How to Make a Circle Skirt | Free Tutorial

Afternoon all! I hope you've all had a lovely week! As promised, here is part two of my circle skirt tutorial. If you have not yet drafted your pattern and want to make this, go here and follow my tutorial. Once you've done this you're more than welcome back into the loving sewing embrace of this tutorial. (That was an odd sentence...) 

What You Will Need

• 3m - 4m of 45" width fabric, or 2m - 3m of 60" width fabric. (I'd go with a medium weight cotton, and steer clear of stretchy fabrics)
• 20cm zip
• A hook and eye (optional, and dependent on your zipper skills)
• Corresponding thread
• 1m of medium to heavy weight fusible interfacing
• Pattern pieces from previous tutorial

Let's just remind ourselves what we ended up with after we made our pattern pieces:

We have piece 1, which needs to be cut on the fold; pieces 2 and 3 which are cut from the same pattern piece, and the waistband which is also cut on the fold.

Layplan and Cutting
1. How you devise your layplan depends on what the width of the fabric is. My sister's circle skirt was 45" width, and so the layplan looked like this. 45" width fabric is more common when it's the pretty patterns you're likely to want to use for a circle skirt, so hopefully this helps!
The waistband got cut from a length of scrap after this. Whether or not this works for you depends on your waist size and the length of the skirt, so you may have to alter things if it's not fitting.

However, the one I made for this tutorial was 60" width and I had 2.5m of it, which actually made life less complicated (and more economical).I folded it in half length ways so that piece one could be cut on the fold, and piece two could be pinned and cut to produce two pieces of fabric. Like so:

Cut all the pieces out (my favourite bit!) and you're ready to sew!

Sewing the Skirt

1. Sew the front skirt to the back skirt pieces at the side seams with a 1.5cm seam allowance. I sewed my skirt and my sister's using French seams, which gives it a nicer finish but it isn't necessary! Leave the centre back seam unstitched at this point.

Press open the seams on each side.

2. Affix the fusible interfacing to your waistband. My mum calls this iron on Vilene. Resist the urge to sing Iron-On Vilene to the tune of 'Come on Eileen'.

Step 3

3. Along the length of your waistband, fold up and press 1cm from the edges, like you're hemming it. Do the same on the other side. Now fold the waistband in half along the width and press, so each hem is meeting.

4. Fold the waistband again gently lengthways and give it a wee press to find the centre. Match the centre of the waistband up with the centre fold of the front skirt, right sides together, and pin from the centre to each end of the waist of the skirt.

Step 4

Step 4

5. Now, stitch the waistband onto the skirt right sides together along the pressed fold line. Take this slowly and steadily, as waistbands are a pain to take out and redo if they're wobbly.

6. Press seam up towards the rest of the waistband (I originally wrote wardrobe, brain fart...).

7. So, this was the first circle skirt I made where I inserted zip before I finished the waistband. I was a bit sceptical but thought it might eliminate some difficulties I've had with zips before, and to my delight it did! It's the best zip insertion for me yet and I am so happy it was on a skirt I was making for someone else!

Place the zip where you want it and then mark where the end of the zip is onto the centre back seam. Once this is done you want to sew the centre back seam from the hem up to this mark using a 1.5cm seam allowance. Once this seam is stitched you can start inserting your zip.

Insert the zip with the top of the zipper tape just going past the fold of the waistband. This way it'll be sewn to the very top of the waistband and you won't actually need the hook and eye. If you find you've done it too low though and there's a gap at the top then just pop a hook and eye on and it won't make a great deal of difference.

Tack your zip first in different coloured thread so that you can easily take these stitches out once the machine stitches are done. 

 My only tip for zips is to tack them first, for all other advice with them go to YouTube or give it a Google, as they rarely go so well for me!

8. Now, with the zip in fold the waistband over so that it meets your first waistband seam and hides it. Pin it in place.

 Now, top stitch the waistband in place, either along the first seam so no stitches are visible or as a neat top stitch about half a centimetre from the bottom of the waistband. I did the latter on this skirt and as it's level all the way along it has a nice effect!

Hemming

Hemming a circle skirt is notoriously difficult as the whole hem is on a curve and tricky to make the same length all the way around. In order to do this correctly I have tried many things, I've put it on Matilda the mannequin and measured and pinned meticulously for hours all the way around; my mum and I have fashioned together a sewing plumb line out of a box of staples and a scrap of fabric (doesn't work); I've laid down on the floor and looked right up the skirt with a spirit level. Finally, the most simple technique worked. I make life difficult for myself.

