DIY - How to Draft and Cut a Full Circle Skirt

This is a DIY of how to draw out and cut a perfect full circle skirt without a pattern. 

First lay out your fabric folded length-ways selvedge to selvedge.

Measure the width of your fabric. My fabric was 27 inches wide. 

Measure your width length Eg. 27inches from the end of your fabric with the tape measure. Place a drawing pin through the tape and fabric at the measurement to mark the centre of your circle. 

Swivel the tape measure and mark with chalk at the end to map out our circle. Keep the tape straight at all times.

Continue marking until you reach the selvedge at a 90 degree angle. You would have drawn out a quarter circle. 

Cut the quarter circle and then fold over and cut the other half so you have cut a half circle. 

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Next you will need to cut the waist line of the skirt. Fold your skirt into a quarter circle and anchor your tape at the corner point. This is where a little maths or lots of measuring takes place. 

For a 28" waist measurement with seam allowance a 4" radius is used

For a 30" waist use a 4.5" radius 

For a 32" waist use a 5" radius

For a 34" waist use a 5.5" radius

The calculation is Circumference (your waist measurement plus 1" for seam allowence) divided by Pi (3.14) and then divided by 2

Circumference / Pi / 2 = Radius. 

The measurement to mark on the tape measure

It's really important that your circle is equally measured at the waist as this will dictates the hang of your skirt. 

Finally cut your centre back or side seam. Any fold will work check the pattern of your fabric. 

There is your full circle skirt ready to add to a waistband or bodice. 

Coming up next will be how to quickly hem your skirt. 

Girls Dress Patterns by Anna Vickery

Hello hello, 

Anna here and I’m very excited to be introducing my new range of Sewing Patterns For Children’s Clothing! These are available in printed form from Millie Moon shops and as a download in the Crafty Alex shop. 

They’ve been a long time coming…..I’ve been working with Millie Moon for over a year now and I’ve often been asked when people see my little dresses in the shops ‘Do you have a pattern for that?’ or during workshops ‘Can I buy a pattern?’ and the answer is now YES!!

My mission was to create an easy to follow, multi sized range that was simple to sew at home and that you can buy all the lovely materials you need to make at Millie Moon. 

There’s 3 styles to fit ages 1-5 to start with - a very cute Party Dress with a full skirt, a versatile sleeveless Pinafore Dress and an A-line T Shirt Dress with built in sleeves.

They’ve been a challenge to put together, I had to use my, somewhat rusty and self taught, CAD experience and call upon some of my lovely friends for their help - huge thanks to Chris at Wing’s Art and Design Studio and Aran at Latitude Photography for their skills, and everyone at Millie Moon for their enthusiasm and patience.

I hope you enjoy making the patterns as much as I’ve enjoyed putting them together - all feedback would be much appreciated, I’d love to see photos of your finished dresses and hear your suggestions for the next additions to the range.

Please note…….All my patterns are clearly marked Not For Commercial Use, this means they are for home use only by Mummys, Aunties, Nannys etc making for their friends and family NOT for business or any other monetary gains/sale. 

 I’m also aiming to cover making all the little dresses as workshops at Millie Moon, starting with the Pinafore Dress on 9th February in Keynsham and 27^th April in Frome - these workshops include all materials too, bargain. x

Follow Anna on twitter via @makemeadress_av for more sewing tips and tricks. 

Click on each picture to purchase the downloadable patterns. 

DIY - Sew Your Own Tulip Skirt

This is a patternless tutorial for a tulip shaped skirt with a fitted waistband and concealed zip to the centre back.

Step 1: Lay out your folded fabric on the table, with the fold (selvedge to selvedge) running along the edge of the table.

Step 2: Measure your waist in inches where you want the skirt to sit and add one inch to this number. For example a 30 inch waist will need a 31 inch waistband. If your waist is more than 44” you will need to make a 2 part waistband.

Step 3: Draw out a long rectangle on the fabric, 5 inches by half your waistband measurement. For example a 31inch waistband will be 15.5 inches long on the folded fabric. Then cut this out. If you are using a light weight fabric you might want to iron interfacing to the waistband.

Step 4: Cutting the skirt. Decide how long you want the skirt to be, around 18 inches will come to just above the knee. Still with the fold of the fabric on the edge of the table draw a line a quarter of the length of your waistband, plus 8 inches for the pleats (31” waistband = 7.75” + 8” = 15.75“.) This is the top edge of the skirt. For the bottom edge of the skirt draw a parallel line from the top edge with a gap the distance you decided the skirt length to be 9.5 inches long - this should be wide enough for you to walk in the skirt without a split in the back. Cut a second piece the same.

Step 5: Cut the centre back opening by cutting along the halfway fold THROUGH ONE PIECE ONLY! You can do this with pinking shears, or overlock or bind the back seams.

