waist and hem on a circle/half circle skirt?

[icxcnika]

Hi mamas,
I would like to try making a half-circle skirt for the first time! :
However, I'm a little confused about how to hem the bottom...would it work to just fold it up twice and hem like you would for a straighter skirt? Or do I need to split the skirt into two panels and use facing on the bottom of each one? Or do I need to use bias tape? And likewise for an elastic or drawstring waist (i.e. "I don't know how to do zippers yet")? Do I just fold the top over to make a casing, or is there something else I need to do since the edge of the fabric is so curved? As you can tell I'm quite the n00b.

Thank you so much!

[orangefoot]

I just sewed a curved hem without any wrinkles by doing this

If you don't have a serger you can get the same effect by sewing around your hem very close - 1/2cm or so - to the edge then pressing in in the same way.

Do the same for the waistband if you want to along the line where you want the top of the skirt to be then just press up a small amount to turn in your raw edge. Once you have elastic in the waistband it isn't so important to keep the seam wrinkle free. No-one will know if it is a bit wonky

[icxcnika]

Thank you!!!

[Magelet]

you could do an elastic, though I think the gathered bit for the elastic would kind of defeat the purpose of a circle skirt though. I would either use a stretchy knit so that you can just pull it on (with maybe a big, flip-over waist?), or I might put a button in, and leave it open 4-6 inches down for room to get in and out. If you wanted you could put in a series of buttons (or hook and eyes), or you could just put the one in, and then a folded panel there (for modesty in case it gapes. I think that the knit/stretchy might work best if you can deal with sewing with the stretchy fabric though.

(Or decide that now is an excellent time to learn to do zippers)

I've never actually hemmed a circle skirt (they've always been costumes lol, so felt or sort of petally, don't know why I haven't, since I love they way they look, but haven't made a normal clothes one yet), but I should think that it would work fine to be hemmed normally with two folds over. I see no reason why it wouldn't work.

[rubelin]

the best way I've found to hem a circular skirt is to sew 2 lines of basting, one at each place that you'll be turning (usually at 1/4" and at 1/2"). Then turn the edges and press with the iron, pulling the threads to gather those edges enough that the folded edge lays snugly.

I use seperate waistbands for these. Cut a length a couple of inches wide by the length of your waist plus a bit for overlapping and fold it in half down the length, stitching the raw edges to the waist of the skirt. You can also just sew one side on and hand stitch the inside over the seam allowance. I've also used 1/5" ribbon for a waistband on a petticoat-type skirt.