Hexagon quilt style patchwork circle skirt

Pinkcoke

Pinkcoke

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I've searched but I couldn't find another patchwork skirt like this, the closest I could find were old hexagon patchwork quilts so I'm wondering if this was actually made from one? I'm also interested to know how old the pieces are. What's the oldest you can see? I can feel brushed cotton, rayon/silk, crepe, flocked taffeta, and velvet amongst other unknown fabrics, like the repeated dimpled material in different patterns. There is even a patch of crochet over crepe.
It's pretty tiny (24" waist) and I couldn't fit it over my mannequin so she's wearing it as a cape instead to give a similar effect :D with that size and being a full circle skirt I thought it must be 50's but does anybody know in which period these patchwork skirts were most popular? An older lady called it a 'poodle skirt' though I don't know what this defines. The only design on the hexagon pieces is one flocked black scottie dog near the waist. Strangely the zip has been inserted with the pull on the inside, I can't tell if it's original or not. Lightning brand, small rectangular pull. Machine sewn first to the lining then hand stitched to the patchwork outside. It has two poppers to fasten the waist tab and two cotton hanging loops inside. The pale yellow lining fabric is a mystery to me, it looks soft but it's actually very crisp and crinkly.
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My grandmother was a quilter - she would collect fabrics and upcycle clothing into quilts which looks like what happened here. I'd say this is definitely an antique or vintage quilt that someone made into a circle skirt - it's difficult to know when it was made into a skirt because people used to keep fabrics and zippers and other notions forever. If you look closely at the stitching it is probably at least partially hand-stitched.
 
I see '40s and '50s fabrics in the quilt but if it was made into a skirt it could be any time after that. I agree with Catseye that it's a repurposed quilt.

I think you're wrong about the zipper - and it's sewn the right way around. You simply couldn't wear a skirt if the zipper was done up on the inside so if you turn the skirt inside out, we'll see how it's supposed to look. The "lining" will show the fabric the wearer wanted to see and the quilted hexagons are the colourful lining.

I wonder if it was made for rock and roll dancing? If you measure the length, that will help date because '50s versions are much longer than more recent ones.

It would look really amazing as you swirled around!
 
I agree with Nicole that there are some 40s and 50s fabrics in there - maybe even earlier.

Friends and family members would often keep and trade fabrics back and forth - and there were also quilting circles.

All the women in my grandmother's family made beautiful quilts from repurposed fabrics - all of the pieces were stitched together by hand then machine sewn to the quilt back with cotton batting in between the layers.

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Sorry for some reason the picture of the skirt laid flat didn't go up the first time, I've now added this to the post. I didn't think the yellow lining was the exterior because it's bias cut with a couple of triangular pieces added at the corners- there are lots of seams you would see, and the black hanging loops would hang off the bottom of the waistband. The skirt is 25" long or 56" across.
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I agree that the yellow fabric must have been meant as the lining. Also the hanging loops are inside. Maybe someone just made a mistake with the zip. The lining looks like acetate. Is it rustly and shiny?
 
yes the lining is rustly and shiny, I also thought it would be too heavy to show the lining (if it were to have the quilt on the inside) when dancing as it weighs a good few kilos. It would swirl out nicely though.
the zip has both yellow and blue thread so I'm pretty certain it's been replaced at one point.
 
What an odd creature: thank you for the extra pics, I agree that the yellow is the lining.

Perhaps you're right: someone replaced the zipper, sewed it accidentally the wrong way and then never got around to wearing it or fixing it!??
 
It's a 24" waist, the waistband turns up when you wear it so the measurement is the outside circumference of that black fabric you see. Circle skirt waists always look smaller than they are on the floor, this is exactly the same pattern we use to make a character circle skirt in the UK.
 
Maybe it is a quilt top that someone made and never attached to the batting and backing - then someone made it into a skirt.

I think those cotton calico fabrics were made and used for quilting and day dresses for years which is why I agree with Nicole that there are 40s and 50s fabrics. My grandmother called the calico's "feed sack" fabric.
 
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