Custom Fit Sewing Adventure

For the past few weeks, I have been consumed with costume design and construction. I have a friend who led me to tutu.com last year. I had purchased their smallest pattern for a bodice (size 6 slim) and instructions to construct a ballet tutu over a year ago. Well I lost the pattern. So I bought a size 7 slim this time around plus the smallest panty bottom.

Riley wanted to participate in the school talent show at the local mall. I wanted her to do a Tahitian dance solo...no luck. She wanted to sing so she chose "Let It Snow" with her vocal teacher. I decided to make her a tutu. She selected the color and the fabrics. Tulle with glitter....seriously I had glitter clogging my sewing machine. It needs to be taken in for cleaning.

Anyhow the panty pattern was a size 8. I think it fit me. So I had to cut a pair of underwear and wing it. I winged a lot of the process. The pattern was REALLY big. I admit, Riley is small. Maybe in tutu.com's terms, she could have been been a size 4 or smaller. So I had to draft my own pattern pieces for just about everything. I didn't know the technical names for the pieces. I didn't have an example. Their expensive instruction booklet (it's on spiral bound, one sided photo copies) has really no photos or diagrams. Very few I should say. But I am proud to say I constructed this professional level tutu. If Riley would have chosen a stiffer net (of course without glitter), this would have been a "pancake" style ballet tutu which I hooped and used steel spiral boning as well.

After this, I just may be ready to take on any project.