Q&A for How to Make a Poodle Skirt Without a Pattern and With Minimal Sewing

It can save you an enormous about of money if you use your skills to alter or create clothing for growing children. Or for yourself or your spouse, if either of your weights tend to fluctuate. It also keeps idle hands busy.

Yes, but you will also need a height measurement.

Felt only comes in 60 inch width. So buy only the length you need for the big circumference you figured out using the method above.

Yes, you may use any fabric you wish.

In the example radius instructions, multiply the total radius by two to get the length and width of fabric needed. So, for example, 28 x 2 = 56 inches.

Yes, definitely on the bottom. However, the zigzag stitch that attaches the elastic should keep the top from fraying.

Yes. You could use freehand sewing in the places you would use a machine; however, freehand is much harder to do and is more time consuming.

Because the waist size is the circumference, not the diameter. It's geometry. C=2πr (Circumference = 2 x 3.14 x radius).

Yes, any fabric can be used, but I recommend felt or cotton. Knit materials work as well.

It depends on the fabric you use. Many fabrics require hemming, however if you use a fleece, felt,or spandex fabric, or anything else that doesn't fray, hemming isn't necessary. Of course, if you'd like to hem you can, it's up to you and what you find aesthetically pleasing.

Any fabric is okay, felt is just the best one for this type of skirt because it is somewhat stiff.

I would, just so you have a professional finish with no raw edges.

If you add an elastic waistband it should, but check before you start. Slide it over your head once you make the cut to see if you need any adjustments beforehand.

Stretch the elastic while the fabric or you'll snap your thread when you stretch the elastic.

Nope! If you cut your skirt on the fold it should come out as a full circle.

Technically, any fabric will work, though you should check to make sure you have the proper materials for working with faux leather. That being said, faux leather could be too heavy or stiff for the characteristic lightness, lift, and flounce that poodle skirts have on their own. You might need a petticoat or two to go underneath it if you want it to have the same shape as the skirt in the illustration.

Depends on where you buy the fabric and what type of fabric you use. If you buy reasonably priced fabric, you should be able to make an inexpensive skirt.

This pulls up for both my daughter (girls' size 10/12) and myself (women's XL), but I did have to make adjustments on the elastic waistband. Ours fit better if we subtracted an inch rather than adding one on the waist.

Typically, when cutting out a pattern from fabric, you want to fold the fabric with the wrong sides facing each other. This is because when you sew the pieces together, you will be turning them right side out to show the finished side of the fabric.