Making a Circle Skirt

For a basic skirt I use one and a half circles, which means 6m of fabric. Usually this is one circle (gathered) at the back and a half at the front. Fuller skirts can be made and if using something like chiffon you may need two and a half circles (10m).
Pin three layers of fabric together and place on a flat surface. Using string (or a tape) with a pin on one end and chalk (or a pen) on the other, inscribe a semi-circle on your fabric. It does not have to be too accurate as the fabric will drop out unevenly due to being cut on the bias. Within the big semi-circle mark a smaller semi-circle for the opening. Check that the distance between the semi-circles is about the length from your hip to ankle. Adjust if required and cut.
Sew two of the semi-circles together on the straight edge. You may wish to hem the other straight edges at this point. The easiest thing to do with the top is to fold it over and insert elastic. This will be under your belt so how it looks is not too important. You can thread both parts onto one elastic or put them on separate elastics to mix and match. A little more sophisticated is to make a separate casing and sew this onto your skirt then thread the elastic through the casing. You may also consider using a band and trouser hooks rather elastic but this makes the skirt less flexible.
Hang from the top for several weeks. Get a friend to help you hem it. Stand on a low table and make sure you have the back of your skirt to the back - especially if you are asymmetrical back and front! In most cases it is least stressful for the friend to put in a row of pins at the correct height for you to cut when you are sure it is correct.

Serving suggestions

You can wear two skirts on top of each other. If you wear the under-skirt back to front its colour will show through as you move.
You can wear pantaloons or harem pants under the skirt.
You can tuck the hem into your belt on the sides. Not only can this make your hips look bigger if you are small hipped, it can also be surprisingly slimming.
You can sew all the half circles together - ie no gaps.
You can use more than 3 half-circles - for chiffon I use 5.

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