the Circle Skirt

(NOTE: Additional tips for making an ADULT SIZE SKIRT are at the very end of this post)

What you need (for a little girl’s skirt): 
* about 1 yard of fabric
* appx 3/4 yard of 2-inch wide elastic

FABRICS to use:
* Rayon
* Polyester Charmuese
* Simple Cotton
* Thin Corduroy
* Lightweight Wool
Many fabrics will work for this project. Lightweight fabrics will be more bouncy, and synthetic rayons and polyester will slink and spin around beautifully. The gray fabric we’re using today is rayon with a subtle visible weave pattern.
FOR WOMEN: Avoid fabrics that are Medium weight or thicker as they may add extra bulk around your hips. In the polka dot skirt above, I used a silky polyester charmeuse (feels like a silk scarf). It drapes beautifully and keeps the padding down.

ELASTIC:
Wide elastic from fabric stores typically comes 2 inches or 3 inches wide; white or black in color. I recommend 2-inch wide for a girl’s skirt , and 3-inch for an adult.

If you’d like to add a colorful twist to your skirt, check out our easy Tutorial for Dyeing ElasticHERE.
Measure around your waist. You don’t want it to be so tight that she can’t breathe. But if the elastic’s too loose on her waist, it will look funny. So measure as precise as you can and add an extra 1 inch for your seam allowance. For Lucy’s skirt, she measures 19 inches around the waist, plus an extra inch = 20 inches of elastic.
PATTERN:
This requires a bit of geometry but don’t worry, we’ll break it down for you. I’ve tried to keep it as simple as possible with a small diagram and a few definitions:

Circumference = the entire distance around a circle (in this case, your waist length, plus 2 inches)
Radius = the distance from the center of the circle to the outside of the circle
pi (that funny symbol below) = 3.14 (approximately)

You need to figure out the radius so you can easily draw a circle. If you remember from math class: Circumference = 2 x pi x r (radius). I’ve flipped the equation around a bit and came up with this diagram:
Let me break it down a little more:
* Measure your waist
* Add two inches to that number. You need these extra two inches so the fabric has “give” and will actually “stretch” when it’s sewn on to the elastic. It will create a very subtle gather to the skirt but will make it easier to get the skirt on and off. This will make more sense as you sew.
* Take your “waist + 2 inches” measurement and divide it by 6.28, and you have the radius!
* In Lucy’s case….
Her waist is 19 inches, plus 2 inches = 21 inches divided by 6.28 = 3.3 inch radius.

(NOTE: One method for drawing your circle is to tie string or yarn to a pencil, hold the string in the corner of your paper and draw, just like you did in grade school with a compass. For me it was easier to use a ruler, which I’ll show you below. So do what works best for you!)

* You only need to draw 1/4 of a donut circle for your pattern, so….
* Take a piece of paper (or many pieces of paper taped together).
*In the bottom left corner, at the right angle, place the end of a ruler and measure and mark the radius in various places. It might be hard to figure out on a ruler where 3.3 inches is, but do your best. Since the skirt has a small gather to it, you have room for error.
Then connect the dots to draw 1/4 of a circle! Just free hand it. With enough markings, you can draw it pretty well.
* Decide how long your want your skirt to be. Lucy’s gray skirt hits her about an inch or two above the knee, and her skirt length is about 9 1/2 inches.. Add an extra inch for the hem and the top seam (near the elastic). It’s always best to make it slightly longer than you think, so you have room for error. You can always cut length off as you create the hem.
* With your ruler on the edge of the circle just drawn, measure and mark the skirt length in various spots on your pattern, and

draw another 1/4 circle:

