Make a Poodle Skirt

Are you going to a 50's party? Why not make your own poodle skirt? Poodle skirts are basic circle skirts, usually made of felt, that have a design appliquéd near the hem. The basic design was often a poodle — hence the name — although hot rods, flamingos, flowers, and other ideas are still de rigueur. To make a wonderful poodle skirt, follow these simple directions and you'll look like a true 1950s sock hop!

Things You'll Need

  • Pink or other bright coloured fabric, at least 48" square
  • Poodle patch, or black & white felt to make your own
  • Elastic as long as your waist measurement
  • Scissors
  • Needle & thread or sewing machine
  • Tailor's chalk or a washable pen
  • Tape measure

Steps

Starting Off

  1. Gather your material. First, find a big piece of any colored fabric for the overskirt. It needs to be lightweight, in order to move when you wear it, but should also be stiff. A vintage flat bedsheet is ideal.
    • Note that most traditional poodle skirts are made using felt fabric for the overskirt. If you don't have felt, or don't wish to use felt, you can also consider using taffeta.
  2. Take your measurements. Then add 2" for seam allowance — we will call this number 'W'. Now take a measurement for your desired length (around knee length is traditional) and add 2" again — we call this 'L'.
  3. Fold your fabric in half.
  4. In the center of the folded line, draw a semi-circle that is half of 'W'. So if your waist measured 21 1/4" + 2" seam allowance, your semi-circle would be 11.5" wide.
  5. Measure out from the edge of this semi-circle the desired length of your skirt 'L', and draw in a bigger semi-circle.
  6. Measure the waist cut with another calculation. The waist requires another calculation: c = π(d) or d = c/π. Remember that radius is half the diameter and π = 3.14 — this will give you how far down from the point to cut.
    • So if your waist is 21 1/4, divide by 3.14 to get a diameter of 6.77. Half of this is your radius, so divide by 2 (3.38) and this is how far down to cut from the point of your fold. Remember to measure the hem from this line as well rather than the point or your skirt will be several inches too short.

Cutting the Fabric and Assembling the Skirt

  1. Cut your fabric following these semi-circles, making sure to cut both layers. It may help to pin the layers together if your hands aren't steady. It'll resemble a giant donut once you're all done cutting.
  2. Hem the bottom of the skirt by rolling one inch of fabric under to hide the cut edge. Afterwards, stitch around the cut edge.
  3. Fold over 1" at the waistband and stitch close to the cut edge, so it creates a 1" channel. Don't stitch all the way around; leave a gap of 2" open.
  4. Thread some elastic into this gap, around the channel, and out the gap again. The elastic should measure 0.5" less than your original waist measurement (in this example 29.5").
  5. Stitch the two ends of the elastic together and close the gap in the waistband. Since most fabrics won't stretch to form a folded circle, tiny clips may be necessary to make the fabric lay flat.
  6. Make a small poodle out of black or white felt and sew it on. If you don't wish to sew on the appliqué, use a steam-adhesive product such as Steam-a-Seam, which are available in craft stores and online. If you want to experiment with other appliqués as well. Popular designs include:
    • Dogs
    • Hot-rods or other '50s cars
    • Flamingos
    • Flowers
    • Really large initials. Remember the L for Laverne?
  7. Finished!



Tips

  • If you use {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} felt, it may be full enough not to wear a petticoat
  • This skirt will look better if you wear full tulle petticoats underneath.
  • Follow the same direction with 72 in felt, however you will not have to hem the bottom if you use felt.
  • Experienced sewers can use a zip instead of elastic if desired

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