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Cinderella Tutu

I've been in love with REAL tutus for a long time. Not the Pinterest versions with strips of tied tulle-- but the real deals. Ballerina tutus are pieces of art to me, they help tell the story of the dancer. I also have gotten into some sort of masochistic streak of attempting to challenge myself which helped motivate me for this project. I've been following tutu construction processes for YEARS just because it looks difficult and that just makes me want to try it more. A while back I even attempted a white swan tutu. But this time the theme is Cinderella and I tried to photograph enough of the process for your viewing pleasure.

Let's begin! I got the McCall's 7615 pattern, a photo for inspiration and then my materials. This project wins for most notions used. Normally It's just some fashion fabric and liner, some thread and maybe some interfacing. But for this I used Sparkle Satin (outside) Broadcloth (lining of top and for the culottes), almost 10 metres of Tulle, hook and eye tape, two kinds of elastic, boning, bias tape, hot fix gems, ribbon and trim. Whew!

This project took patience. It starts out easy enough by just cutting out the satin and broadcloth. Then I overcast all my edges because its all underlined and not lined. What's the difference you ask? Lining makes two separate parts- essentially an inside and an outside- and they face each other so that all the raw edges are hidden inside. It's good for dresses if you don't have a serger. But this baby isn't like that. For this, the Satin and the Broadcloth are being fused together at the edges and from then on treated like one piece of fabric. This allows a spot for the boning to go, ad gets sewn along those seam allowances. Don't forget to cut the plastic bones into a round shape and to file them down! This keeps them from cutting through the fabric and stabbing you. I would know.

Above are the seams pressed open, the second is the channel for the boning to slip in being sewn, and the last image is when it's starting to take shape.

There's something like 13 layers of tulle of gradually increasing lengths sewn from the butt up to the hips. By doing this, the shorter lengths support the longer ones so it gets that nice floating appearance instead of weighing it down. Real Classical Tutus also have a metal hoop inserted into the skirt to give it that flat pancake look, but this pattern didn't call for it so I didn't want to deviate too much from it. I'm supposed to be sewing these for the store so that people get an idea of what the pattern does, so I try not to alter things too often.

Here's what the floof monster looks like in a sewing machine and the end result.

I love these clips so much! They hold everything in place and don't make holes!

I then got out my Crystalizer! HOHOHOHOHO.

(Thanks Google image for finding one). It melts the gems just enough to stick them onto things! Like tulle! and Satin! And THE PALM OF MY HAND. Yeah that was traumatic. I have a blister the size of a gem that landed and then seared itself into my skin. But my god they are pretty.

I had one of the tear drop gems from my White Swan tutu so I used it. It reminded me of Cinderella's glass slipper.

Ta da! She's ready to prance!

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