Thrift Flipping Tutorial: How to Sew a Circle Skirt
I am kind of obsessed with circle skirts at the moment. When I came across this old duvet cover, I knew it would be perfect for thrift flipping into a gathered full circle skirt.
Actually, two gathered half circle skirts joined together, because it wasn't wide enough to cut the full circle from.
That meant it was easy for me to add pockets in the side seams though, so of course I did it. Who wants a skirt without pockets?!
Tools and materials:
- Double/king size quilt cover or fabric
- Fusible interfacing (optional)
- 8 inch zipper
- 2 hook and eye fasteners or 1 button
- Piece of strong yarn
- Measuring tape
- Tailor's chalk
- Scissors
- Pins
- Sewing machine
1. Cut out the skirt pieces
Measure your waist. For a gathered full circle skirt divide your waist measurement by 6.28 and multiply the result by 2.5 or 3 to find the radius for the small circle at your waist.
To make two half circle skirts, divide this figure by 2.
Separate the cover into two equal pieces. Fold each piece in half widthways.
Starting in one corner of the folded edge, draw a quarter circle the size of the half radius that you calculated.
Add the finished length of your skirt to the size of the small circle and draw a second quarter circle outside it, starting from the same point.
Repeat for the second piece.
Cut out both pieces.
Zigzag stitch around the inner and outer circles and the side seams.
2. Attach one pocket
Draw around your hand to draft the pocket pieces and cut four of them.
Finish the edges with a zigzag stitch.
Measure 9 inches down the skirt side seams on one side to mark the placement of the pockets.
Pin and sew a pocket piece to each edge with the right sides together.
Join one side seam, sewing around the pocket bag. Leave the other side seam open.
3. Gather the skirt
Attach a piece of yarn to the upper edge of the skirt by making a wide zigzag stitch over it. Be careful not to sew through the yarn.
Pull on both ends of the yarn to gather the skirt to your waist measurement. Knot the ends of the yarn.
4. Attach the waistband
Cut a strip for the waistband, 5.5 inches deep and the length of your waist measurement plus a couple of inches overlap.
Optionally, add fusible interfacing to the wrong side of the waistband.
Fold the waistband in half along its length and press. Open it out flat and press in the top and bottom edges by half an inch.
Fold the waistband in half again and insert the gathered edge of the skirt inside it.
Leave 1 inch of the waistband free at one end to overlap for the fastening.
Top stitch the waistband in place on the right side.
Take your time, make sure both sides of the waistband are stitched and that the gathering sits well between them.
5. Insert the zipper
Sew the pocket pieces to the other side of the skirt.
Insert the zipper at the top of the side seam, above the pocket.
Sew the side seam closed.
6. Finishing
Hang the skirt overnight before hemming.
Turn up a double hem at the lower edge.
Finish the short ends of the waistband by folding them to the inside and sewing in place.
Attach two hook and eye fasteners or sew a button and buttonhole to the waistband above the zipper.
Thrift flipped skirt
I hope you had fun learning how to sew a skirt. I really enjoyed the whole process and I love the fit of the skirt and how it moves.
You can add a full petticoat underneath to make it look even fuller.
If you have any other thrift flip ideas for bedsheets or quilt covers, I'd love to hear them. Please drop me a line below.
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