Now you have a donut! (or at least 1/4 of it). Cut off the center circle and your pattern is ready.
Let’s cut the fabric….
* Fold your fabric in 4ths, so you have a right-angled corner to work with. Lay your 1/4 donut pattern on top, so that the edges hit the edges of your fabric. Mark it and cut!
When you’re done, it should look like this (the skirt is folded in half):
First, finish off the top of the skirt. Serge around the waist. If you don’t have a serger, you can zigzag the edge, leave it raw, or iron the waist down 1/4 of an inch and iron it down another 1/4 of an inch. It just depends on your preference. Personally I don’t like any raw edges in my garment since it starts to fray as you wash.
When you’re done it should look like this:
Let’s sew the elastic waistband.
With the elastic folded in half, sew it together, using a 1/2 inch seam allowance:
Next, if you prefer, serge each seam edge separately to seal off the raw edges. Do not serge the seam together since you’re going to be fanning it out.
Fan the seam out and sew down each side. This will help the waistband lay flatter on your skirt.
I use the inside of my presser foot to guide me down, so I’m sewing evenly on each side.
When you’re done, it should look like this on the right side:
Add a label if you’d like and you’re ready to attach the waistband to your skirt. It’s always best to try the elastic band on your child before sewing on the skirt. I made this mistake and when I tried the finished skirt on Lucy, the elastic ended up being one inch too big and I had to take the whole thing apart.
As you can see, the elastic is slightly smaller than the fabric waist. This is good! If they were exactly the same size and you sewed the fabric onto the elastic, you would never be able to stretch the elastic at all (unless you had used stretchy fabric). It would snap the thread as you tried to stretch the skirt on and off. Thus, the extra fabric length will give a slight gather to the skirt and create some “give”.
Start pinning the elastic band to the skirt. Find the middle of the back of the skirt and pin that first. Pin the elastic so that it hangs about 1/4 of an inch on top of the skirt.

Like this:

Then flip the skirt over and pin it in the middle of the front of the skirt:
Then pin the elastic down on both sides of the skirt.

It should look something like this:

Then continue cutting the gaps in half by pinning the elastic down. You can pin as much or as little as you like.
I usually pin down about 8 spots:
Now let’s sew it on. The important part here is that you need to stretch the elastic as you go, so that it’s taut with the fabric. Use both hands as you go, pulling it straight in the front and the back and sew from pin to pin, stretching it bits at a time.
Here’s a side view. This is how it looks relaxed:
And here’s how it should look when pulled taut:
You’ll need your hand in the back to help guide everything through.
You can use a zigzag or a straight stitch. I’ve tried both and prefer a straight-stitch because it looks a bit cleaner. When you’re done it should look like this on the outside:

and this on the inside:

We’re almost done! We just need to hem the skirt. Trim any uneven spots around the bottom of the skirt or if you want it to be shorter, cut off the extra length.
Serge around the bottom of the skirt. If you don’t have a serger, iron the edge over 1/4 of an inch and continue to the next step.
Iron the edge of the skirt under. I prefer a very small hem on this skirt so that it bounces and twirls better.
Then sew the hem down, about 1/8 inch from the fabric edge.
And you’re done!
Try it on,
Give it a whirl!
And enjoy a little treat.
Happy spinning!
Tips for making an Adult version: 
* I followed the same instructions outlined in this tutorial. 
* I recommend sticking to very lightweight fabrics. This skirt was made with a slinky polyester charmeuse (feels similar to a silky scarf) and it drapes beautifully. I made another version, which I’ll share later, with a thicker wool tweed and it adds a bit more bulk to the hip area. With Lucy, that’s not a problem. With me, I’d like to minimize the padding.
* 60-inch wide fabric works best. Depending on your waist size and the length of your skirt you can cut an entire circle using 60-inch wide fabric. My circle pattern just barely made it and took about 1 1/2 yards of fabric (I purchased 2 yards just to be safe).
* If you have 45-inch wide fabric, or if your circle is bigger than the fabric, you can cut two semi-circles and have two seams down the sides. You’ll have to do a little math to figure how many yards of fabric you need. Make your pattern first and then work out the math. I would recommend using fabrics with a pattern to disguise the seams.
* The dimensions of my skirt are:
Elastic waistband – 29 inches
Radius – 4.75 inches (appx)
Length – 22 inches (long enough to hit my knees).
I typically wear a size 4 or 6 in skirts.

