How to Make a Fifties Skirt

Poodle skirts make fun costumes for Halloween, theme dances and costume parties.

One of the most iconic fashions of the 1950s is the poodle skirt, which is a brightly colored skirt that comes down over the knee and has a poodle decal on one of the front corners. Poodle skirts are most often made of felt or another soft fabric. Because poodle skirts only require three sewing pattern pieces and can use Velcro as a fastener rather than a zipper, they are one of the easiest sewing projects and a good project for beginning sewers.

Things You'll Need

• 2 yards of brightly colored felt
• Poodle skirt sewing pattern
• Scissors
• Pins
• Sewing machine
• Stack velcro (peel-and-stick back)
• Press-on or sew-on poodle decal

Instructions

1. Lay the felt on a large, flat surface such as a floor or large table.

2. Fold the felt in half.

3. Place the sewing pattern pieces (in the shape of a half circle) on top of the felt and pin into place.

4. Using sharp scissors, cut around the sewing pattern. Most poodle skirt patterns come in three pieces: the front, the back and the waistband. The front and the back appear like one-quarter of a circle and will be placed facing one another to form a half circle. The waist will be cut as a half circle at the top center of the front and back patterns.

5. Open the felt after cutting the fabric to reveal two identical pieces for the skirt.

6. Using the sewing machine, stitch the fabric around the waist using a stay-stitch technique. Stick the waist 1/2 inch from the edge of the fabric.

7. Using the sewing machine, stitch the front and back of the skirt together using a basting-stitch technique. Stitch on the side that will receive the Velcro. Press open the seam in order to place the Velcro strip inside.

8. Cut a strip of Velcro to about 6 inches in length. Peel the back off and stick it in the opened seam.

9. Apply the poodle to the front corner of the poodle skirt. It it is an iron-on decal, follow the instructions carefully on the packaging. If it is a sew-on decal, sew around the edges of the poodle from the inside of the skirt in order to hide the stitches from view.

References

• Retro Sewing: Make Poodle Skirt