Thread: How many circles is too many in a skirt?

Now that I have mastered sewing sequin trim onto a skirt with my machine I am having wild thoughts!
I can pull the chiffon slightly along the bias with creates a slightly curled hem similar to a wired hem but not as intense. I am so pleased! Can you tell? ..g.:
So now I want to make big big big circle skirts. I know some dancers use a circle skirt super full out of 2 full circles but what is too much?
Since chiffon is cheap for me I can experiment with weights and such. If I kept the waist area relatively narrow how many circles can I do?
I know weight would be an issue but would someone want an insanely full 3 or 4 circle skirt? Like the very very full skirt Samia is wearing.
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIREFFmO1FY]YouTube - arab dance ( samia gamal with lama bada music)[/ame]

Why don't you just make some and try them out?

yes that's kinda the plan. I am going to start with a 3 circle one in turquoise. I was just wondering if anyone has tried it before.

Will that be two circles in the back and one in the front (if you're doing slits)? That sounds like a fun experiment!

yes lots of possibilities.
1 full circle front and back with 2 slits or one slit
1 in front, 2 in back
or maybe 2 front, 2 back.
It's so easy on the machine.
I usually use 6 yards for one circle skirt so we are looking at 12-24 yards in these. Maybe too heavy though.

I've only made 1.5 circle skirts and I think that fullness is perfect.

I adore that clip!

I know some dancers in the old days used five semicircles--two in front and three in back. I suppose you could go larger, but I think what they did more often was make multiple layers instead of a really lush single layer. It's hard to tell from the resolution in that video, but I think it looks like she has a beige layer (maybe two) under the aqua one, and that's where the fullness is coming from.

I love the look of the costume in that clip. The skirt is simple but gorgeous. I'm not exactly fashion forward, but I'm a fan of this style of skirt!

I've tried three circles but the fabric (some synthetic sold as "unknown fiber") was too light and it was Pouf Central.

I'm most often making myself 3 half circles for my skirts (with slits in front).With 1.5 circle skirts I can layer with other skirts 1.5 or less without getting too bulky. More than that and I doubt I could layer...I'd rather take the additional fabric and make a double-layered skirt and just embrace that one color.

..more than 1.5 that gets into skirt-dancing land for me...which is a nice place to visit but isn't usually for the chiffon.

i love the look of the skirt in the clip and have always wanted a layered skirt that full. can't wait to see what you create next

well, one problem with chiffon - in my opinion - is that it almost doesn't matter how full you make it, there is some unwanted sheerness left. So i always use two layers. I don't feel comfortable with layer, I always feel like my but will show, depending on the lighting, especially if the belt is narrow.

The coral costume I just made, which is a pretty full skirt has 2 layers of 3 half circle, but i cut the cirles down to sort of a trumpet skirt patters. So on the top they're not as bulky, but the bottom flares out. I had to have 2 layers, it was too see through. I even made nude short just to make sure :)

But to answer you question, I think having 2 full circles is ok, but I would still use a narrow underskirt. That's how my Pharaonics costumes were, each one was very full, but still had underskirts / or under-layers attached.

In a very fine fabric, such as a silk chiffon, 3 circles would probably be more than enough. I am a three panel skirt girl, and love to layer.

The key, as I know you know, is cutting the waist in such a way that there is very little bulk there with lots of collapse factor in the skirt so that it doesn't look full until the dancer starts to move.

{{{HUGS}}}

Originally Posted by Marianna

I think having 2 full circles is ok, but I would still use a narrow underskirt. That's how my Pharaonics costumes were, each one was very full, but still had underskirts / or under-layers attached.

I agree with underskirts. It's one of those hard things to judge in photos of costumes...it makes the heart sad when you were expecting coverage and then having to spend time making or looking for a proper underskirt because the materials used are too sheer but the costume or skirt was sold as if it could be "stand alone".

Hmm, I have Pharaonics costumes with 2 half circles front and 3 half circles back upper layer and second layer underneath with 1 half front and 2 half back and love it. Plus it is heavily decorated with sequins.

But I would never wear those without coordinating boyshorts, as it is so full and heavy the skirt flies up high when spinning fast...

I've never seen them more than 5 half circles (just as Sha-ri described).