Get out your ironing board and rotate the skirt around, measuring the desired length from the waistband to the hem all the way round, plus 1cm for the hem. Work round, marking as you go, then go round again folding, pressing and pinning the hem in place, making tiny snips into the hemming allowance to reduce the bulk.

THEN! GET A HEMMING FOOT! This was the first time I'd ever used mine and it made a beautifully level hem that didn't gather or anything. Seriously, I was blown away! Keep to a 1-1.5cm hem, as too thick a hem will affect the way it hangs.

And with that, you're done! I add in this little label to the things I make for other people, until I get Sew Well Travelled ones made that is.

If you use this tutorial to make your own circle skirt please send me pictures on my social media profiles, which are linked at the top of the blog. OR, if you really don't want to make your own, visit my Etsy shop where you can commission me to make one for you (for a very good deal, taking into account the cost of fabric and the time it takes!)

Let me know how you get on, and until next time lovelies!

Kat xx

The Matryoshka

Hello!
I am very excited to share my most recent creation with you all as this is something I am incredibly proud of. I have always wanted to make a circle skirt, but thought I'd need miles and miles of fabric to do it. Turns out, I managed to make one with only 2m of fabric!
The fabric, £5 a metre from Hobbycraft, consists of a series of different Russian Dolls. I have always loved Russian (Matryoshka) dolls since I was a child and fell in love with the fabric as soon as I saw it.

I decided to draft a pattern myself, and using the instructions from an old issue of Love Sewing created the pattern pieces for a circle skirt, adding a button down element to the front (yay, no zips!). So, I measured my waist and hips, and the length I wanted the skirt to be, I divided my waist by pi (pi, in a real life context, did you ever think you'd see the day?!) to find the radius and drew a right angled triangle with the sides the same length as my waist radius. From there, I curved the line between the two radius points to make the waist, and then extended the sides the make my skirt the desired length, and curved the line between the two points again. I copied this template to make two and added 8cm to one side for my button cover. 
I don't think the above makes the best sense, but once you start doing it you kind of see where you're going with it. 
So I did the cutting and somehow the way it was cut caused all the Russian dolls to face different directions all the way round, a very cool and almost trippy effect! 

I'm not sure you can tell that well from the above picture but the dolls kind of spin as you move round the skirt.

The skirt fastens with two buttons on the waistband and then has 7 down the front. Each button was covered in matching fabric (each with a different doll on!) and I fully mastered buttonholes with this project! I couldn't figure out how to make them with my machine so I just hand sewed them all, I also hand sewed the waistband as my machine had a hissy fit and I lost it!

The skirt was finished and ended up being 4 inches too big. I don't know how!!! So rather than taking out my beautifully sewn French seams I just moved the buttons, and I can continue to do this as my waist gets smaller. There will still be the same amount of fabric and spin, but just a better fit.

I have to say that I am incredibly proud of this project. Everything I usually make is rushed as I'm always eager to wear it, but this time I took my time and care with it. I was determined to make it Patrick Grant ready and my goodness it's made me even happier with it. I can't wait to wear it out with my beautiful new heels that I bought for graduation. The best thing about the skirt though? How it looks when I spin, I love it!

My next project is a full on 1950s outfit for my sister. Circle skirt and a shirt with a deep neckline and collar. 

Let me know what you think! Thanks for reading :)

Til next time, happy crafting!

Kat xx

How To 'Get Into' Sewing and Dressmaking...

Often when I post links to my blog online, usually on Facebook, or when I flaunt my creations around the office, I'm asked how I got into dressmaking. I hear all too often from people who have always wanted to make their own clothes, but just don't feel 'clever' enough, or don't know where to start, or a bad experience in A-Level Textiles class put them off for life. It's like dressmaking is some secret skill that you don't just 'pick up', and that you have to have all the knowledge in the world before you can even start.
I have to admit... I was the same. For years I had been wishing that I knew how to make my own clothes, that I could just do it, but I was afraid to start. But really, since starting sewing again nearly a year ago I've discovered that the only skills you really need to get started are patience and perseverance.

