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The Sew What’s New Archive

This archived content is from Mary Wilkins’ sewing and quilting message board “Sew What’s New,” which was retired in August 2007. It is being provided by “Sew What’s Up,” which serves as the new home for many members of “Sew What’s New.”
From: kdgteacher
Date: 11-06-2006, 08:44 AM (1 of 24)
I made this for another teacher's grandaughter. She just started taking ballet lessons. I used white tulle and pink organza strips. If you look closely, you will see ballet buttons on the pink strips. I really liked the way it turned out and it didn't take long at all to make.http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j213/kdgteacher/MVC-044S.jpg
User: kdgteacher
Member since: 01-11-2006
Total posts: 45
From: kdgteacher
Date: 11-06-2006, 08:44 AM (2 of 24)
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j213/kdgteacher/MVC-043S.jpg
User: kdgteacher
Member since: 01-11-2006
Total posts: 45
From: Brenisback
Date: 11-06-2006, 08:51 AM (3 of 24)
That is so cute!!!
Brenda

People come into your life ...for a Reason a Season or a Lifetime.
User: Brenisback
Member since: 09-20-2004
Total posts: 228
From: SummersEchos
Date: 11-06-2006, 09:34 AM (4 of 24)
How cute, I am sure she will just love it.
Summer

FREE FALLIN
User: SummersEchos
Member since: 09-29-2004
Total posts: 884
From: Sews4kate
Date: 11-06-2006, 09:39 AM (5 of 24)
I love it. I'm sure the little girl will too!
Wendy
User: Sews4kate
Member since: 08-20-2005
Total posts: 182
From: MaryW
Date: 11-06-2006, 10:48 AM (6 of 24)
She will feel like a princess!
MaryW
owner/editor of Sew Whats New
User: MaryW
Member since: 06-23-2005
Total posts: 2542
From: esrun3
Date: 11-06-2006, 01:21 PM (7 of 24)
very cute!! I'll have to make one for the new granddaughter when she gets big enough
Lyn
User: esrun3
Member since: 12-02-2004
Total posts: 2345
From: ckmom002
Date: 11-06-2006, 01:49 PM (8 of 24)
ok i love it i have been wanting to make on of those but where do i get that ribbon, fabric whatever it is!!!! i looked at walmart and hancocks and neither had it ????
User: ckmom002
Member since: 06-11-2006
Total posts: 105
From: kdgteacher
Date: 11-06-2006, 06:24 PM (9 of 24)
I got everything at Joann's fabric. The white is tulle, comes on a 25 yard roll for $3, didn't even use all of it. The pink is organza, also comes on a 9 yard roll for $3 and I used almost 2 of them. Buttons were from there or off of Ebay. You can buy the tulle off of Ebay too. Wal-Mart has it on the big cards, which to me is too hard to cut. You can buy them in 9 inch widths(I think) at 25 yards, which makes it very easy to cut. Anymore questions, feel free to ask. Felicia
User: kdgteacher
Member since: 01-11-2006
Total posts: 45
From: mommgsews
Date: 11-07-2006, 04:56 PM (10 of 24)
It is Beee-u-ti-full!!! She will dance even better with it on! The right "uniform" goes a long way to making one feel special. :-)
User: mommgsews
Member since: 03-15-2004
Total posts: 73
From: Sandragam
Date: 11-08-2006, 12:08 PM (11 of 24)
That is so cute. It just looks so feminine! Thanks so much for sharing where you got the tulle. I have tried making the tutu with regular tulle that's on the cardboard and found that my strips did not look uniform the way yours do. Next time I make one I will buy the roll of tulle---and add organza strips to it also. Thanks so much for sharing with us.
Sandra G.
User: Sandragam
Member since: 06-21-2006
Total posts: 13
From: kmccrea
Date: 11-08-2006, 06:22 PM (12 of 24)
That is so cute! I, too prefer the organza on rolls rather than cards (fewer creases). Thank you for showing us the photographs.
Kate
Katherine McCrea
Designer At Large
User: kmccrea
Member since: 05-07-2006
Total posts: 173
From: snipnstitch
Date: 11-12-2006, 09:08 PM (13 of 24)
The tutu is adorable.. I had recently been asked to make one but when I searched the internet for info on it.. whew! The ones for the older kids were very complicated!! This would have been perfect. Would you share how you made it.. I would love to know!

Carolyn in Louisiana
User: snipnstitch
Member since: 10-10-2006
Total posts: 7
From: kdgteacher
Date: 11-14-2006, 01:47 PM (14 of 24)
--Cut elastic one inch longer that the child's exact waist size, just like you do when making shorts/pants.
--cut strips of tulle, you double the size and add 1 inch...like say you want to make a 12 inch tutu, cut the strips at 25 inches, for a 13 inch long tutu, cut the strips at 27 inches and so on.
--gather one piece of tulle, making an upside down U at the top, pull the ends through your U and tighten.
--go down the elastic, until you are 2 inches from the end, sew ends together and then add the rest of the tulle.
I hope this makes sense, if you need more help, just ask! Felicia
User: kdgteacher
Member since: 01-11-2006
Total posts: 45
From: JustSewCrafty
Date: 11-15-2006, 09:47 AM (15 of 24)
How cute is that!!
May your bobbin always be full-
Stephanie

