Tartan circle skirt sewing- how to guide in photos.

Bought 1.5 m of a tartan fabric in blue, black and white from Masons in Abingdon on 27 May 2016
 On the same day later in the evening the skirt was completed!
Here is how it was done.

The fabric was 150 cm wide and I purchased 150 cm so it's a square and you fold ir twice so the corners meet leaving 4 layers of fabric at a top corner as in photo above.

Then you need to cut out a waist so I used the formula below to calculate the radius in cm if I wanted it to fit a waist- circumference- of 88 cm.

the mathmatical figure pi is 3.14 to 2 decimal places.

This calculation gave me a diameter of 28 and thus a radius of 14 cm.

I marked the 14 cm radius circle on the fabric and gave this 1.5 cm seam alloawance.

I then cut this out and cut a circle using a chalk on a long string moving from the top point to the maximum length, this was about 66- 67 cm.

This cut piece is laid on a table in the photos below.

I measured the waist of the actual fabric and as most of it is on the bias it had stretched a bit and measured 93 cm. I cut a waistband of 97 cm to allow for an overlap and the width I wanted it to be plus 3 cm for seam allowance, I lined the waistband in a cotton fabric as I am allergic to the polycotton tartan fabric and wanted my waist to stay as cool as possible.

 I overlocked or serged the 2 fabrics of the waistband together.

 Then I for got to take more photos as I just went ahead to finish, sorry.
With pins you mark the mid and quarter points on the skirt waistband.
You do the same on the 93 cm of the straight piece waistband.
then you pin the straight piece - right sides together tartan to tartan so the cotton side was facing up at me-  and ease the two to fit, sew gently on the sewing machine and then serge to finish the inside edges once you have tried it on and you are happy with it.
I had to allow ALL the 97 cm as I could not get it over my chest to wear it on my waist! I wanted to avoid having to put a zip in.
then fold over the lining fabric of the waist band and sew in place leaving a 2 cm gap to insert the elastic.
Try on again to check. I find it's over the head it will go as obviously without a zip it will not go over the hips?

Then insert elastic to fit with a large safety pin or elastic gadget and then sew the elastic closed and the open seam closed.

Finally sew a narrow rolled hem using a rolled hem foot on your sewing machine, go SLOWLY as not to stretch the fabric and control the roll so it's neat and shows no frayed edges.

And VOILA! You are done, in just a few hours.

 There it is on.....

 Finished item on floor....

 I had made circle skirts earlier, some in 2012 include these: you see you do not have to make them in tartan, but the floatier and finer the fabric the more flattering it will drape when worn.

This is a cotton printed muslin, it needs a thin muslin underskirt really.

This is a viscose organza, sorry it's upside down,because it is transparent it's worn with a circle skirt made from navy lining fabric, same method as above. It swirls marvellously when dancing.

Finally I have a navy tocca lace one but no photo yet. this too is worn with a lining circle skirt.

DO have a go it's so simple and such fun to wear. Very 1950's which seems to be a bit of a trend?