'Scuse the face, I was tired.

Back in January of this year I "picked up" dressmaking. In that I'd finished my quilt and a couple of little projects and decided to myself "right, now I'm going to make a dress". I'd bought my first sewing magazine with a free pattern, and figured I'd just buy the fabric and make the dress.
I've been luckier than some with starting as dressmaking is in my blood. My Grandmother made clothes for M&S, and then taught my mother who spent the 70s and 80s making her own clothes. My mum had recently bought a new sewing machine, and as I am currently living at home I was able to borrow it. For the most part I was stubborn and refused guidance throughout the first dress, but my mum was on hand to help me figure out the most basic skills in sewing which I lacked. That dress took about a month or two to finish, but I still wear it now...
So I thought I'd run down my six top tips for starting this brilliant hobby, I hope they help you eliminate the fear and just go for it!

1. Your First Pattern Should Be A Real Challenge
I've read a lot of these kinds of articles where dressmakers recommend picking something simple so that you don't lose confidence by making mistakes. I disagree, we learn by making mistakes and picking something difficult in the first instance will make everything else seem more manageable and logical.
My first dress, the one picture above involved a bodice with princess seams, darts, set in sleeves, front facing, a zip and then a full skirt. The princess seams baffled me, but from that I learnt about 'easing in', which also taught me in turn that dressmaking is not just shoving two pieces of fabric together and sewing. The front facing was a totally different notion to me, it was something I didn't even know existed, and we still don't talk about zips... Though I have a zipper foot now, so life's a bit easier. Tip 1 (a) - get a zipper foot.


2. Get A Book.
If you live in Britain, you'll know that The Works is a gold mine for cut price books, and because of how popular sewing is becoming they currently have a much more comprehensive craft section than ever before. I got this one for about £4 I think, but if you don't have access to this shop you can easily get one online and it's worth investing. It'll become your bible. Don't forget that a quick Google search will also answer most questions too, and there are plenty of sewing tutorial YouTube videos. 

3.  Just Do It.
No, I am not sponsored by Nike, but the sentiment in their tagline works here. A lot of the time the problem with doing something is getting started, and so we put it off longer and longer and it never gets done, that dress never gets made, and we are left with the never knowing of how that dress might have looked. Find a local fabric shop, or look online at a website such as Minerva Crafts, pick something you fall in love with and just start. Though I recommend cotton, stretch fabric is a nightmare and will make you hit things this early on.

4. No Machine? No Problem!

Bertha has now been upgraded
but is still loved.

Using your bible (see tip 2) take the time to learn some basic hand stitches - running stitch, back stitch, slip stitch. Sure, I love my machine, I love rarely having to hand sew anything and I love the power old Bertha 2 gives me;  but it's not VITAL. My mum hand sews everything and more often than not it looks just as, if not even more professional. If you're adamant on getting a machine but are lacking the funds see if you can borrow one from a friend or a family member, or find a cheaper model online to get you started, but don't let not having one hold you back. After all, they didn't use machines in the days of Yore.
ALSO - fun fact! Even though I sewed the patches to their fleece components, the patches and bias of my t-shirt quilt were all sewn by hand.

5. Get the Right Tools.
You needn't spend a fortune, but getting the basics is key to success and preventing crisis'. Make sure you have the following tools in your stash, and preferably a pretty box to keep them in...
A seam ripper - for those welcomed mistakes (or learning curves as I prefer to call them)
Fabric scissors - NOT FOR PAPER.
Paper scissors - NOT FOR FABRIC.
Hand sewing needles - for practice. You can get these at most supermarkets.
Pins - good quality ones please, if they're not sharp enough they'll damage your lovely cotton. And then you'll cry.
Tailors chalk or pen - for marking darts and other bits. If you wanna go upmarket you can get a tracing wheel too, but I'd always have tailors chalk as a back up.
A tape measure - to measure yourself, and others, and random things just for fun.
A selection of threads - get a bunch of your favourite colours, and also black and white ones, you always need a back up.
A pin cushion - or EVEN BETTER! Make one! You are a crafter now after all.

6. Be Brave.

My first dress, and I sat there staring at
all this for a good amount of time.

