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Circle Skirt Calculator

Turn a waist measurement and a finished length into circle-skirt pattern radii, the hem length and the fabric block to allow.

switching units converts the entries
less fullness needs a larger waist radius for the same waist
body measurement, not the skirt opening
waist seam to finished hem
taken off the waist cut edge
added below the finished length
selvedge to selvedge, for the single-piece fit check

The waist radius is the seam line. The inner cut radius takes the seam allowance off that line, and the outer cut radius adds the finished length plus the hem allowance.

A full circle skirt wraps the whole circumference around the waist, so its waist radius is the waist divided by 2π. A three-quarter skirt uses three quarters of a circle, a half skirt half and a quarter skirt a quarter, so each needs a larger waist radius for the same waist. The pattern block is the rectangle a single-piece cut fits in, where R is the outer cut radius: 2R by 2R for a full or three-quarter circle, 2R by R for a half and R by R for a quarter. It assumes an even hem, no waistband or lining of its own, and no pattern matching; directional prints, bias stretch, squaring the fabric and pieced panels all need extra. Everything is worked out in your browser; nothing is sent or stored.