SQUARE TUFTED FLOOR PILLOWS

Featured: Square Tufted Box Pillows by Restoration Hardware

Young or old, few ever outgrow the love of laying on the floor while visiting or watching television. What you need are some big comfy floor pillows that you can use for those times when the gang is over at your house and there is no room on the couch. If the pillows are big enough (24 to 36 inches) they can also be seat cushions around a big coffee table for the overflow from the dining room. If you can’t quite envision these in your house, how about making a stacking set of these giant pillows to give to a student or a young couple in a new apartment. They never have enough seating. Cover the cushions with an upholstery fabric and pipe the edges for a real professional look.

Dimensions:

Small Square Cushion: 18″ sq.

Medium Square Cushion: 24″ sq.

Large Square Cushion: 30″ sq.

You will need:

• Approx. 17 yds. of cable cord, ½” thickness
• Approx. 4 ½ yds. of brushed cotton, 54″ wide colour A
• Approx. 3 ½ yds. of brushed cotton, 54″ wide colour B
• 2 yds. of hook & loop fastener, ½” wide
• Coordinating thread
• 1 covered button kit, 1″ diameter (6 buttons), optional
• Heavy-duty thread (optional)
• 2 yds. of polyester batting, 60″ wide
• Polyethylene Foam, 4″ thickness/30″ wide x 72″ long
• Upholstery spray adhesive

PATTERN

MAKING A BOX CUSHION:

CUTTING

To prepare the welt, cut 2 pieces of fabric each measuring, the length of the cushion (X) plus 8″ by the required depth less 1″, adding ½” to all edges for seams.

Cut 1 piece of fabric measuring, the width of the cushion (X) times 3 less 8″ by the required depth, adding ½” to all edges for seams. Make sure to cut the depth from down the length of the fabric.

Cut the top and bottom cushion pieces to the required size, (X by X), adding ½” to all sides for the seam allowances. If patterned fabric is used, make sure to centre any design on the fabric.

Cut bias strips of contrasting fabric 1 ½” wide to make the piping. Make enough length to go around the perimeter of each cushion plus 5″, twice.

Cut foam to size. (X by X)

ASSEMBLY

Spray each foam pad with spray adhesive and wrap in batting on all sides.

Cover 2 button blanks with contrasting fabric for each cushion.

Join enough bias strips for the required length and wide enough to cover the cable cord plus the seam allowance. Lay the cord in the centre, on the wrong side of the bias strip.

Fold the bias strip over the cord matching the raw edges. Stitch the 2 sides of the bias strip together along the length. Use a zipper foot or cording foot on the sewing machine to ensure that the stitches are close to the cord.

On the 2 smaller welt side pieces, turn under ¼” and then 5/8″ along one long edge, making sure that any design or nap on the fabric is the right way up on all the pieces. Press. Open the fold and center the hook side of the fastener tape on one piece and the loop side of the other, leaving 4-1/2″ free on each end. Stitch fastener tape in place. Re-fold edge and sew length of turned edge.

Lap hook and loop together to create a width of 5″ when combining the 2 welt side pieces. Sew across the ends to secure.

Join the welt pieces together to form a ring, making sure that any design or nap on the fabric is the right way up on all the pieces.

Pin the ends of the strips, right sides together, and stitch, ½” in from the raw edges, using a flat seam. Press the seams open.

Place the contrasting piping around the outer edge of the bottom cushion piece, right sides together and matching the raw edges. Align the seams on the welt to the corners of the cushion piece so that the piping gently curves around at the corners (clip cording seam allowance if necessary). Starting and finishing at the back of the cushion and joining the ends of the piping cord to neaten. Baste in place, 1/2″ in from the raw edges. Sew in place using a zipper foot.

Stitch the welt to the bottom cushion piece.

Attach the piping cord to the perimeter of the top cushion piece. Starting and finishing at the back of the cushion and joining the ends of the piping cord to neaten. Pin the top section to the top edge of the welt, ½” in from the raw edges and matching the corners. Stitch in place using a zipper foot on the sewing machine so that the stitches are close to the piping cord. Turn right side out through the opening.