OK, it sounds like an odd thing to need to be brave about, but it really can be a little daunting when you cut out all the pattern pieces and lay out the fabric, having never seen a lay plan before, never mind used one. The key is to take it one step at a time and follow the instructions. Remember that you're meant to be having fun, you wanted to do this, make whatever you did. Taking things slowly and bit by bit will allow you to learn and not get overwhelmed. And remember, if it doesn't work out the way you planned that's ok, no one's first dress/project is in any way perfect!

Please share your first or most recent projects with me, or any tips you have for new starters on here, Twitter and Instagram, and I shall speak to you soon!

Much love,

Kat xx

The Katie Dress

Hiya lovely people!
Sorry I've been so rubbish with blogging lately, with work and actually finding time to sew I've been sleeping rather than blogging but that is about to change! With effect from today I will be posting a creation every Sunday without fail, and maybe a few extras during the week - stay tuned lovelies!

So, if you read my previous post you'll know that for the past two weeks I have been working on my first made to measure project for my friend Katie. What a challenge it was, but I really enjoyed it, even after all the long nights at the sewing machine and definitely will be doing it again! Though without such a tight deadline next time.

Anyway, Katie had been looking for a 1960's shift dress, a little like those pictured below, and so I got to work with some poorly drawn sketches pretending I knew what I was doing. I still had a long way to go...

Anyway, Katie chose some lovely nautical blue and white striped fabric from Minerva Crafts, however it turned out to be a little thinner and a bit more see through than we anticipated, which was actually a blessing, as it meant I could do all the fittings with the lining. It also meant I could learn how to line something!

So I went to Leeds Kirkgate Market to find some plain white lining material and whilst I was there picked up Simplicity pattern 1197, which I thought would be perfect. However, by the time I got it home I realised that the pattern was completely different, had a front panel which wasn't suitable for the striped pattern of the dress, so in the end I kind of had to wing it!

And so after taking her measurements... it began.

The lining fabric was a dream to work with, and I was particularly proud of how it turned out...

The next day Katie and I met at work and went to some unknown toilets in the building that I work in for the first fitting. Some people tried to visit the loo, don't they know that is my dressing room!

Sadly I was a tad generous with adding inches and the forgot how petite the lovely Katie is and so the dress ending up looking like a lab coat. But no matter, it's always easier to take in than take out. This is how it looked after pinning...

In total 4.5 inches were to come off, the sleeves to be cut down by 8.5 inches and 6 inches off the hem. After this I took the sleeves off, took it in at the side seams, the back, and then down the front to keep it in proportion and take in the shoulders. Everything fit for our next fitting and so I started on the outer fabric.

As it turned out, the fabric was much thinner than I anticipated and frayed very easily. But this is not yet an issue in this story...
I managed to finish it in 10 hours last Wednesday due to taking annual leave. I was shattered but immensely proud of finishing it before the Thursday deadline and showed all my colleagues with pride...

Unfortunately, when adding the lining to the outer it had eaten into my seam allowances and the perfect fit was no more. The bust was still too big and the skirt too narrow. The final deadline was the next day so I made it a mission that night to fix it. After a visit to my favourite Haberdashery and a brainstorming session with the owner I fixed the issues with the use of pleats.
It took 5 hours, and I finished at 1am, and then did some more on my commute the next morning, but it was done. Luckily I took some photos before I crashed out.

So it's far from perfect, the sleeves could do with some work and due to the fragility of the material the seams are frayed to unpicking and picking, but it's done. In a way I feel like it was a blessing in disguise as I think the buttons add a certain something to it. The additional pleat at the back was a good call too as the side seams just couldn't be taken out much more.

I don't think I've done a bad job though for my first piece... I mean, look at this pattern matching...

It's a bit off but come on! For a first timer that's pretty awesome.

At the end of it all, Katie was smiling, she's wearing it over another dress but that makes the fit even better. She can't currently lift her arms all the way over her head as I need to take the sleeves and the armholes a little further out, but it zips and it fits!

And due to me hoping to make a business out of this (one day...!) I even made a little tag...

So there it is, my first made to measure project, the first of many more I hope! Please let me know what you think and any tips or comments you may have and until next time folks!

Don't forget to follow me if you like my stuff, I'm on Bloglovin' too, and share this with any fellow crafty friends!

