Thread: full circle skirts - yardage?

all right - I can't find "the" skirt I want and I'm resorting to making it myself... luckily I did find some chiffon in just the right shade!

I want a FULL double layer chiffon circle - floor length for both layers, with a ruffled hem.

How much fabric to buy??
(the shop has 8.5m left on the bolt)

I make my circle skirts out of 3 half-circle panels (2 for the back, and one for the front). It takes 7-8 yards of fabric for me to make one layer, depending on the width.

Directions from Shiras site: How to Make a Belly Dance Circle Skirt - An Online Costume Pattern

For reference, I use 9 yards for a one layer, yet double circle, skirt that is 36 inches long and a hip measurement of 34. I cut out 4 half circles, three for the back, and one for between my hip bones.

Assuming you are under 5'9" or so, your hips are under 40", and the fabric is at least 45" wide, you will need ~5m to make 2 half circles, and about 7m to make 3 half circles. 3 half circle panels is what I would consider minimum fullness for a full, pro-quality circle skirt.

If the underlayer is just for opacity, you won't need 1.5 circles for it, 1 will do.

Either way, though 8.5 m is not enough to do 2 layers.

Not sure of the meter to yard conversion, but Shira's instructions say seven yards. I usually need a little more since I am taller and I need to make my circles bigger because of that.

How to Make a Belly Dance Circle Skirt - An Online Costume Pattern

Originally Posted by andalee-oriental

Not sure of the meter to yard conversion, but Shira's instructions say seven yards. I usually need a little more since I am taller and I need to make my circles bigger because of that.

How to Make a Belly Dance Circle Skirt - An Online Costume Pattern

I buy 7.5 yards for one circle skirt = 3 half circles two for the back and one for the front.

7 yards if 35" wide

thanks - I grab what they have,
then check to see if any other shops have the same color...
other wise the under layer may have to out of something else.

Yep. General rule of thumb is 7 yards for a circle skirt and 3 yards for a veil or angel wings.

If the fabric is wider, say 60 inches you can use less yardage.

3 panel skirt = 1.5 saris. . .

{{{HUGS}}}

i use 4ish yards for an underskirt (this would be a gored skirt, not a circle), one that always goes under a sheer layer and is only there to cover me bum. 7.5 for the one and half circle (full circle in back, 1/2 circle up front) and agree that that's the min.
if you want it to look fuller at the hip move the hip line down the pattern (the small circle at the top) of course to do that you need to add at the bottom of the pattern (along the big circle edge) so that it will still be long enough for you.
i use poodle skirt patterns and then add x-inches to the bottom to make them long enough (i have newsprint taped the bottom in the length i need)

For a double layer chiffon skirt I just do 1 circle (two 1/2 panels) for the under and the same for the over. It usually takes me about 5 yds of fabric per layer.

I've made tons of full circle chiffon skirts. Mostly because I can never find the right shade. Also, I hate plain chiffon but always prefer iridescent chiffon (which is not easy to find in a ready-made skirt). My hips are about 40" and I am 5"6" tall. I buy 45" wide material; about 6 -7 yards per skirt layer. I usually make 1 semi circle for the front and 2 for the back (3 total). The one in front and one in back types of skirts dont look nearly as nice on stage. Since I get a great deal on fabric, it's worth the extra $5 for an additional semi-circle. Gorgeous fullness when I twirl! Also you mentioned wanting 2 layers. Might I suggest making the underlayers a different color. It adds nice depth and dimension to your costume and is also versatile. I can't tell you how many times an underskirt for 1 costume has become the topskirt of another for me! If you have any other questions, don't hesitate to ask!

Link did not work for me. I wanted to forward it to a friend hoping to make her first skirt.

Originally Posted by andalee-oriental

Not sure of the meter to yard conversion, but Shira's instructions say seven yards. I usually need a little more since I am taller and I need to make my circles bigger because of that.