Insert the covered foam pad into the cushion and close the lapover on the opening.

If using, attach a covered button to one end of heavy-duty thread and anchor through center of cushion. Draw thread throuh foam pad and out other side of cushion. Attach a second covered button and return thread through center. Tighten up slightly to tuft pillow and pass thread through first button. Knot thread.

DRAPEY BLOUSON

DRAPEY BLOUSON

Posted by Don under apparel design | Tags: fashion,patterndrafting, sewing | 
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Featured: Ella Moss Red Label ‘Simone’ Top

Here’s an easy-to-draft casual fun style with a spirited “young in attitude” feel by Ella Moss. A silky knit blouson top designed with a fitted under-layer, topped with a second draped layer, featuring a single flutter sleeve offset by a thin spaghetti strap.

You will need:

• Approx. 2 yds. of jersey knit, 54″ wide **
• Approx. 1 yd. of 2-way stretch spandex, 45″ wide
• Coordinating thread
• Approx. 1 yd. of cable cord, 1/8″ thickness
• Kraft paper

MEASUREMENTS

Bust – measure just under arms around fullest part of chest.

Back waist length – measure from nape of neck to waist.

Bust height – measure from top of shoulder to apex of breast.

Apex Distance – measure distance between apexes of breasts.

Armscye Depth – measure from top of shoulder to underarm level.

Elbow Length – measure arm from neck, along shoulder to elbow.

PATTERN

Fold kraft paper in half lengthwise and open it flat.

Draw a straight line along the foldline of the paper.

Plot a point and label, 0.

0-1 = back waist length + 1″; square across

0-2 = bust height + 1″; square across

2-3 = ¼ of bust measurement

2-4 = ½ of apex distance + ½”; square down to locate 5on line 1.

3-6 = 3-4; square across to locate 7 and 8.

Join 3 and 7 with a straight line.

3-9 = distance from 4 to 5 plus 4″; square across to locate 10.

11 is located midway between 1 and 2; square across.

10-12 = 9-10; square up to locate 13 at intersection of line from 11.

1-14 = 1-5

2-15 = 2-4; square up.

15-16 = armhole depth + 1″. Draw a tangent line from 0 through point 16.

17 is located at intersection of 8 and 15. Draw a tangent line from 0 through point 17.

18 is located midway between 0 and 16.

Join 15 to 18 with a straight line.

The fitted under-layer consists of 0-8-7-5-14-15-18-0. Trace.

0-19 = elbow length

0-20 = elbow length

Join 20 to 13 passing through 19 with a smooth curve.

The draped overlay consists of 0-8-6-9-12-13-20-0. Trace.

NOTE: Add ¼” seam allowances to perimeter of all pattern pieces.

** Please be aware that all stretch fabrics have different elasticity and will affect the design ease in the pattern draft based upon whatever you chose.

CUTTING

Cut all pattern pieces with greatest amount of stretch across the width of each piece.

Overlay – cut 2X in jersey knit fabric.

Underlay – cut 2X in spandex tricot fabric.

An 18″ strip of jersey fabric ½” wide for spaghetti strap.

ASSEMBLY

1. Find mid-point of cable cord and place it on fabric strip with right side face up.
2. Stitch across mid-point to attach cording to strip end.
3. Wrap fabric strip around the cording with right sides together (RST). Using a zipper foot, stitch long edge of fabric close to the cording. Trim the seam allowance.
4. Pull the fabric tubing down over the uncovered end of the cable cord, easing gently as it slips over the cording. You will have 18″ of thin spaghetti strapping. Cut off excess cable cord.
5. With RST, layer the underlay pieces and match up seams. Pin/baste the side seams from 4 to 5 and from 14 to 15. Stitch seams.
6. Match up shoulder seam and pin/baste from 0 to 18. Stitch seam.
7. Sew a narrow double-rolled edge to finish the armhole. Set aside.
8. With RST, layer the overlay pieces and match up seams. Pin/ baste the shoulder and sleeve together. Stitch seam and press open.
9. With RST, match up the side seams and pin/baste from 3 to 9 and 12 to 13. Stitch seams and press open.
10. With RST, match neckline of underlay to overlay. Match up points 7, 8, and 0. Stitch neckline. Clip seam allowance at 8 to release stress.
11. Attach one end of spaghetti strap at point 7 between the two layers on the front.
12. Pin/baste 3 to 4 and 7 to 7. Stitch left armhole seam.
13. At hemlines of each layer, divide into 4 equal portions. With RST, match up each point and pin together. On overlay, gather hem edge to the under-layer between the pins. Pin/baste layers together. Stitch seam while slightly stretching the fabric to ease.  Turn right side out through right sleeve opening.
14. Put on top by slipping it on over the head. Place spaghetti strap over shoulder and align end with point 7 on back. Tack in place neatly.
15. Stitch a narrow double-rolled hem edge on opening of flutter sleeve.

