Dressing up is just not the same without a big swishy cape to swirl around in, so, whether it’s a little Elsa or a Dracula, it is always good to know how to make a cape. This costume is for a six-year-old fairy princess and also includes a skirt, but the good news is the skirt and cape are made in almost exactly the same way: using the “circular skirt” pattern. This is a very simple way to make a full skirt and only requires two measurements: the waist and the finished length.
There is no need to make a paper pattern, as you will be marking the fabric before cutting out. It doesn’t take long to sew together and, coupled with a long sleeved white T-shirt, wand and tiara, this little princess can make magic happen.
NB: Read pattern through to end before starting to sew. Width of fabric 60”
List of requirements
• 2 yards fabric for skirt• 1½ yards fabric for cape• Velcro for closure on skirt• 40” ribbon for neck tie on cape• Thread• Tailor’s chalk
Circular Skirt
Skirt measurements
Waist 25”
Finished length of skirt 25”
1 Lay fabric down, right side up and fold in half from top to bottom. Fold again from left to right. You have folded your fabric into four quarters.
2 Take the waist measurement and divide it by 6.28. For example, 25”÷ 6.28 = 3.98, which I will round up to 4”.
3 Measure 4” from the folded edge (see figure 1) and mark with tailor’s chalk. Measure and mark the radius all the way across. This is the cutting line for your waist.
4 Measure 25” from this cutting line (see figure 1) and mark with tailor’s chalk. Measure and mark the radius all the way across. This is the cutting line for your hem.
5 Cut the waist and hem. Open out the fabric. You now have a circular piece of fabric with a smaller circle in the middle. Use tailor’s chalk to mark the smaller circle into four quarters, which will give you a centre front, centre back and two side seams.
6 To make an opening at the back of the skirt, cut a slit of 4”. Turn a small hem and stitch in place.
7 Make waistband: You need to add ½” seam allowance x 2 and 1” overlap x 2 to the waist measurement. For example, 25 + 1+ 2 = 28”. Cut waistband 28” wide by 3” high. Fold waistband lengthways, right sides out and press, this is the centrefold line. Open, turn under and press ½” hem on one long edge only. Use chalk to mark 1½” (overlap + seam allowance) at each end of the waistband. Mark the waistband into four quarters (do not include the overlap).
8 Pin top of circular skirt to the waistband raw edge, right sides together, matching centre front, centre back and two sides. Stitch in place, taking ½” seam allowance. Press seam towards waistband.
9 With right sides together, fold waistband along the centrefold line. Stitch overlap ends. Trim. Turn right side out. Press. Slipstitch hemmed edge of waistband to skirt on the inside, extending to overlap sections on each edge. Stitch Velcro to overlap sections.
10 As this is a child’s costume we are going to use a very quick and easy method to hem the circular skirt. Zig zag stitch all around the hem of the skirt to prevent it from fraying. Press. Turn under a ¼” hem to the inside and straight stitch close to the edge.
Circular Cape
Cape measurements: Finished length of cape 26”.
The cape is made exactly the same way as the circular skirt, except we cut all the way down to the bottom to make a front opening and there is no waistband.
1 Fold fabric into four quarters as before.
2 Measure 2” from the folded edge and mark with tailor’s chalk. Measure and mark the radius all the way across. This is the cutting line for the neck edge.
3 Measure 43” from the neck edge and mark with chalk. Measure and mark the radius all the way across. This is the cutting line for your hem.
4 Cut neck and hem. Open out fabric. Cut a straight line from the smaller circle to the outside edge. This will be the centre front.
5 To neaten centre-front edges, turn under and stitch a double fold ½” hem on either side.
6 Zig zag stitch all around neck edge to prevent it from fraying. Fold ribbon in half, mark centre. Fold neck edge in half, mark centre back. Attach neck edge of cape to ribbon matching centre back marks.
7 Treat hem of cape the same as above.
Watch Out!
• The circular pattern used here is suitable for plain non-directional fabrics only.• The neck, waist and hem edges stretch very easily, so do not pull the fabric when it is under the sewing machine; allow the sewing machine to simply feed the fabric through, under the presser foot.
