Dress For Flamenco

Making your own flamenco skirt is tempting, but it's not that easy.  The multiple panels and long hem mean you'll be sewing for hours!   For practice and student recitals, a skirt like the Bal Togs flamenco skirt is perfect and only costs around $40 (see picture on right), so it's hard to see why you would give yourself so much grief!

Even if you're up for all that work, it's almost impossible to find a ready-made pattern.   Go to your local fabric store and you may find some labelled 'flamenco skirt' - but chances are they're for fancy dress, and won't have nearly enough material for dancing, unless you don't mind showing your knickers!

If you really want to make your own, buy an ordinary 6-panelled skirt pattern.   If you can find one with godets (triangles of material around the hem to make it flounce), even better.  Godets in streetwear are normally quite small, so you'll probably need to make them longer for a flamenco skirt.

If you have an ordinary 6-panel skirt pattern, there are a few ways to modify it:

Option 1 - Shorten the pattern to just below the knee, then add ruffles to the hem.  The number of ruffles will depend on how deep you make them.

# 2 - flared panel

This style will be similar to a sevillanas style skirt - just be careful it's not too tight around the thighs for dancing.  If the original pattern was A-line rather than dead straight, it should be fine.

Option 2 - Flare the pattern for each skirt panel out at the base (see pic), then cut and sew as normal.

Option 3 - Add your own godets.   Cut and sew the skirt as per the pattern, but leave the seams open from just above the knee.  Measure the length of the slit, then cut godets of material with that as the length.  Be warned - inserting the godets takes practice, and getting a straight hem once the dress is finished can be a challenge!