt” from the tabs at the top.
2. Enter the size
   Enter waist, skirt length and choose full or half circle. Elastic waist.
3. Set the seam allowance
   Use the slider at the bottom (beginners: 1.0–1.5 cm / about 3/8–5/8 in).
4. Print
   Press “Print (actual size)”, then in the print dialog set Scale = 100% and turn “Fit to page” OFF. Check the 50 mm calibration box on the first guide sheet with a ruler.

3. Cutting the fabric

1. Fold the fabric
   Fold into quarters for a full circle, or in half for a half circle. Place the two fold edges of the pattern on the fabric folds.
2. Trace
   Trace the inner arc (waist) and outer arc (hem).
3. Cut
   Cut along the fan shape through the folds; it opens into a circle (or half circle).
4. Finish the edges
   Zigzag or serge the cut edges.

4. Sewing

4-1. Sew the back seam (half circle only)

1. For a half circle, sew the straight center-back seam and press open. A full circle has no seam here.

4-2. Make the waist casing

1. Fold the waist under by the seam allowance, then by the elastic width plus ease, easing the curve as you fold; press.
2. Stitch around, leaving a 2–3 cm elastic opening.

4-3. Thread the elastic

1. Thread the elastic, fit to the waist, sew the ends and close the opening.

4-4. Hem

1. Hang the skirt for a day or two first so the bias settles and the length evens out.
2. Hem with a narrow fold (0.7–1 cm), easing around the strong curve, then press.

5. Tips & variations

• Let it hang: the bias drops over time — hang before hemming for an even hem.
• Narrow hem: a rolled or narrow hem handles the curve best.
• Half circle: choose it to save fabric while keeping plenty of swish.