How to cut a skirt on the double fold

Cutting on the double fold is a technique used to cut circle skirts and handkerchief skirts.  It allows us to cut these skirts very quickly and symmetrically, as we are essentially folding the fabric into quarters and cutting all four quarters of the skirt at once (it works because circle skirts form a perfect circle, and handkerchief skirts form a perfect square). Once you get the hang of it, it’s a fun and easy way to cut your skirts, but making sure you are folding it correctly can be a bit intimidating the first time you do it. In the quick tutorial below, I show you exactly what to do so you can cut your skirt with confidence.

1. First, fold your fabric in half so the selvedge edges meet (If you have a long cut of fabric, I find it is easiest to cut the fabric down to a size that is a few inches larger than needed to make my skirt so the fabric is more manageable). 

   

   
   

2. Next, fold your fabric in half from the other direction (from bottom to top) just as you would if you were folding a piece of paper into quarters - just a lot bigger!

   

   
   
   
   

3. Place your pattern piece on your fabric. Line up each of the “Place on fold lines” with the two folded edges.   Make sure the lines are perfectly on the edges of the fold.

   

   
   

4. Cut around your pattern by cutting around the curved edges (if you are sewing a handkerchief skirt, the bottom of the skirt will end in points instead of a curve, but the process is the same.

   

   
   

5. Unfold, and voila!  Your skirt is cut out and ready to use in whichever pattern you are making.