Dressing up is just not the same without a big swishy cape to swirl around in, so, whether it’s a little Elsa or a Dracula, it is always good to know how to make a cape. This costume is for a six-year-old fairy princess and also includes a skirt, but the good news is the skirt and cape are made in almost exactly the same way: using the “circular skirt” pattern. This is a very simple way to make a full skirt and only requires two measurements: the waist and the finished length.
There is no need to make a paper pattern, as you will be marking the fabric before cutting out. It doesn’t take long to sew together and, coupled with a long sleeved white T-shirt, wand and tiara, this little princess can make magic happen.
NB: Read pattern through to end before starting to sew. Width of fabric 60”
List of requirements
• 2 yards fabric for skirt• 1½ yards fabric for cape• Velcro for closure on skirt• 40” ribbon for neck tie on cape• Thread• Tailor’s chalk
Circular Skirt
Skirt measurements
Waist 25”
Finished length of skirt 25”
1 Lay fabric down, right side up and fold in half from top to bottom. Fold again from left to right. You have folded your fabric into four quarters.
2 Take the waist measurement and divide it by 6.28. For example, 25”÷ 6.28 = 3.98, which I will round up to 4”.
3 Measure 4” from the folded edge (see figure 1) and mark with tailor’s chalk. Measure and mark the radius all the way across. This is the cutting line for your waist.
4 Measure 25” from this cutting line (see figure 1) and mark with tailor’s chalk. Measure and mark the radius all the way across. This is the cutting line for your hem.
5 Cut the waist and hem. Open out the fabric. You now have a circular piece of fabric with a smaller circle in the middle. Use tailor’s chalk to mark the smaller circle into four quarters, which will give you a centre front, centre back and two side seams.
6 To make an opening at the back of the skirt, cut a slit of 4”. Turn a small hem and stitch in place.
7 Make waistband: You need to add ½” seam allowance x 2 and 1” overlap x 2 to the waist measurement. For example, 25 + 1+ 2 = 28”. Cut waistband 28” wide by 3” high. Fold waistband lengthways, right sides out and press, this is the centrefold line. Open, turn under and press ½” hem on one long edge only. Use chalk to mark 1½” (overlap + seam allowance) at each end of the waistband. Mark the waistband into four quarters (do not include the overlap).
8 Pin top of circular skirt to the waistband raw edge, right sides together, matching centre front, centre back and two sides. Stitch in place, taking ½” seam allowance. Press seam towards waistband.
9 With right sides together, fold waistband along the centrefold line. Stitch overlap ends. Trim. Turn right side out. Press. Slipstitch hemmed edge of waistband to skirt on the inside, extending to overlap sections on each edge. Stitch Velcro to overlap sections.
10 As this is a child’s costume we are going to use a very quick and easy method to hem the circular skirt. Zig zag stitch all around the hem of the skirt to prevent it from fraying. Press. Turn under a ¼” hem to the inside and straight stitch close to the edge.
Circular Cape
Cape measurements: Finished length of cape 26”.
The cape is made exactly the same way as the circular skirt, except we cut all the way down to the bottom to make a front opening and there is no waistband.
1 Fold fabric into four quarters as before.
2 Measure 2” from the folded edge and mark with tailor’s chalk. Measure and mark the radius all the way across. This is the cutting line for the neck edge.
3 Measure 43” from the neck edge and mark with chalk. Measure and mark the radius all the way across. This is the cutting line for your hem.
4 Cut neck and hem. Open out fabric. Cut a straight line from the smaller circle to the outside edge. This will be the centre front.
5 To neaten centre-front edges, turn under and stitch a double fold ½” hem on either side.
6 Zig zag stitch all around neck edge to prevent it from fraying. Fold ribbon in half, mark centre. Fold neck edge in half, mark centre back. Attach neck edge of cape to ribbon matching centre back marks.
7 Treat hem of cape the same as above.
Watch Out!
• The circular pattern used here is suitable for plain non-directional fabrics only.• The neck, waist and hem edges stretch very easily, so do not pull the fabric when it is under the sewing machine; allow the sewing machine to simply feed the fabric through, under the presser foot. 
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