Til next time, Kat xx

How To Make A Clip Frame Purse (Or How To Ruin Something With Fabric Glue)

Happy April, readers! It is officially my BIRTHDAY MONTH! I don't care what my boyfriend says, it IS a thing.
So over the Bank Holiday weekend I decided to make myself a new purse in a last ditch attempt to save some money. I figure, if I can't carry around every coffee card, loyalty card and magic money card (credit cards...) I own I can't overspend. So as I can never find one affordable that I like in shops I decided to make my own clip purse.
Now don't get me wrong, it's still pretty big, but I can only keep 3 cards in it which is a win.

For the first time in my relatively short sewing career I made something without a pattern! What a win! It's almost worked too... amazing. It's really easy to make and it only took me a few hours too.

So to begin with I traced around the clip frame (£3 on eBay) onto some greaseproof paper (my holy grail) and sketched the kind of shape I wanted the purse to be from there. I then drew a line down the middle of this and cut out the better half of my template (I like symmetry...)

Then I took the material I was using and folded a bit over, right sides facing up. Placing the straight line I drew down the half of the template on to the fold I pinned and snipped. I did this twice on each fabric piece I was using (two for outer and two for lining). 

o

I then did the same again to produce 4 matching pieces of light weight iron on interfacing. Then you simply affix the interfacing to the fabric to give it a little more structure.

Side note: do any other sewers get a weird thrill out of pressing fabric with a hot iron? I hate ironing but I bloody love pressing my own creations.





Anyway, next I made some credit card pockets by drawing round one of my cards onto, you guessed it, greaseproof paper. I made 3 slots so cut 6 matching pieces of fabric. You need to make the cuts a fair bit bigger than the card, however, as it turns out mine are too small. But they're sewn on now and I'm not redoing that!

I sewed each pocket RST then turned them out and pressed. You'll notice from this photo that I made a 4th pocket, but we don't talk about that one...


So then I had to make the main body of the purse. To make sure I didn't get overly excited with the sewing machine and seal the thing I marked with pencil where the bottom of the clip frame will come to...
I then sewed the outer right sides together, adding a little ribbon loop to the side as you can see to the left... (to the left to the left everything you own in a box to the left).



So with the outer done it was time to sew the inner. Which is where my credit card slot fail happened. I basically tiered the pockets as you can see in the picture, but sewed too far in which made them teeeeeeeeeny. Not to self, in future check before doing the lining. But no matter, it just means no cards for me ever! Do all your inner features before any other sewing, far easier :)

At least it looks good...

So next I stitched RST with the lining again, but leaving a 3ish inch gap at the bottom in the middle, and turned it round and pressed again.
THIS WAS WRONG. The next series of photos are to show you how NOT to insert lining...

*La la la Kat is feeling overly confident and is quite tired but in the sewing zone so will just carry on anyway la la la la la.... "look how pretty and perfect the fabric is! I'm glad I'm doing this right and won't have to unpick it!" lalala*

Right side facing wrong side.... that is always how it goes.... <_< 

"I AM SO CLEVER! I GOT IT RIGHT FIRST TIME! Let's sew :D"

 "....oh. Balls."

*goes to bed*

So, I had a long sleep, got up, and started again...

So, RIGHT SIDES TOGETHER, put the lining inside the outer fabric and pin together. Sew around the top edges (where the frame will be essentially and where the edges are raw) and notch the curves as you go.

 
Then... using the gap in the lining that you left when sewing it the first time, pull the outer through so it looks something like that to the left (try and resist the urge to sing Beyonce...)
 


Press the open seam and stitch it closed. I usually press the lining and the outer at this stage too (believe it or not, this isn't the first time I've made something with a lining). Now you can push the lining back into the outer fabric and it will actually look like a purse!

 So next came fabric glue. I was so tempted to use superglue but after reading a lot online I was put off this idea and went into town to get some fabric glue. Annoyingly though, the nozzle was quite wide and as I applied it quite liberally to the channel of the clip frame when I pushed the purse in it OOZED. I wiped it off the fabric with a wet cloth but there are still some yellowy stains. It can't be helped and I have learnt my lesson for next time! Sadly though, it doesn't look as perfect as it should due to this error in judgement. Next time I'll invest in a teeny tiny brush for this. Some instructions have also suggested using cord in the channel to help the bond so I'll try this too. 
At the end of the day though, it was a learning curve! Not everything in life is perfect and considering it was my first try it doesn't look too shabby... does it?

 Til next time loves,

Kat x