THE SQUARE CIRCLE SKIRT

July 30, 2013
I can't take credit for this one. I found a tutorial on Make it and Love it, so I made it, and I love it! It's one of the fastest projects I have ever done and is so simple. Perfect for you beginners. ;)
I did make a couple of changes on the second skirt I made (yes, there are multiple), because I ran out of elastic and couldn't wait to go to the store to finish it. I'll teach you both ways.

Supplies:
1+ yards of fabric
1" wide+ elastic

Dimensions for my 1-year-old:
Fabric - Two squares that are 20x20"
Elastic - 20"
or Waistband - 4"x20"

Step 1: Measure 01
Measure from your girl's waist to where you want the shortest part of the skirt to hit (the corners of the square will hang down longer than the rest of the skirt). Measure around your girl's waist and find a bowl or plate the same circumference or a little bigger. The bigger the bowl/plate, the fuller the skirt, but I wouldn't go much bigger than 1.5x your girl's waist measurement. My daughter's waist is 20" so I found a plate that was 30" in circumference.

Step 2: Measure 02
Place the plate on your fabric and measure away from its "sides," "top," and "bottom" to the desired skirt length to make the first square (see picture).  Use a fabric pencil to draw around the plate.

Step 3: Cut
Remove the plate and cut out the square and the circle in the middle that you've drawn. Repeat these steps for a second square and lay it on top of the first, diagonally, so that the corners are pointing out on each side of the first square.

Step 4: Pin
Divide the skirt circle by placing pins at the top and bottom of the circle and the sides, straight across from one-another. Continue dividing until the circle is divided into eighths.

Step 5a: Elastic
If you're not using elastic, skip this step. If so, cut your elastic to be the same width of your girl's waist, then overlap the ends 1" and sew using a small, close together zig-zag stitch. Pin your circular elastic into eighths, just like you did with the skirt.

Step 5b: Waistband
Cut a strip of fabric 4" tall and the width of your girl's waist long (20 inches for me). Fold the fabric in half, right sides and ends together, and straight stitch with a 1" seam allowance. Trim excess fabric and fold waistband with right sides out. Divide the waistband into eighths using pins, just like you did with the skirt.

*Optional Step: Gather
If you're familiar with gathering, feel free to do a gathering stitch around the circle  of the skirt, but be sure to keep your pins where they are!

Step 6a: Sew Elastic
Match up the pins of the skirt and the elastic and pin them together with the skirt fabric on the inside of the elastic, overlapping about a half-inch. Set your machine to a regular zig-zag stitch and begin stitching the elastic to the skirt with a seam allowance of 1/4".
When you're sewing the elastic, use one hand to pull the fabric and elastic away from you, and the other hand to pull the fabric and elastic towards you until the elastic stretches to the same length of the fabric. Sew normally with the zig zag stitch until you make it all the way around. {finished}

Step 6b: Sew Waistband
Match up the pins of the skirt and the waistband and pin them with right sides together (see picture). You may want to add more pins to help hold excess fabric of the skirt. Use a straight stitch to sew the skirt to the waistband (1/2" seam allowance), monitoring the gathering as you go. {finished}

Once you're done attaching the waistband to the skirt and if you've used jersey-knit fabric that doesn't fray, you're finished (otherwise, create a hem). If you try it on your girl and find that it's a little too long, lay the skirt out as flat as you can, and cut the square a little smaller until it's just right!
So which one do you like best?

It's such a fun and easy little skirt to make and C loves how freely she can move in it!
Thanks for stopping by!

-Sue

P.S. If you're looking for some good jersey-knit fabric, visit Girl Charlee Fabrics. I am seriously in LOVE with her and her website! It's totally affordable, cute, AND you get 10% off your first purchase! So stop by and say hi! This website takes you to the "Create an account" page. Make sure you put the 18046 referral number in when you say who sent ya! Happy Sewing!

http://www.girlcharlee.com/create_account.php?refid=18046

5 comments

  1. Very cute! I will have to make a few for my girls :-)
    Also- Jim would like to wait until fall to do family pictures. I will keep you posted. And can you send me your phone #? Somehow I don't have it. You can text or to me if you want : 801.592.7722

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    1. That sounds great! It'll give me some more time to get some practice!

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  2. Wow, this is one of the best DIY's I've seen! Who would've thought? I am pinning this! Thanks for sharing!

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    1. Wow, that is one of the best compliments I've ever received! Thanks for reading! ;)

      -Sue

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  3. i love love love your blog. just read through a bunch of your posts! LOVE THESE SKIRTS and your little girl is DARLING!! :) xo

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