***Have a go on our Circle Skirt Calculator!***
We absolutely love making circle skirts and they are the perfect first dressmaking project or way to transform an existing dress pattern. BUT, the pesky sums involved sure do take a lot of the fun out of it all... Soooo, we thought we'd go ahead and make an app that sorts that bit out, leaving you more time to get on with the best bit - sewing! http://byhandlondon.com/pages/circle-skirt-calculator
How it works
1. First you choose whether you would like to work in inches or centimetres 
2.) Then it's time for you to decide whether you would like to make a quarter, half or full circle skirt 
3.) ...and pick whether you'd like your skirt to be mini, midi or maxi length 
4.) Now measure your waist and enter in the amount 
5.) Let us do the maths! 
6.) And out pop results for your radius 
and the length of fabric needed 
with a note to say whether it will fit on a standard 45" / 115cm width fabric... 
or whether you'd be better off using a 60" / 150cm width fabric... 
or perhaps even just going with a shorter skirt length. 
7.) Then finally some links to creating the perfect waistband and inserting an invisible zipper! 
This is a web app, which means that it doesn't live in any app store, just on this web page byhandlondon.com/app/ However, via your browser you can download this jazzy icon below onto your computer, tablet or smart phone desktop and therefore have us with you at all times! (NB you must be connected to the internet to use this tool).
As per always, we absolutely LOOOOOVE seeing your creations out in the wild, so if you make a circle skirt using this app of ours, please let us know on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. And, as ever, we would like your feedback please! The beauty of these digital shenanigans is that we can change it constantly to make it work exactly the way you want. So do please write in to us at help@byhandlondon.com with anything at all.
And last but absolutely not least, the hugest thanks to the multi-talented Katie who built this beauteous thing. She sews, codes and designs pretty things for the interwebs - the perfect modern woman! If you want to find out a little more about what she's up to you can follow her at her sewing blog or her instagram.
Enjoy!
x
Comments on this post (20)
At 5’ 2" a 20 inch “mini” skirt comes to below my knees.
— Laura
It would be nice if the waist measurements went higher than 40". My waist measures 48" and this would have been so helpful!
— Katrina
This is great.
My skirt idea will fit on the fabric just fine if I cut it out of two pieces. Aint nothin’ wrong with a little side seam. This ap could do that too! I still have to do circle math if I want to make it out of several gores.
— Carolyn Lunking
Oh, actually, I totally recant my previous comment about the maths. Just realised that I had set the app to a 1/2 skirt, so that totally explains where that factor of 2 went.
— Nicole
You may want to check the maths behind this app. When it calculated the radius for my waist (31"), it gave me a measurement of 9.5", which is more like the diameter, rather than the radius. So, if I had cut that out, I would’ve ended with a waistline of about 60".
— Nicole
Hi there I used the app (very useful thank you) but got different lengths when I used it on an iPad and iPhone! Interesting glitch.
— Emily
Please add a 3/4 skirt option, other than that, great calculator, thankyou!
— Jessica
Hi B – thanks for getting in touch, and sorry you seem to be having trouble with the app… There is definitely a little bug in the app when it comes to the error message (which we’re getting fixed soon!) but all the actual measurements maths should be fine… If you could email me at help@byhandlondon.com with the measurements you’re inputting and the type of skirt you want to make, I’ll see what I can do to help.
xxx Elisalex
— Elisalex - By Hand London
Did anyone else follow this app and end up with all the wrong measurements? I used the measurements that it said and I ended up with a huge waist and a very long skirt. Either I did something wrong or this app is unclear.
— B
Hi Keena,
Thanks so much for your feedback – you’re not the only one! We are in the process of updating the app and fixing bugs, so watch this space!
x
— Elisalex - By Hand London
This app is awesome, however very limiting. Would you please consider making the waist to 60"? I’m a plus sized woman and it’ll be extremely helpful for my fat friends and I who sew to have this adjusted to work for us as well! <3
— Keena
Hi LadyD, deirdra & Jokole,
Unfortunately the “won’t fit” message is a bug in the app which we’re looking into getting fixed and updated.
For the time being, my advice would be to use the app to find your waistline radius, mark it out onto your fabric, then using a tape measure, measure out your desired length directly onto the fabric to see if fits.
Hope this helps!
— Elisalex - By Hand London
Hey am trying to make maxi skirt for eight girls for there show BT there waist size are in the 20 and it keep telling me that I need to go to a different size or it to much fabric and it not gonna fit. What should I do
— Jokole Franklin
I am also getting the won’t fit message. Would it be possible to have the multiple panels option?
— Deidra
Whatever combination I do I get the message it won’t fit on 45/60" fabric?
Maybe there should be a choice for cutting multiple panels rather than all in one go?
Or be able to put in your height? Only 5ft1"
— LadyD
Yes I agree with Cort. Please a 3/4 circle too! :)
— Joanne Louise
I tried the different sizes (quarter, half, full) with the maxi and they all said I should go with a shorter size but I want a maxi skirt… I’m a short girl (5’2") so could I probably use quarters or what?
thanks for the help!
— Eliza Rust
Ohhh. Thank you. I made my first adult dress last night using the Anna pattern. Love it. :)
— Fiona
Please make a calculator for 3/4 circle skirts too!
— Cort
Oh you wonderful people. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
— Penny