www.chasingthreads.blogspot.com
"Sewing is the new black"
User: JustSewCrafty
Member since: 10-04-2006
Total posts: 168
From: Too busy
Date: 02-21-2007, 02:56 PM (16 of 24)
Thank you for the tutu instructions. I am just about finished making the tutu and was wondering if there was a need to secure the tied on strips of tulle? Will they eventually wiggle loose and be able to be pulled off? Does this make sense? My daughter is almost 2 and I was thinking she might try to yank the strips off.
Also, I had a problem tying the strips with a uniform tension around the elastic waistband. I used about a 2 in wide elastic, so maybe that is my problem.
Yesterday after googling "tutu instructions" I found this forum. I've read all of the posts through page 3 and you all are sooooo informative. Thank you for all of the tips and ideas!
I do not sew much, but have recently started taking a sewing class and made a tie for my 3 year old son. Before starting the sewing class, I have made bows, bracelets, and fur or bead-trimmed socks to match all of my daughter's outfits.
Thanks again for all of the pointers!:bluesmile
User: Too busy
Member since: 02-21-2007
Total posts: 7
From: IsabelleB
Date: 02-22-2007, 03:08 AM (17 of 24)
That's so cute!! The little girl will love it for sure.
Isabelle
Sewing blog: Kitty Couture
User: IsabelleB
Member since: 10-25-2006
Total posts: 265
From: temom
Date: 02-23-2007, 10:28 AM (18 of 24)
Ohhh, that is so cute. I want to make one too! Thank you so much for giving the instructions :smile:
Theresa
User: temom
Member since: 01-19-2007
Total posts: 410
From: temom
Date: 02-24-2007, 10:34 PM (19 of 24)
Well I made two. The first one didn't look too good. The second one was much better. Joann's didn't have the bundled tulle, so I ended up buying a yard of 2 different colors (hence the two tutus). I decorated the second one with a bunch of little bows I tied from polyester ribbon I had bought for 20 cents USD from Michaels several months ago. I ended up using the whole spool of ribbon. My waistband didn't look very nice on the first one, with the elastic showing through. I went to Joanns to find clear elastic, and all they had was lightweight, and I knew it wouldn't work because I had already tried it. So I bought a roll of 1/2 inch ribbon, and sewed it to the front of the waistband, hiding the elastic. I thought I was going to go blind lining up the layers of tulle, but I did it. The second tutu cost me a total of $3.49, and I still have a bunch of 1/2 inch ribbon left.

I would like to make another fuller one, but not right now. That stuff was harder to work with than I thought. It is slippery, hard to see, and really really hard to rip seams!
Theresa
User: temom
Member since: 01-19-2007
Total posts: 410
From: Too busy
Date: 02-25-2007, 08:51 PM (20 of 24)
For the tutu I made for my for my daughter, I used the 6 inch wide tulle on a roll and cut 18 inch lengths. For the second tutu, I wanted to make rows of different colors (still using the tie-on method.) I couldn't find the rolls in a wide variety of colors so I bought the tulle by the yard and TRIED to cut several 6 inch widths. Well, I gave up! It was hard to work with and frustrating. What started out 6 inches wide ended up 8 inches wide and looked lousy.

Any tips on cutting straight and even strips of tulle?
User: Too busy
Member since: 02-21-2007
Total posts: 7
From: mommgsews
Date: 02-26-2007, 04:13 PM (21 of 24)
The best luck that I've had with cutting tulle is to use a rotary cutter and mat.

Lining up the tulle into multiple layers was the most time consuming part. Then I cut a portion off the starting end to square it up and began cutting whatever width of strips I needed for my project.
User: mommgsews
Member since: 03-15-2004
Total posts: 73
From: temom
Date: 02-27-2007, 10:31 AM (22 of 24)
I was actually thinking of attaching a strip of stabilizer to the edge of each piece to be layered, just to make it easier to see! Since I still need to make a tutu, I think I will try that with a washaway stabilizer. I was pretty good at cutting the tulle with a rotary cutter, but I did use fabric weights to hold the fabric where I wanted it. I was actually considering using that temporary adhesive spray, but I'm leaning towards using the stabilizer instead.
Theresa
User: temom
Member since: 01-19-2007
Total posts: 410
From: temom
Date: 02-27-2007, 10:34 AM (23 of 24)
Too Busy, What is the tie on method? This is the first I've heard of it!
Theresa
User: temom
Member since: 01-19-2007
Total posts: 410
From: Too busy
Date: 02-27-2007, 02:48 PM (24 of 24)
"--Cut elastic one inch longer that the child's exact waist size, just like you do when making shorts/pants.
--cut strips of tulle, you double the size and add 1 inch...like say you want to make a 12 inch tutu, cut the strips at 25 inches, for a 13 inch long tutu, cut the strips at 27 inches and so on.
--gather one piece of tulle, making an upside down U at the top, pull the ends through your U and tighten.
--go down the elastic, until you are 2 inches from the end, sew ends together and then add the rest of the tulle."
Thank you kdgteacher for the instructions! :up:

I bought my rolls of tulle at a craft store when they were half off. 100 yds for 4.50, but the only colors offered were white, pink and ivory. Any suggestions on where to buy 25 yd rolls in a wide variety of colors? Was going to buy some soon to make tutu's as gifts but thought I would comparison shop a bit first. :smile:
User: Too busy
Member since: 02-21-2007
Total posts: 7
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