This gathered circle skirt pattern calculator will make pattern drafting much easier for you. A gathered circle skirt is made of 6, 8 or more panels (usually an even number of panels up to 12) that after being sewn together have a larger waist circumference, than your waist. This large circumference has to be gathered to fit your waist. The result is a visually appealing skirt that combines the properties of both skirts: a gathered skirt and a circle skirt.
This page contains an easy to use gathered circle skirt pattern calculator that will compute the pattern dimensions of such a skirt based on your body measurements.
The calculator also computes the fabric consumption for the selected amount of panels and offers two versions of pattern arrangement on your fabric.
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After calculating the gathered circle skirt dimensions, you can download the results as a PDF document.
The 6 or 8-panel skirt is also the base of a typical Mexican Jalisco skirt, which is decorated with colourful ribbons and lace trim. Therefore you can use this pattern to sew a skirt for the Dia de Muertos (Day of the Dead) holiday festivities, for Halloween or for cosplay.
The number of panels affects the look of the skirt only a little. The more panels you use, the more seams the skirt is going to have. The amount of panels has NO effect on the skirt’s fullness or shape.
If you wish to learn more about the math and construction behind this skirt, please read this blog post.
Where do I get the real-size skirt pattern?
To sew a gathered circle skirt, you do not need to buy a specific pattern. You can draw it completely by yourself based on the results from the pattern calculator and your body measurements. This way the skirt will fit perfectly. To get all the information you need to draw the sewing pattern, please use the pattern calculator below.
Use of seam and hem allowances
Please keep in mind, that the calculated pattern results do NOT include side seam allowances, waist seam allowance, or hem allowance. This way you can easily change your mind when it comes to seam allowances. You just add them before cutting the pattern pieces out of fabric and can adjust them at the last minute.
The seam allowance and hem allowance are used to calculate fabric consumption for the gathered circle skirt pattern.
Gathered circle skirt pattern calculator
We do not store, nor share any data you put into the form above.
Your panel sewing pattern for the gathered circle skirt
Approximate fabric consumption for your gathered circle skirt pattern
First pattern arrangement:
This scheme applies to fabric, where you cannot flip the panel upside-down. This may be because the fabric has a specific pattern or a nap. Use this arrangement, if your fabric is not wide enough to accommodate more than one panel (see the image below).
Second pattern arrangement:
The second scheme applies to fabric, where you can flip the panel upside-down. This is possible with uni-cloured fabrics or fabrics without any specific pattern or nap direction. This pattern arrangement has lower fabric consumption and usually allows to place multiple skirt panels into one row (see the image below).
You fabric is not wide enough to accommodate a single skirt panel. You will need wider fabric.
To learn more about the construction and math behind this sewing pattern, please read this blog post.
To hem the skirt, you can use a bias binding tape (use ready bias binding tapes or make your own using a bias tape maker). As decoration, you can add gathers or flounces to the hem.
How to draft the gathered circle skirt pattern
In the images below you can see simple simple instructions how to draw the life-size pattern. If you need more detailed description of drafting circle skirt patterns (or their variations), please follow this post.
Keep in mind, that you are going to draw one half of one panel. Make sure that you place the pattern on the fabric fold.
1. First, draw a long line near the bottom of a large paper and mark a point C on its left side. You will use it to draw the waist and the hem of the skirt (see the image below).
2. Label the line as Centre FRONT/BACK. From point C measure two distances: Radius at waist and Radius at hem based on the results from the gathered circle skirt pattern calculator (see the image below).
3. Using a protractor or this template, draw a long line under the corresponding angle for the selected circle skirt. This line will be its side side seam.
4. Using a pair of compasses or string and pencil, draw the skirt waist and hem (see the image below).
5. The pattern is ready (see the image below).
For the waist measurement, should I be using the actual waist x the desired amount of gathers? (e.g. 26″ w x 1.5)
Hi! I hope this will answer your question:
– you enter your waist circumference, ease, etc. into the form (calculator)
– the calculator gives you results: angle, radius at waist, Radius at hem
– to draft the pattern, use the results from the calculator, you DO NOT have to make any calculations yourself
– draw the panel sewing pattern based on the results
– after you have sewn the panels together (you may leave one side seam unstitched), gather the skirt at the waist to match your actual (real) waist + ease measurement
I hope this answer was understandable 🙂