Addendum (as of August 2010)

It has come to my attention that the ease is too little for the drape of this garment. I am certain that you know that the pattern pieces are cut twice with the greatest amount of stretch going in the direction of the girth (ie. across the fabric rather than up & down with its length) as the cutting direction have clearly been given.

Please be aware that all stretch fabrics have different elasticity and will affect the design ease in the pattern draft based upon whatever you chose. It is very well possible that the elasticity of your fabric is not the same as the sample given. Therefore I will try to explain the concept of ease as it pertains to knits and stretch fabrics. I hope this will help you to get a better fit to your pattern draft.

DESIGNER EASE

Very easy-fitting garments can be cut from simple basic patterndraft when a designer wants to create styles that are loosely fitted or even oversized. This can be done by adding ease to create volume in the styling rather than grading up to the next size. Note that when dealing with basic body measurements, substantial extra ease must be added for movement and comfortable fit. The sizing remains the same, since the neckline and wrists have not changed in dimensions.

EASE CHART

Use this chart to determine the amount for additional ease for movement and styling.

Total Body  Ease	Quarter Body Increase	Shoulder  Increase	Underarm   Increase
1”	¼”	⅛”	⅛”
2”	½”	¼”	¼”
3”	¾”	⅜”	⅜”
4”	1”	½”	½”
5”	1 ¼”	⅝”	⅝”
6”	1 ½”	¾”	¾”
7”	1 ¾”	⅞”	⅞”
8”	2”	1”	1”
9”	2 ¼”	1 ⅛”	1 ⅛”
10”	2 ½”	1 ¼”	1 ¼”
11”	2 ¾”	1 ⅜”	1 ⅜”
12”	3”	1 ½”	1 ½”
13”	3 ¼”	1 ⅝”	1 ⅝”
14”	3 ½”	1 ¾”	1 ¾”

For styling purposes, a designer may require garments to be loose-fitting, or much larger than regular styled garments. Understand that your garments may be created as large as you wish but the sizing does not change, because the styling is worn simply larger, looser, and baggier. To create additional volume without changing the fit, add designer ease instead of grading the pattern.

ADDING EASE INTO A PATTERNDRAFT (Blouson Top)

Use a straight waist (no dart suppression) on your chosen pattern as it does not make sense to make a loose-fitting “fitted” waistline on the garment.

1. Draw a vertical line through the shoulder area to the hem and then the underarm area to the hem, dividing the quartered body ease equally.
2. Next, draw a line horizontally through the armhole, the same amount that the shoulder is increased. Slash and spread the pattern to increase the fit. Blend the new lines together.
3. Slash and spread the sleeve pattern to correspond to the body pattern. Only the widths of the body and sleeve have changed, not the garment size; the neckline and wrists remain the same.

Remember to keep the spread parallel with the centerline and the waistline (90° angle) to stay on straight grain with the grainline of your pattern.

Example of a pattern with 6 inches of additional ease.

SATIN STOLE

Featured: Maggy London Satin Stole

Lustrous satin fashion fabric shapes an elegant wrap designed with a pull-through slit opening for easy adjustability, like this one by Maggy London.