I thought this might be interesting to you (even if it isn't belly dance).
This Vogue pattern is cut from 12 'A' shaped skirt pieces. The fullness at the bottom equals 456".
French seams.

Etsy :: Vogue 2386 Designer Dress Stole Bellville Sassoon Couture Uncut Pattern size 14 16

I think they did this to avoid the bias stretching out too much.
The entire dress takes almost 19 yards in chiffon alone.

Originally Posted by Tourbeau

I know some dancers in the old days used five semicircles--two in front and three in back. I suppose you could go larger, but I think what they did more often was make multiple layers instead of a really lush single layer. It's hard to tell from the resolution in that video, but I think it looks like she has a beige layer (maybe two) under the aqua one, and that's where the fullness is coming from.

I was going to try this one....I just bought 10 yards of cheap but pretty fabric ;)
Eshta - I will gladly test run any of the skirts you make

I like layering too. And I usually work that out with my clients. They either need to layer for coverage or get 2 skirts. But most of us have lots of skirts and layering isn't that big of a deal. But recently a couple people have asked me for insanely full skirts so I was just thinking.....
Maybe I will do a test run with the 5 semi circle idea.
I want there to be hardly any bulk at all at the waistband so it's a little streamlined but even with all that fabric you'd need to layer.

I have a 5 semi circle satin skirt that weighs a ton. 5 semis in chiffon should be much more manageable. But, like other people said, the issue with chiffon is sheerness. And a second layer also adds fullness.

I think two chiffon skirts of 5 semis each would be really luxurious

sounds wonderful!!

Originally Posted by eshtabellydance

yes that's kinda the plan. I am going to start with a 3 circle one in turquoise. I was just wondering if anyone has tried it before.

Eshta, did you ever make this? I was e-mailing you about wanting to make a 2 1/2 circle skirt and buying chiffon off you (kerrierou).

Have you made a turquoise one? How much would you sell it for if you have?

the only thing i can think of is that if it really full it becomes be triangle shaped, which taller dancers with defined/full hips can pull off but us shorties can't, or if you have straighter hips it's not as flattering. how full you can go before that happens depends on the fabric, both in the skirt (pretty far with chiffon!) and if you have another layer under it, or another fabric under it (i make panel skirts out of the lining fabric from jo-anns, just because it's not see-through)
gorgeous clip. i love how chiffon looks like it's glowing and misty ^_^

I took photos of this for someone else: 6 half circles with quite lite material. Is good. :)

If you don't want to do underskirts I saw a dancer wearing something like wide legged chiffon pants under her chiffon circle skirts. The pants were in a slightly different shade in the same color family. Not harmes. The hems of the wide legs had their own flow and swirl.

I once wanted the fullness of 3 circles, but didn't want the bulk at the waist- so how do I describe what I did? hmm... kind of like the mermaid concept- the pattern piece I ended up making looked like a half circle with the edges coming in a bit and a big check mark cut out of it- does that make any sense at all? I wish I still had it or at least had pictures, but I made it 15 years ago when I was a toothpick. gorgeously full, and this thread makes me want to try again!

Hmmm, Eshta is this like asking how many swarovskis are too many? :-) I can't sew, but from a wearing perspective, I looove super full skirts IF they aren't bulky at the waistline.

There's another circle skirt thread (something chiffon in the title) - I explained there how appropriate cutting can help reduce the bulk...

(Maybe others have it figured out already) - but if you cut a smaller waist circle on the panels, you get less bulk at the waist.

http://www.bhuz.com/forum/belly-danc...-skirt-go.html

I can totally do this. I am just waiting for a guinea pig really. Anyone want to be my guinea pig? I'll try it our for super cheap!

me! how much?

Well I want to try out a 3 circle skirt first. Because I can always go with less if it gets crazy. I usually use 6 yds per circle so I would need 18 yds. So I would say if anyone wanted to jump on my experimental bus I'd make a one for my own practice for $40. Which is a deal cause the material costs pretty much eat that up. But the buyer would be responsible for shipping and finding their own underskirt if it's too sheer.
I just have a couple designs coming up I want to do and one of them is a crazy take on the samia costume so I am needing to practice but I don't wear circle skirts myself. I am too short! So it would be wasted on me.