Step 6: French seam the skirt side seams - a French seam is a double stitched seam, start with the wrong sides of the fabric together and stitch a half centimetre seam, then turn the fabric to have the right sides together and stitch a second line with a 1 centimetre seam.

Step 7: Pin the pleats. Start about 2 inches from the centre front of the skirt and pin 4 pleats each side of the front and back, each pleat should be about 1 inch and they should be about 2 inches apart. Turn the pleat folds to the middle of the skirt (ie.The centre front and centre back.)

Step 8: Pin the skirt to the waistband with right sides together.

Step 9: Sew your waistband to your skirt. Then fold the waistband over and pin to cover the waist seam. Hand stitch this in place.

Step 10: Sew your zip. A concealed zip is best to use with this skirt. Start by sewing the zip to the right hand edge, then fasten the zip and mark the waist seam so you can line up waistband. Sew the other side, then sew the back seam together. To finish fold over the tops of the zips behind the seams.

You can hem the skirt by turning under or binding to finish. And there you have your skirt! I would love to see photos of your skirts on, hear your feedback and answer any questions you have.

Anna Vickery 2013 Ó

DIY - How to Make a Sun Top

This is a patternless tutorial for a Suntop with spaghetti straps and ties at the back.

Materials:

1m lightweight cotton fabric

2 x 22cm pieces of ½” wide elastic

4 x 75cm pieces of bias binding

Matching thread

Sewing machine

Pins/safety pin

Tape measure

Scissors

Tailors chalk

Step 1: Measure - measure your bust in inches, add 6” for ease and seam allowances, divide this measurement in half to get the width of your suntop. (ie.38” bust, add 6”=44”/2 = 22”)

Step 2: Cut - Press your fabric. Fold your meter of fabric in half with the selvedges/finished edges on each side, so you can use the full width of fabric if required, by 50cm length. Mark out the width of your top (ie.22”) and cut, then cut along the fold of your fabric to get 2 large rectangles of fabric. Leave the 2 rectangles of fabric on top of each other and fold in half widthways.

Using tailors chalk draw an armhole on the selvedge edge approx 2” in from the top edge by 6” deep, curve the bottom edge of the armhole. Cut the armholes out, because the fabric is folded together you can cut all 4 layers at once.

Step 3: Elastic - On both pieces of fabric with the inside of the fabric towards you fold down a 1.5cm hem on the top edge and press, fold down another 2cm pin and press again. Sew across close to the fold to make a channel for the elastic.

Attach a large safety pin to the end of one of the elastic pieces and pull the safety pin/elastic through the stitched channel, pin to the top at the other end so it doesn’t pull through! Stitch both ends in place making sure to backstitch well to secure the elastic.

Step 4:  Side seams - Iron in half 2 of the 75cm pieces of bias binding and stitch along them to make the back ties (you could also use ribbon for this.) Pin the ties approx 6” from the bottom of the top at the back on both sides on the right side of the fabric, the ends of the ties will get sandwiched into the side seams.

French seam the side seams. A French seam is a double stitched seam, start with the wrong sides of the fabric together and stitch a half centimetre seam, then turn the fabric to have the right sides together and stitch a second line with a 1 centimetre seam to conceal the raw edges.

Step 5: Straps - Find the middle of one of the remaining pieces of bias binding, pin this to the underarm seam on the inside. Open up the fold on the binding and stitch to anchor it to the armhole edge of the top on the inside, repeat this on the other side of the top. Then starting at one end fold over the binding and stitch all the way along, concealing the edges of the armhole when you get to it. Repeat this on the other side of the top, knot the ends of the binding and tie to create straps.

Step 6: Hem - Double turn, pin and stitch a 1.5cm hem at the bottom of your top - you can embellish your top in lots of ways using trims or adding extra details. The top would also work as a childs/adults dress or longer line tunic top, if doing this you may need to make the rectangles of fabric wider at the bottom edge to fit over your hips.

Anna Vickery 2013 Ó

Sew Your Own RaRa Mini Skirt

   DIY - Sew Your Own RaRa Mini Skirt

This is a patternless tutorial for a  RaRa style mini shirt with 2 gathered tiers and an elasticated waist.

Materials:

80cm spotty cotton fabric (114cm wide)

30cm plain cotton fabric (114cm wide)

75cm of ½” wide elastic

Matching thread

Sewing machine

Pins/safety pin

Tape measure/ruler

Scissors/tailors chalk

Iron

Step 1: Cut - With the width of the fabric folded in half, cut a 20cm long strip and a 10cm long strip from the plain fabric and 4 equal 20cm long sections from the spotty fabric.

      

Step 2: Join Tiers - Join 2 of the spotty 20cm strips together to make a very long strip of fabric - place the right sides together, pin and sew using a 1.5 cm seam allowance. Repeat for the other 2 spotty sections.