You will need:

• 2 yds. (1.8 m) of satin fashion fabric, 45″ wide
• Coordinating thread
• Small patch of fusible interfacing
• Fray Check ® fabric sealant

PATTERN

Make stole pattern approx. 16″ X 80″.  Round the ends with a circular template (I used a large pie plate). Position slit opening 4″ from one end.

CUTTING

Cut 2X self

ASSEMBLY

Making a Bound “Buttonhole” Slit

TIP: To insure perfect results, make a trial buttonhole slit on the same number of fabric layers as your garment for practice.

Step 1: Mark slit position and length on WRONG (interfaced) side of one of the stole portions. Thread-trace a 4-inch slit, extending the thread tracing beyond end markings. The thread-traced markings should resemble a ladder.

Step 2: Cut a self fabric patch for the slit on straight grain, 2″ (5cm) wide and 5″ (13cm). Make a center line horizontally across the length of the patch. With RIGHT sides together, baste the center of the patch along ladder rungs with ends extending 1/2″ (1.3cm) beyond ladder sides.

Step 3: On WRONG side, mark lines 1/8″ (3mm) above and below buttonhole marking, using tailor’s chalk.

Step 4: Using a small machine-stitch, start sewing along one long side of the buttonhole, following pencil lines, being careful to end stitching exactly at thread-traced ends. Do not stitch across ends, back-stitch or pivot at corners. Bring thread ends to WRONG side and tie in a knot.

Step 5: Snip between the two stitching lines and clip diagonally to corners, as shown. Be careful not to clip through machine stitching. (TIP: Add a dot of seam sealant such as Fray Check® to corners, and allow to dry.)

Step 6: Pull patch through opening to WRONG side of front. This opening should form a perfect rectangle. Roll edges of opening between your fingers until each seam is at the edge of the opening. Press so that none of the patch shows on the OUTSIDE.

Step 7: To form “buttonhole” lips, fold each long side of the patch over the opening, so that the folds meet exactly at the center.

Step 8: On OUTSIDE, baste “buttonhole” lips together along fold lines and press in place. Basting should remain in place until stole is completed.

Step 9: To secure “buttonhole” lips and keep them from shifting, with front RIGHT side up, fold it back out of the way until you can sew the end of the patch and the triangle (formed by clipping corners in step 5) together. Using small machine stitches, stitch across the base of the triangle, catching patch. Trim end to 1/4″ (6mm). Repeat on other end.

Step 10: Stitch horizontal seam allowance of buttonhole and patch together, just inside the original stitching. Trim patch to 1/4″ (6mm). Repeat on other seam. Set aside.

Step 11: On second stole portion, repeat step 1.

Step 12:  Cut a self fabric patch for the slit on bias grain, 5″ (13cm) wide and 5″ (13cm). Make a center line diagonally across the patch. With RIGHT sides together, baste the center of the patch along ladder rungs with ends extending beyond ladder sides.

Step 13: On WRONG side, mark lines 1/8″ (3mm) above and below buttonhole marking, using tailor’s chalk.

Step 14: Using a small machine-stitch, start sewing along one long side of the buttonhole, following chalk lines, being careful to end stitching exactly at thread-traced ends. Pivot at corners and complete the “rectangular” shape of the back opening.

Step 15: Snip between the two stitching lines and clip diagonally to corners, as shown in step 5. Be careful not to clip through machine stitching.

Step 16: Pull patch through opening to WRONG side of front. This opening should form a perfect rectangle. Roll edges of opening between your fingers until each seam is at the edge of the opening. Press so that none of the patch shows on the OUTSIDE.

Step 17: After the stole perimeter is completed, align the opening with the bound “buttonhole” slit and slipstitch rectangle opening to back of “buttonhole” lips.

Making The Stole

Step18: With RIGHT sides together, layer the 2 stole pieces and align the slit openings. Pin/baste the outer edges. Stitch around the perimeter, leaving 5″ opening along one long edge. Grade and trim seam allowances.

Step 19: Turn stole right side out. Slip stitch opening closed.

Step 20: Match and align bound “buttonhole” slit. Complete step 17.