tutus two ways

So, I made a couple of tutus. They're a little bit of a hodge podge if you look too closely, but still pretty darn cute. It's how I roll, that impulsive 'make it up as you go along' thing. I'm refining my skills, so by the third or fourth trial you won't be able to see the messy edges because there won't be any. ;)

Sophia has affectionately labeled this first one as the 'Spooberry Cake Cake' dress. I was channelling Strawberry Short Cake a little with the pink and white spots mixed with red. It was a bit of a process to make (will detail it below) but the end result is cute. And very poofy.

And here's the second. A much simpler method. Once again, this is rough around the edges. It's so easy though, that I think next time it will be perfect. And cost a grand total of $1.50 to make! Hello!

What is it about layers of wrinkled tulle? I want to eat this little lavender up.

We rode off on the bike to pick flowers in our skirt. We needed some lavender to match it.

Some of the daisies smelt a little funny.

The loot.

Fun! There are two more coming--a Tinkerbell Fairy skirt and a ballerina tutu--I'll take some pics and post them tomorrow or the next day. We now have a selection for the dress ups, and I have learnt which methods I'll refine more and which I'll avoid. Sophia's little friends may just be receiving one of these some time soon.

Here are the methods if you're game...

Red 'Spooberry Cake Cake' Tutu

This skirt is really stiff because of the 'sewing strips onto a base' method I have used. But I personally like the stiffness, and the poofy-ness it creates. A bit fiddly holding back the tulle as you stitch around it but worth the effort. You could probably get the same look for less work if you follow the 'Lavender Tutu' method below but with soft tulle, more of it, and sewn closer together (and scrunching not pleating). Next time I'll try it that way I think.


You'll need:

About 1 metre of soft tule (probably a little less)
About 30cm of fabric
About 30cm of elastic
A little bit of scrap fabric (2 pieces roughly 30cm by 20cm square each)
Thread

Cost me about $11 total because the soft tulle is around $7 a metre.


Step 1. I decided I'd start by trying this idea I had of sewing the tulle onto strips, then sewing the strips onto a simple skirt made out of scrap fabric. So, I cut a basic A-line mini-skirt shape (with a wide enough top to pull up over the bum and hips) and sewed down the sides, zigzag stitching over the rough edges.



Step 2. Cut strips out of most (but not all) of your fabric. Mine were about an inch wide. Leave enough fabric for your waist band and hem. Cut strips out of your tulle. Mine were 4 inches or so wide.



Step 3. Measure around the circumference of the base of your skirt with your your first strip of fabric and cut it off at the right length. Gather your tulle onto your strip as you sew (sew the tulle onto the middle of the strip so there is room to stitch either side of it). Scrunch this one, don't pleat it--makes the tulle stick out to the side more like a ballerina tutu.



Step 4. Zigzag stitch your strip onto the base of your skirt. You will be doing two lines of zigzag, above and below the tulle ruffle. Once you've sewn the first strip on, repeat steps 3 and 4 until you have covered all of your scrap fabric. Your skirt will be nice and thick--it will stand up by itself.



Step 5. Cut a piece of your fabric for the waistband. About 6 inches (or so) thick, and the length of the top circumference of your skirt. Fold it in half (short ends touching and good sides together) and sew down the end, zigzag or overlock to neaten. Fold down onto itself so that the good side is showing and the basic shape of the waistband is formed. Sew edges together but leave 2 inches open to thread elastic through.



Step 6. Cut your elastic off at a length that fits snug around your child's waist (not too tight or loose) plus a little extra for the hem (3cm). Use a safety pin to draw the elastic through your waistband. Pull fabric down like a srunchy so you have room to work, and sew the ends over the top of each other in a 1.5cm square with an X through the middle for strength. Straighten out your waistband and sew up the hole. Zigzag or overlock to neaten.



Step 7. Sew the band onto the top of the skirt and zigzag to neaten the edge off. 'Good side to good side' or, if you have completely covered your scrap fabric, 'good side to rough side' is fine. Neaten and smooth off the rough edges inside your skirt because it's where your little's tummy will go.





Step 8. I only did this step because you could see into the base of the skirt and I wanted to hide the scrap fabric fully with my pink and white dot. I followed the same method as step 5, without the elastic and a bit of a thinner band. Then sewed it on to the bottom of the skirt 'good side to good side' so that it formed a little extra hem band at the bottom. Purely optional--your skirt may look better without it.

Fin.

Simple Lavender Tutu

The easiest and fastest method. Will definitely try this one again with both soft and stiff tulle, and I'll have a go matching the colour of the thread and the base fabric with the tulle for a softer, more classical look. Fun, fast and cheap!


You'll need:

Roughly 1/2 a metre of stiff tulle ($3 a metre at Spotlight)
Some scrap fabric for the base of the skirt and waistband (probably 30cm but I used bits and pieces I found in the house)
About 30cm of elastic
Thread

Cost me a few cents over $1.50 to make--it's a steal!


Step 1. Cut and sew a base mini-skirt out of your scrap fabric (follow Step 1 of the 'Spooberry Cake Cake' tutu method.



Step 2. Cut strips out of your tulle (about 3inches wide) and, beginning at the bottom of your base, gather the tulle onto your skirt. Once you've rounded the circumference, cut the tulle off and start the next row up (about 1.5-2 inches higher than the last). I basically would gather 1.5 or 2 cm and sew, gather, sew, gather sew. Pretty easy to get into the swing of it. Sew the tulle on until your whole base is covered. The skirt will be stiff and stand up by itself. You may want to handstich together a few of the cut off edges and sticky-out bits. I didn't do this but will next time.



Step 3. Make a waistband out of your scrap fabric. Follow steps 5-7 above. However, when sewing on the waistband I didn't sew 'good side to good side', I just stuck the band inside the skirt and stitched. The rough edge suited the look of my skirt better.

Voila! Done!

And I couldn't resist closing this post with a pic of those scrumptious neck curls. Good enough to eat.

Tune in in a day or two for the next skirts! Adios!

x