Traditional hula skirts are called Pa'u skirts.
Traditional hula skirts are call Pa'u skirts and are made from brightly dyed fabric. The top of a Pa'u skirt contains casings that house long cords. Hulu dancers wrap the Pa'u skirt around their waist and tie the cords together on their left sides. Pa'u skirts come in different styles. Some contain a single cord and consist of a single panel of fabric. Other Pa'u skirts are made from multiple fabric panels with multiple rows of cording at the top. You can make a Pa'u skirt for yourself using printed cotton or polyester fabric.
Instructions
1. Wash 3 yards of fabric to pre-shrink it. Dry the fabric and press it flat with an iron. Lay the fabric right side down on a work surface.
2. Measure the width of the fabric to 45 inches using a fabric measuring tape. Mark your measurement with a fabric pencil. Cut the fabric to 45 inches wide using scissors. The length of the fabric should remain at 3 yards.
3. Fold the shorter edges of the fabric inward by 1/4 inch. Ensure that the wrong sides of the folded fabric are together. Pin along each fold with straight pins.
4. Thread a sewing machine with thread that matches the color of the fabric. Sew along each folded edge to create 1/4-inch seams. Remove the pins before sewing over them to avoid breaking the machine's needle. Clip any loose threads.
5. Fold each short edge inward once more by 1/2 inch. Pin each folded edge in place. Sew along each folded edge to create a 1/2-inch seam along each side. Clip any loose threads.
6. Fold the bottom lengthwise edge inward by 1/4 inch so the wrong sides are together. Pin the fold in place. Sew along the fold to create a 1/4-inch seam. Fold the edge inward once more by 1/2 inch. Pin the fold in place. Sew along the fold to create a 1/2-inch seam. Clip any loose threads. This edge will serve as the bottom of your skirt.
7. Fold the top lengthwise edge of the fabric inward, with wrong sides together, by 1/4 inch. Pin the fold and sew a seam along the folded edge. Clip any loose threads.
8. Fold the top edge inward once more by 1 inch. Pin the fold in place. Sew along the edge of the folded fabric to create a 3/4-inch casing. Remove the pins before sewing over them. Clip any loose threads.
9. Choose a color of cording that matches the color of your skirt. Cut the length of the cording to 6 feet. Tie an overhand knot in one end of the cording. Push a large safety pin through the other end of the cording.
10. Insert the safety pin into one end of the skirt's casing. Push the safety pin and cording through the casing of the skirt. Push the fabric along the length of cording to gather it as you thread the cording through. Pull the safety pin and cording end through the opposite end of the casing from where you started.
11. Remove the safety pin from the end of the cording. Tie a knot in the end of the cording. Use your hands to spread the gathers in the skirt's fabric evenly along the cording. Wrap the edge of the skirt with the cording around your waist. Pull on the cording to cinch the skirt around your waist. Tie the ends of the cording together in a bow at the left side of your waist to secure the skirt.
Tags: Clip loose, Clip loose threads, loose threads, along each, edge inward, folded edge, place along