Going Full Circle: A Circle of Circles

Every summer I make one or more full circle skirts. They have such a 1950s vibe to them. Wearing one makes me want to put on bright red lipstick, don my stilettos, put a (candy) cigarette in a holder, have a martini sloshing out of a chilled martini glass and then head for the set of Mad Men. :)

Instead, I just wear the skirt in small town USA, without the red lipstick, (candy) cigarette and holder, or martini, and enjoy the swish as I walk. The stilettos are the only part of the mental image that makes it to reality.

The pattern I use for my circle skirts can be found on this website, where you just type in your measurements, and Voila! the dimensions for a circle skirt pattern magically appear.




First, here's the fabric, purchased at a home dec shop in the area. I honestly don't know the fiber content. It feels like a heavy poly taffeta. It's embroidered with large concentric circles in black, white and grey:



Isn't it pretty?

Here's the skirt, paired with an RTW blouse. It is very full and is fully lined as well. I'm showing it in several possible wearing iterations, because I haven't decided yet which is best. I'd love to hear opinions!

View 1: With an RTW blouse worn outside of the waistband:



View 2: With the blouse tucked in:



View 3: With a belt and the blouse hem left out:



And finally
View 4: With a belt and the blouse tucked in:



I like elements of each of these views. I would like to wear View #1 because it is the coolest and simplest. But it certainly draws the eye to the hipline. I am not self conscious about my hips, so the hippy look does not bother me. But it might bother the beholder. ;)

Fabric: Heavy poly taffeta, embroidered with concentric circles from Foam and Fabric, Hendersonville, NC

Lining: Stretch woven white poly lining fabric from my stash. I hated to use it, because I like to save my stretch woven linings for firm knits, but I had no other white lining in my stash.

Thread: Mettler 100% Poly in sewing machine, Maxi Lock serger thread

Machines: Janome 6600P sewing machine and Elna 905 serger

Modifications:

• Because I didn't have enough fabric for full semi circle pieces and because I wanted the black concentric circles to dominate the center front, I cut the circle skirt pattern into 4 pieces, seaming at the right/left sides of the front/back. I inserted the zipper in the left side back seam.
  
• The skirt is fully lined
  
• The skirt is hemmed with a rolled hem setting on my serger. I did not stabilize the hem in any way before making the rolled hem. I also put a rolled hem on the lining.
  
• The waist seam made this way
  1. Fashion fabric was stabilized with fusible stay tape
  2. The lining and skirt were placed right sides together and stitched with a 5/8 inch seam allowance.
  3. After pressing the seam, the seam allowance was clipped in several places.
  4. The lining was understitched to the seam allowance
  5. The waist was topstitched from the outside.

And that's it! I've got a pair of killer black/white spectator stilettos that will be perfect with this outfit. Now where did I put my cigarette holder... :)