How Much Fabric Do I Need For A Skirt

Skirts are worn for various reasons, such as parties, casual wear, and many more. But to make a skirt, you need around 2 yards of the fabric.

Apart from that, you will require 2¼ yards of fabric for a softly garnered skirt and an A-line skirt. It doesn’t matter what type of skirt you want. Once you decide the amount of material for the skirt, you can easily create one. 

You can also determine who will wear that particular skirt. If you wish to know more about how much fabric you, go through this entire document. 

How Much Fabric Do You Need To Make a Skirt?

You will come across many types of skirts, which are available in the market. Each of them is different, and the amount of fabric required to make each is also different. 

Below mentioned numerous types of skirts and the amount of material needed to create them. 

1. Circle skirt

To know the fabric amount required for making this skirt, you need to first divide the waist round by 3.14 + 2 inches for the seam allowance + the skirt’s height. So, you will need around 2 1/3 of fabric to make the circle skirt. 

circle skirt

Even though the equation might appear a little complex, it will enable you to obtain the right amount of fabric when you provide your specific numbers. 

2. Gathered skirt

The amount of fabric for the garnered skirt will depend entirely on the full you want for this skirt. So, if you use a fabric with a 60 inches width, you can easily use a single piece. This is only possible if your waist is 30 inches. 

To get the fullness, you only have to double up the waist round. For the majority of the garnered skirts, you will roughly require around 3 yards of fabric. You can also go higher than 3 yards.

3. Maxi skirt

When you are calculating the fabric amount for a maxi skirt, remember your height. Women who 5 foot 4 inches will need around 1½ of fabric. You can also go for 2 yards, but it will depend on their circumferences. 

But if you are much taller, you need to add a bit more yards. You are also free to begin from 2 yards. Be sure to do your measurements honestly. 

Doing so will not just provide you a skirt that will fit you perfectly. But the skirt will also drape well and deliver comfort at the same time.

4. Pencil skirt

The pencil skirt style will not take up much fabric. Be sure of its slender and minor cuts. Whether you utilize woven or knit material, the total fabric amount for the pencil skirt is 1 yard.

pencil skirt

If you are a tall individual, you must add in your height so that the skirt flatters your body. With such a beautiful skirt, all the heads will turn towards your direction in no time.

You must measure the fabric two times right before you think of cutting it. Doing so will stop you from making mistakes, and you will not lose extra fabric. 

5. Lehenga skirt

For the lehenga skirt, the fabric amount will depend on the skirt style you wish to wear. Your size will also play an important part. Although it’s a given, the lehenga skirt comes in many types. 

Each of the styles takes up a different amount of material. If you have a complete circle lehenga, you will need around 5 to 6 yards. The gored style will take a bit less fabric amount, between 3 to 5 yards. 

On the other hand, for the A-line lehenga, you will need 2½ yards of the fabric.

6. Wrap skirt

When you are determined to get a complete flare design on your skirt and using a fabric with a width of 42 inches, you need 4½ to 5 yards of material. 

But if you need a simple but nice-looking wrap dress that carries minor flare, you will require around 3½ to 4 yards of the fabric. 

Otherwise, you can also get yourself a wrap skirt with no flare. The minimum fabric amount will be 2½ to 3 yards. Don’t forget to make the correct adjustments so that the skirt matches perfectly with your body style.

What Are The Steps To Make A Skirt?

steps to make a skirt

When it comes to sewing or making a skirt, the process is simple and easy. The only thing you need to do is to follow all the steps given below carefully. 

Step 1

Fold the skirt fabric in half on the right sides. Match the edges of the skirts properly. 

Those edges will be the short edges until you create a maxi skirt within a small size. 

After that, stitch up the seam and finish the work. 

Step 2

Now, you must fold the top edge of the fabric to ¼ inch and press or iron it. Fold the material down again to 1¼ inch and iron it. Doing so will give birth to the waist casing. 

At the skirt’s bottom edge, fold up the raw edges to ½ inch and fold and press it. You have to press and fold the raw edges one more time to ½ inch, which will help in forming the hem.

After that, stitch up the casing located at the bottom edge and leave around 2 inches unsewn. Doing so will enable you to interpolate the elastic easily and stitch the hem to its place. 

Use a safety pin to hook through the elastic ends and the waist casing, insert elastic. Be very careful when inserting the elastic so that you don’t twist it. 

Step 3

You must overlap the fabric ends and use a wide zig-zag stitch along with a short stitch that will allow you to zig-zag at the ends of the skirt.

Also, keep in mind to backstitch the elastic.

Step 4

Pull the elastic within the waistband and sew up the opening area of the casing. Now, you just got yourself a brand-new skirt.

Amount Of Fabric You Need For Your Skirt

For the basic skirt, you will need around 2.25 meters of the material, and for a full flare, you will require 4.25 meters of the fabric. For less flare, you need 3.5 meters.

For pleated skirts, you need 3.35 meters for an adult and 2 meters for a medium length pleated skirt. The fabric amount for the garnered skirt will be around 3 meters to 2.5 meters. 

What Are The Best Fabrics For Making A Skirt?

There are so many fabrics or materials available in the market for creating a skirt. Some of the most popular materials are mentioned below.

1. Cotton

cotton skirt

You will come across around 100 types of cotton fabric. The natural woven material stands out as an ideal choice for making skirts. 

Cotton is pretty breathable and will provide you with plenty of comforts, even when the weather is hot. You can easily make a skirt for the summers with cotton fabric with no hassle. 

Above everything, cotton-made skirts are a lot easier to maintain, and sewing the fabric is pretty straightforward. The material stands out to be highly durable and comes in various hues or shades. 

2. Silk

Silk stands out as a famous fabric across the globe. Making a skirt with this particular fabric will give out an elegant and luxurious feel. The material is pretty smooth and carries luster that makes it a lot more attractive. 

Currently, there are around 50 types of silks. Some of the most popular types of silk materials are khadi silk, silk dupioni, tussar silk, cotton silk, and crepe silk.  

Also, the material is a little tough to maintain and sew. It’s because the majority of the silk fabrics carry the clean, dry option. When you purchase the fabric, you will find it in a much higher thread count.

It’s highly durable, soft, and stands out as the best fabric. You can go for the low count silks, but the only issue it carries is that the material is pretty delicate. They also pull apart at the seams.

3. Knit

knit skirt

Knit stands out as a technique, and the materials created with this technique carry plenty of stretches. You will encounter individuals who only sew with knitting because they adore the method for its comfortable and stretchiness. 

Be careful when using a knit fabric for your skirt. When purchasing the material, make sure to look for the gauge of the material. The higher gauge, the finer the material.

When you create a skirt with the knit fabric, you will not experience any discomfort or irritation. The material will enable you to do movements freely, and it’s highly durable as well. 

Ending Words

skirts are a beautiful piece of clothing. They have come in many styles, sizes, shapes, and shades. You can wear it for various occasions, and it will enhance your look as well. 

But when it comes to creating a skirt, you first need to know the fabric amount to make a skirt that will fit you perfectly. 

Through this particular article, you will gain in-depth knowledge about the fabric amount and various other things. Going through the information will make your skirt-making work a lot easier.

Jessica

Jessica

I'm Jessica Flores, a professional fashion designer and an expert seamstress. Crafting has always been a deep-seated passion of mine, one that has flourished and evolved over the years. I've dedicated considerable time to both studying and practicing in the realm of fashion and sewing, amassing a wealth of experience and skills. It brings me great joy to share these insights and experiences with you all, hoping to inspire and foster a similar passion for the art of sewing.

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