Drafting Circle Skirts

Accurately draft a circle skirt block then adapt and change it for various styles!

Following along from my article on how to draft a simple A-Line skirt, this tutorial will illustrate how to draft a more accurate Skirt Block which can then be manipulated to create skirts for any design. It is also a fantastic introduction to how complex pattern drafting can be, but also the myriad of ways in which a simple pattern can create multiple beautiful costumes.

In this tutorial I will be creating a circle skirt block, a double circle skirt block, then adapting that to create skirts which have panels, petticoats with frills, scallop panels, and more complex designs.

If you have my Interchangeable Panto Dame sewing pattern, this tutorial would work well with the bodice from that pattern, and is a very simple way to create new patterns and looks from a resource you already have at your fingertips. You may need to use the measurement of the bodice waist- or at least check with it- to ensure skirts drafted here will fit onto the bodice neatly.

You will need some pattern paper, set square or Pattern Master, pencils and pens, and a calculator. I have posted the A-Line Skirt Block instructions as an image below, so it should be easily printable. If you would like to have a go but don’t wish to waste paper on a full size pattern, I strongly recommend drafting a scale version of this. For mine I simply quartered all measurements. It’s a really great way to understand the theory before drafting a full size pattern, and maybe have some fun creating skirts that are a little crazy!

BASIC SKIRT BLOCK

This basic skirt block can now be used to create skirts to suit your designs. It is currently a Pencil Skirt shape, and this can be used to create Wiggle Skirts, Tulip Skirts, Pleated Skirts for example but in this tutorial I will be adapting it into Circle Skirts.

Patterns are created with no seam allowance, this is always the last thing that’s added.

To accomplish the Circle Skirt Block you will first need to create the A-Line Skirt Block.