Step 3: Gather - To gather stitch using the longest straight stitch on your sewing machine (no.4) and stitch about 10mm from the edge of the fabric. Do not backstitch and leave the thread ends long. Stitch along each edge of one spotty strip, sewing 2 lines through 1 layer of fabric - fold the other spotty strip in half and sew along the raw edge, sewing through 2 layers at once.

Gently pull up one of the thread ends to gather the fabric, so the strip ends up the same width as the 10cm long strip of plain fabric (114cm.)

Step 4: Bottom Tier - We are going to make the skirt from the bottom up, you are going to need lots of pins! * Remember to change the sewing machine back to a normal stitch length*

Pin both sides of the section which isn’t folded with right sides together to the 10cm long plain strip of fabric, sandwich the plain fabric between the gathered spotty fabric edges - the plain fabric should stay flat and the pins should be at 90 degree angles to the fabric edge. Sew all the way along using a 1.5cm seam allowance. Turn the fabric through (this is sometimes called ‘bagging out’) and there you have the bottom tier of your skirt!

Step 5: Top Tier - Pin the second (folded) tier of your skirt in place on the right side of the skirt, line up the top of the plain 10cm section with the gathered spotty edge, pin the 20cm long plain strip of fabric to the inside - this is going to be a double stitched seam. Stitch along through all 4 layers of fabric using a 1.5cm seam allowance. Un pin and flip the 20cm top section over the seam allowances and gathering to cover the raw edges, sew along the seam again.

Step 6: Back Seam - Because the back seam edges are the ‘selvedge’ edges of the fabric they do not need finishing (handy!) With right sides together line up the tiers and pin the sides of the skirt together. Sew using a 1.5cm seam allowance, iron the back seam open.

Step 7: Waist - Using an iron make a double fold on the top edge of the fabric, pin and sew to form a channel for the elastic. When sewing leave a 5cm gap for the elastic to go in through. Attach the elastic to a large safety pin and pull it through. Adjust the elastic to fit, tie it off and sew the gap closed.

Decorate your skirt with any trimmings you fancy and style with leggings or thick tights, heels or trainers.

Anna Vickery 2013 Ó

DIY - Sew Your Own Full Skirt

Today we had a great time making skirts at the Millie Moon shop in Wells. Here is the DIY tutorial of how to make the skirt, we did it a little differently with pleats instead of gathers and in fabulous cherry and elephant prints! 

This is a patternless skirt tutorial with a fitted waistband and a full skirt with pockets and a zip to the centre back.

Equipment needed: sewing machine, zipper foot, tape measure, needle and thread, scissors and chalk.
Materials: 2 metres of 112cm wide fabric (Millie moons fabrics are perfect for this) 2 metres of bias binding, a concealed zip, thread.

 Step 1: lay out your folded fabric on the table, with the fold (selvedge to selvedge) running along the edge of the table.

Step 2:  Measure your waist in inches and add one inch to this number. For example a 30 inch waist will need a 31 inch waistband.

Step 3: draw out the long rectangle on the fabric. 5 inches by half your waistband measurement. For example a 31inch waistband will be 15.5 inches long on the folded fabric. Then cut this out.

 Step 4: cutting the skirt. Still with the fold of the fabric on the edge of the table, place your hand on the fabric edge and draw around this with the chalk for your pockets. The curve of the pocket will start 2 inches down from the fold and will look like a 'p' shape. Then cut along the whole fold length of the fabric that is on the edge of the table.

Step 5: fold the fabric in half and cut out the second pocket. Also cut the centre back opening by cutting along the halfway fold THROUGH ONE LAYER ONLY!

 Step 6: Sew your pockets and side seams together.

Step 7: with the bias binding sew around the pocket seams that have just sewn so they look neat and tidy. Alternatively this can be overlocked.

Step 8: if you are gathering your skirt, sew a runnng stitch along the top waistband edge to gather the skirt. Pin this to the waistband.
If you are pleating (like we did today) you need to pin your waistband to either end of the skirt and evenly pin pleats to the waistband ready to sew.

Step 9: sew your waistband to your skirt. Leave a smooth inch either end so the zip doesn't have too much bulk around it.
Then fold the waistband over and pin to cover the waist seam. Hand stitch this in place.

 This is how your skirt will look so far. 

Step 10: time to sew your zip. A concealed zip is best to use with this skirt and you start off by sewing the zip to the left hand edge. Then fasten the zip and mark the waist seam so you can line up waistband. Sew the other side, then the back seam together. (we will cover zips in detail at a later date). To finish fold over the tops of the zips behind the seams.

 You can hem the skirt by turning under or binding to finish. And there you have your skirt!  I would love to see photos of your skirts on, hear your feedback and would be happy to answer any questions you have.
Bias binding and Zips can be purchased through Jaycotts
And fabulous printed fabrics that are the perfect width from Millie Moon.