How to Make a Belly Dance Circle Skirt - An Online Costume Pattern

For anyone who's looking for a circle skirt pattern: Try out the Belly Dance Skirt pattern by Simplicity. I got mine at JoAnn Fabrics on sale for about $4 a few years ago. There are three different circle skirt designs included in this pattern: two-layer, multi-colored panels, slit circle skirt. I personally just use the slit skirt pattern to make a full circle skirt without slits.

I've made a few circle skirts without a pattern before, but I just don't dig working without a pattern. So if you're like me, you may like this pattern. It is very easy to follow. I believe it calls for about 5 to 6 yards to make a skirt. (I know some ladies like a much fuller circle, but I'm petite so 5 yards looks great without overwhelming me.)

http://www.simplicity.com/p-1846-costumes.aspx

Originally Posted by showtime

Link did not work for me. I wanted to forward it to a friend hoping to make her first skirt.

The correct link is http://www.shira.net/costuming/skirt-circle.htm

Originally Posted by tahiradancer

3 panel skirt = 1.5 saris. . .

{{{HUGS}}}

how to use your saris if it has a trim you'd like to keep? I found saris "fabric" essentially what joann called it and it was really pretty with a gorgous 3 inch decorative trim at one end- which would be fab on a skirt- but how to keep the integirty of that- go for a paneled circle skirt instead of one cut on the bias?

Originally Posted by Basha

how to use your saris if it has a trim you'd like to keep? I found saris "fabric" essentially what joann called it and it was really pretty with a gorgous 3 inch decorative trim at one end- which would be fab on a skirt- but how to keep the integirty of that- go for a paneled circle skirt instead of one cut on the bias?

pleat it. OR you'd have to cut the trim and reattach it making little tucks all the way around.

Wow everyone's techniques are so different!
I use 6 yds to make one full circle. Doesn't matter how many panels or where they are placed. So for a double layer I need 12 yds. And it has to be 45" - 60" wide. But I don't use a pattern anymore. I just make them all the same way. It takes me about an hour to make one layer finished with a waistband.

Originally Posted by raqFariha

pleat it. OR you'd have to cut the trim and reattach it making little tucks all the way around.

mk

I'm not convinced I'm ready to go through that much work sonsidering A. I'm lazy and B. circle skirts are easy to do and I hate to ruin my "easy project" with real actual work.
<gigge>

trying to hunt down royal blue-ish chiffon... only finding poweder or navy and neither are good choices- which lead me to the saris fabric.

Originally Posted by Basha

mk

I'm not convinced I'm ready to go through that much work sonsidering A. I'm lazy and B. circle skirts are easy to do and I hate to ruin my "easy project" with real actual work.
<gigge>

trying to hunt down royal blue-ish chiffon... only finding poweder or navy and neither are good choices- which lead me to the saris fabric.

you could also gather it, but it creates more volume. put a thicker thread in your bobbin and normal thread in the top, set the stitch to the maximum length, no smaller than 5.5, and put a single line of stitching along the waist edge. tie the two threads together at one end, and then gently push the fabric from the other end, the same way you do to put elastic through a waistband or scrunchie (hurray for '80s craft projects ^_^). it makes it easy to size the skirt to the waist band and keep the gathering even without having to do all the little pleats.

Originally Posted by Basha

how to use your saris if it has a trim you'd like to keep? I found saris "fabric" essentially what joann called it and it was really pretty with a gorgous 3 inch decorative trim at one end- which would be fab on a skirt- but how to keep the integirty of that- go for a paneled circle skirt instead of one cut on the bias?

I haven't shoped at a sari store in at least 15 years-need to do so again!
Instead of having the awesome border at the bottom, I had it running vertically at every edge of a half circle.
This is what I said last year: For reference, I use 9 yards for a one layer, yet double circle, skirt that is 36 inches long and a hip measurement of 34. I cut out 4 half circles, three for the back, and one for between my hip bones.

I know someone who cut the border off and sewed to the bottom of her skirts. Pretty-but more work than I wanted to do.
Also, I know someone who cut the border off and sewed it to the bottom of the skirt. pretty,but more work than I wanted to do.
So this would mean that the border would run up each leg, and then on each hip in the back. Each border would really be a double border.