Gypsy skirts are a fairly versatile part of the wardrobe, which is suitable both as a carnival costume or for oriental dance classes, and for everyday wear.
If we consider such a skirt as an everyday one, then you can wear it with any T-shirt or blouse that matches the color. Or, in cold weather, complement the look with a knitted sweater, leather biker jacket or denim jacket.
If used as a costume for dancing, then it will perfectly emphasize all the advantages of the figure and hide its shortcomings. And the fairly loose cut does not hinder movement and even enhances the dance.
At first glance, it may seem that the manufacturing process of this product is very complicated and only a professional can handle it. In fact, basic knowledge and the ability to sew on a sewing machine is enough.
We'll tell you how to sew a gypsy skirt with your own hands.
The originality of the gypsy skirt
Features of cut, length
Reference. The more common cut of the gypsy skirt is very simple, called “double sun”.
The peculiarity of this cut is that if you take the skirt by the edges along the side seams and lift it with outstretched arms, these edges will meet above your head, forming a circle.
The length of this product is usually half or slightly shorter, depending on the purpose. It must be taken into account that With this model, the fabric consumption will be very large, usually at least 4 meters.
Cutting details
Traditionally, two skirts are made.
- The top one is made of beautiful, bright fabric. It is very wide, usually a sun or double sun.
- The lower one may be narrower and shorter than the upper one, preferably the same color. But you can take a cheaper material, lining. The style is most often semi-sun or bell.
There is also a tiered technique, for which the length of the skirt is divided into 3-4 parts and the required number of rectangles is cut. Their width depends on the desired volume.
The circle skirt is two circles, where the larger radius is equal to the length of the product with cut circles in the centeru. Their length is equal to the half-circumference of the waist.
Additionally you will need rectangular strip of fabric - stitched skirt belt. If desired there may also be frills or flounces, which are cut out separately.
What fabrics are suitable for sewing
The choice of material for a skirt for a girl or an adult woman depends on your preferences. But it must be taken into account that the volume of the skirt will be large; if sewn from thick fabrics, it will be too heavy.
- If we sew a product for carnival or dancec, you should choose light, flowing and bright canvases. For example: satin, staple, rayon, etc.
- For everyday wear you can choose the same materials. It is worth paying attention to plain natural and less slippery fabrics, such as cambric, linen, denim.
IMPORTANT! If you use patterned or checkered fabric, you need to add another 20–30 centimeters to adjust the pattern at the seams.
What you need for sewing
Materials and tools
- Scissors.
- Pattern paper.
- Tape measure
- Knitted duplerin (or economy option: non-woven fabric).
- Threads.
- Base fabric.
- Pencil.
- For the belt: elastic or hidden zipper, button.
- For decoration, if desired: satin ribbons, fabric for frills, bias tape, fabric for an underskirt.
What measurements are needed to create a pattern?
To take measurements, you must clearly mark your waist. This can be done by tying it with a ribbon, preferably a narrow elastic band. Do not tighten it too tightly and place it in the narrowest area parallel to the floor.
After taking the waist measurement (F), measure the length from this line along the back. The length of the product can be any at your discretion. But usually gypsy skirts are usually made to the floor or to the ankle.
Material calculation
To calculate the material, you need to know all the measurements and the formula for calculating the radius of a small circle (waist line): R1=(From/2)/(2*π), where π is a constant equal to 3.14.
To double sun you need two lengths plus two small radii and an additional 4–5 centimeters for allowances. This is for one half of the skirt, that is, the result needs to be multiplied by two more.
Length of frill or bias tape for the bottom is calculated by the formula: L=2πR, where L is the circumference, R is the length of the skirt.
For example, if From=60 cm and Di=75s m, then R1=(From/2)/(2*π)=(60/2)/(2*3.14)=30/6.28=4, 7 cm
2*75+2*5+5=165 cm/one half.
2*165=330 cm of fabric is needed for double sun.
IMPORTANT! Before cutting, the fabric must undergo WTO (wet heat treatment) so that it shrinks and the finished skirt does not become small after the first wash.
If you don't have a good steamer, it won't hurt to wash the fabric before cutting.
How to make a gypsy skirt pattern
For clarity, let’s take the same measurements as for calculating the fabric:
- From=60 cm;
- Di=75 cm.
