Disclosure: AccuQuilt kindly provided the GO! Big electric fabric cutter and GO! Big circle die for this project.

Love the look of retro 1950s-inspired style? Be the belle of the sock hop with this fun and flirty DIY goldfish bowl “poodle” skirt!

It’s surprisingly easy to create your own custom version of the iconic poodle skirt, and, in this tutorial, I’ll show you how to make my quirky aquatic variation. But, before we get to the tutorial, I’d like to introduce you to my new favorite toy, the AccuQuilt GO! Big electric fabric cutter. The GO! Big definitely saved me a ton of time on this project—I’m kind of a perfectionist, so circles are probably my least favorite shape to cut out—and I couldn’t recommend it more highly. I was already in love with my AccuQuilt GO! Baby, and, I have to admit, the GO! Big really blew my mind too!

** This post is part of the AccuQuilt GO! Big Blog Hop! Scroll down to the end of the post for 10 whole days of AccuQuilt-inspired fun!**

About the AccuQuilt GO! Big electric fabric cutter:
* It cuts quickly and is really easy to use.
* In addition to the GO! Big dies, it’s also compatible with all of AccuQuilt’s other GO! dies, and can cut two 6" wide dies side by side at the same time.
* GO! Big dies are used exclusively with the GO! Big. The large die board allows you to cut a a 12" x 16" multi-shape die or a 12 ½" finished block die.

About the GO! Big Circle Die:
* It includes 4", 6", 7", and 8" circles all in one die.
* You can cut up to 6 layers cotton fabric at once.

Here’s a quick video of the AccuQuilt GO! Big in action:

Make your own 1950s-inspired goldfish bowl “poodle” skirt:

Please note that, with the exception of the AccuQuilt GO! Big electric fabric cutter and the AccuQuilt GO! Big circle die, the links to supplies and tools that are provided below are affiliate links, and I will be compensated if you choose to make a purchase after clicking through.

Supplies:
* Goldfish applique template PDF, printed at full size/full scale
* Circle skirt (I used this tutorial to sew my own.)
* Cotton fabric, two fat quarters (½ yard) blue for the bowl and bubbles and three 3" x 3" fabric scraps in contrasting colors for the fish (Pre-wash all fabric before using.)
* Blue thread
* Fusible webbing (optional)

Tools:
* AccuQuilt GO! Big electric fabric cutter (optional but recommended)
* GO! Big Circle Die (optional but recommended) or an 8" circle template and a 4" circle template
* Fabric scissors
* Quilting ruler
* Fabric marking pencil
* Paper scissors
* Straight pins
* Iron and ironing board
* Sewing machine

Step 1:
Using the AccuQuilt GO! Big electric fabric cutter and the GO! Big Circle Die (or an 8" circle template and a 4" circle template), cut one 8" circle and three 4" circles.

Step 2:
Cut about an inch off the top of the 8" circle to create the goldfish bowl shape.

Step 3:
Print the goldfish applique template PDF at full size/full scale and cut it out.

Use a fabric pencil to trace the fish shape onto three contrasting color fabric scraps, then carefully cut out each fish applique piece.

Step 4:
Position the fish applique pieces on the bowl shape as desired, then secure in place with either straight pins or fusible webbing.

Step 5:
Using a very narrow zigzag stitch, machine applique the goldfish pieces to the bowl by sewing all the way around the outside edge of each fish.

Step 6:
Position the goldfish bowl slightly off-center near the bottom of the skirt and pin it in place. Do the same with the three bubble pieces.

Tip: You’ll want to do this while wearing the skirt or with the skirt on a dress form to ensure that the top of the goldfish bowl appears to be level when worn.

Step 7:
Using a very narrow zigzag stitch, machine applique the goldfish bowl and the bubbles to the skirt by sewing all the way around the outside edge of each piece.

Step 8:
Press as needed with an iron to flatten the applique and smooth any wrinkles.

That’s it! Now, take a nice twirl around that dance floor.

The Downton Abbey Collection from Andover Fabrics:
A special thank you to Andover Fabrics for providing a lovely selection of fabric cuts from their Downton Abbey collection. I used two of their delightful prints in my appliqued fish.

This tutorial is part of the AccuQuilt GO! Big Blog Hop! You’ll definitely want to stop by the sites below to see other fantastic AccuQuilt-inspired projects.

• Monday Feb. 23rd – Bea Lee – http://www.beaquilter.com/ – GO! Big Snails Trail – 12" Finished
• Tuesday Feb. 24th – Haley Pierson Cox – Red-Handled Scissors – https://www.redhandledscissors.com/ – GO! Big Circle – 4", 6", 7", 8"
• Wednesday Feb. 25th – Lee Monroe – http://www.maychappell.com/ – GO! Big Double Wedding Ring – 12 ½" Finished
• Thursday Feb. 26th – Angela Pingel – Cut To Pieces – http://cuttopieces.blogspot.com/ – GO! Big Churn Dash – 12" Finished
• Friday Feb. 27th – Jodi Nelson – Pleasant Home – http://www.pleasant-home.com/ – GO! Big Square – 10" (9 ½" Finished)
• Saturday Feb. 28th – Connie Campbell – Free Motion by the River – http://www.conniekresin.com/ – GO! Big Snails Trail – 12" Finished
• Sunday March 1st – Sherri McConnell – A Quilting Life – http://www.aquiltinglife.com/ – GO! Big Churn Dash – 12" Finished
• Monday March 2nd – Belinda Karls-Nace – Blue Ribbon Designs – http://blueribbondesigns.blogspot.com/ – GO! Big Square – 10" (9 ½" Finished)
• Tuesday March 3rd – Karen Way – Sew Many Ways – http://sewmanyways.blogspot.com/ – GO! Big Double Wedding Ring – 12 ½" Finished
• Wednesday March 4th – Elizabeth Evans – Simple Simon and Co. – http://www.simplesimonandco.com/ – GO! Big Churn Dash – 12" Finished