How to Cut a Poodle Skirt
Poodle skirts became popular in the 1950s and are named for the poodle that is appliqued to the front of the skirt. Most of poodle skirts are a perfect circle if placed on the floor and are made out of thick fabrics that hold an round shape. Many poodle skirts are made out of felt. If you are an experienced seamstress, it will be easy to cut out a poodle skirt based on the wearer's measurements. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Felt fabric
- Measuring tape
- Protractor
- Chalk
- Yardstick
- Scissors
- Fabric poodle cut-out
- Needle and thread
Instructions
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Measure the waist of whoever is going to wear the skirt. Add 2 inches to this number to accommodate for a waist hem. This will be the circumference of the inner circle.
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2
Draw the inner circle on the middle of the piece of fabric with the protractor and chalk. Mark the exact center of the circle with the chalk.
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3
Determine the desired length of the skirt from the waist and add 1 inch for the bottom hem. Mark the outside circle and bottom of the skirt by placing a yardstick at the center of the circle and measuring the desired length from the outer edge of the circle to the length. You can easily do this by placing the yardstick at the outer edge of the circle at the inch mark that you desire, lining up the end of the ruler with the middle of the circle and marking the fabric at the zero mark of the ruler. If you are making a skirt that is 14 inches, you will place the yardstick at the inner circle on the 15-inch mark, line up the end of the ruler with the center of the circle and mark the outer edge at the zero-inch mark.
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Continue making marks around the circle to make the outer edge of the skirt. Remember to keep the ruler in line with the center of the circle to ensure a uniform length.
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Use the chalk to draw the outer circle by connecting the marks you made with the yardstick. The more marks you make, the easier and more exact the circle will be.
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Cut out the middle circle by folding the fabric in half and cutting a small half circle through the fold. Open the fabric and use the fabric scissors to cut along the inner circular line. Cut along the outer circular line.
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Applique the poodle shape to whatever side of the fabric you have chosen to be the front. Most poodle skirts have the poodle placed at the bottom left or right of the front of the skirt. Many poodle skirts also have a ribbon dog collar that winds around the front of the skirt.
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Tips & Warnings
When taking measurements, measure exactly where you are going to wear the skirt. If you want to wear the skirt at your waist and you cut the fabric too wide it will naturally fall to your hips or beyond.
Use a stiff fabric when making a poodle skirt. This will help the skirt keep its volume.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit scissors image by Holtea Silviu from Fotolia.com