Let's calculate the radius of the cutout along the waist of one half of the double sun:
R1=(From/2)/(2*π)=(60/2)/(2*3.14)=30/6.28=4.7 cm
The calculation for a larger radius looks like this:
R2=Di+R1=75+4.7=79.7 cm, this value can be rounded to 80 cm.
We draw a straight vertical line on paper, mark point A on it, from which we draw a semicircle with radius R1 = 4.7 cm. This will be the waistline of the skirt. From point A we also mark 80 cm as often as possible and draw a second semicircle, this is the bottom. The pattern is ready.
How to sew your own gypsy skirt
- Fold the fabric in half and pin the resulting pattern. The vertical with point A goes to the fold. We outline with chalk taking into account the allowances and cut out two such parts. Allowances are made on the side seams of no more than 1 cm, on the bottom 1.5–2 cm. If we process it with binding, then an allowance is not needed. If there is a frill at the bottom of the product, then its width must be subtracted from the length of the skirt and an increase must be made for stitching.
- We make a product belt. To do this, you need to cut out a rectangle, the length of which is equal to From + the increase in freedom of fit (approximately 0.5–0.7 cm). Also, don’t forget about allowances. We glue the belt with dublinin or non-woven fabric and iron it in half.
- We cut the resulting circles along the grain thread on one side, these will be the side seams. Place the side seams of the two pieces facing inward and stitch them together using a sewing machine. You can finish the edges with an overlocker or a zigzag stitch or bias tape. In very thin fabrics, such as chiffon, it is better to work the side seams back and forth. In this case, fold the side seams inside out and stitch them down by 0.5 cm. Iron the seam, turn it inside out and stitch by 0.5–0.7 cm. Iron the seams to the back.On the top left we leave a small space unstitched for the zipper. Usually they use a hidden one; it will be covered by the folds of the skirt and will not be noticeable at all.
- Sew the belt to the waist line and sew in a zipper. It can be sewn to the top of the product or to the waist. In the second case, we first sew in the zipper, and then the belt. At the same time, do not forget to leave an allowance for the button.
- It is better to carry out the fitting of the bottom in such a product on a mannequin or on the person for whom we are sewing. Measuring an equal distance from the floor, leave marks with chalk. On light-colored fabric, marks can be made with pins. We cut off the excess fabric and then process the bottom.
IMPORTANT! A skirt cut using the half-sun, sun, double-sun, etc. method should be hung on a hanger or mannequin for at least a day.
Then the fabric in places along the bias will stretch to its maximum, and the bottom of the product after installation will be even. If you don’t have time for this, you can bend the bottom along the oblique part (about 1 cm shorter).
Bottom processing
You can process the bottom in three main ways.
- Moscow seam. Complex, but when done correctly it gives a more neat look, suitable for thin fabrics.
- Bias tape. Good for thicker fabrics. If the product is made for dances or carnivals, it can be treated with a contrasting color trim to give a more aesthetic appearance.
- The easiest and fastest way is overcast the edge, make a hem to the width of the overlock stitch and topstitch by 0.1 cm.
After processing the bottom, we iron well and steam all the seams and the skirt itself.
Useful tips
- The belt can be made with an elastic band, but in this case it should be tight so that the skirt does not slip and holds tightly at the waist.
- If the length of the skirt is more than 70 cm, it will not fit along the length of a standard 150 cm wide fabric.In this case cut the halves of the circle.
- If you are a beginner, it is better to sweep the details firstso that the material does not slip during stitching and there is no unnecessary fit. And then machine stitch and remove the hand seam.
- The skirt can be decorated with lace, frills, bias tape or embroidered with beads and beads. Colors should be selected depending on its purpose.
- Before attaching the belt, you need to check the circumference of the waist with a measuring tape. If it is larger than the belt, then you need to iron the fabric. To avoid stretching, you can glue the top seam allowance with a thin strip of dublerin (approximately 0.5–0.7 cm). In this case, you need to ensure that there is no unnecessary fit or stretching.
- If you want to get a gathered shuttlecock, then its length should be greater than the length of the bottom. How much more depends on the build volume you want. For uniform assembly along the top of the part, we lay 2-3 auxiliary machine stitches 0.5 cm wide at a distance of 0.5 cm from each other. After stitching, remove the threads.
- The binding should be chosen to match the base material. If the base is satin or silk, then the trim should be satin. If the fabric of the skirt is staple or denim, then the trim should accordingly be cotton. The best option would be to cut it yourself from the same material as the skirt itself.
Your gypsy skirt is ready! Get into character and don't forget to take a photo!
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