How to make the perfect sewn tutu!!

Tutus are all the rage but can be SOOO pricey for a good one. YOU CAN DO IT. So if you have a sewing machine and VERY MINIMAL SKILLS this is the GUIDE FOR YOU!!! This tutu will be 6 inches long for a 12 month old girl. Average for a SHORT and SASSY tutu. This guide was produced for the average homemaker who cannot afford to purchase tutus. They can be very expensive and costly. This guide is not to be used for production of tutus to sell. This guide also should not be sold for instructions.Please be kind and do not use my hard work for profit.
Materials:
QTYtwo 6 inch by 25 yards tulle roll = 50 yards of tulle. The more tulle the fluffier!! Best for sizes newborn to 4t
Coordinating Thread all purpose thread
Measuring Tape
Scissors or Rotary Blade
1 inch non roll elasticor desired elastic size
2 large plastic ended saftey pins. about 1 1/2 inch long and 1/2 inch wide. Used for cloth diapering. Plastic ended.
Start with a 6 inch x 25 yards of super soft tulle in any desired colors roll out to desiredlength. Please remember your tulle will be folded in half and also allow for elastic band too. So if you want your tutu length to be 6 inches cut the length of your tulle at 14 inches.
When all of your tulle is cut take two pieces of tulle overlay them one on top of the other so that the edges match up.
Fold the two pieces one on top of the other matching edges like folding a piece of paper in half.

Put your tulle in your machine where the fold is facing the inside of your machine and the loose ends of the tulle are on the outside of the machine. Place your seam a lil over an inchaway from the fold so you can allow your elastic torun easily through the tulle tunnel after you are finished sewing .

Run through your machine on the smallest straight stitch your machine has down from the fold. Back stitch your fist piece this is VERY IMPORTANT DO NOT FORGET TO BACK STITCH a couple times back and forth about 1/4 inch from the end. Sew straight across the tulle.

When you get to the end of your pieces of tulle DONT CUT or PULL your THREAD OUT.STOP and LEAVE IT. Get two more piecesof tulleplaceone piece of tulleon top of the other making the edges match. Fold the piecesof tullein halfin the same way as the first. Making sure the fold of your material stays to the inside of the machine and the looseends of the tulleare on the outside of the machine.Give yourself again about 1 inch allowance between the fold and where you are going to stitch place second piece of doubled tulle right next to the first piece and sew straight stitch to the end of the tulle.
REPEAT these steps until you have strung your tulle side by side and you have sewn both rolls of tulle.On your LAST PIECES OF DOUBLED UP TULLE that you have folded in half BACK STITCH!!!! VERY IMPORTANT. After you back stitch pull out your tulle and cut thread long enough from the machine you can tie a couple knots in the thread so to make double sure you dont loose your thread and have to start ALL OVER. Measure your lil girl around her hips this is the desired measurement of your elastic band. Cut elastic band an INCH longer to allow you to sew the two ends of elastic together giving you enough seam allowance.
On one end of the elasticfold elastic band in half and thread your saftey pin through and clip it.

On the other end pin saftey pin cross ways across the elastic. This will prevent your tulle from falling off the end of your elastic when it is fed onto the elastic band.

Take the end of the elastic band that is folded in half with the saftey pin and feed it through the closest end of the tulle you just took out of the machine and knotted after backstitching. Feed the safety pin and elastic between the seam and the fold making sure you tunnel through both pieces at the same time pulling the tulle onto the elastic band and working it to the other end of the elastic.

Repeat this until you have threaded your tull onto your elastic.

Be careful as to not pull so hard on your tulle while feeding it on the elastic that you break your thread. If you do you will need to use your seam ripper to remove the thread all the way back to the previous piece of tulle and tie a lil knot in the end and put it back in your machine and repeat your steps making sure to back stitch. After you have fed your tulle onto the elastic you are on the home stretch.
Remove the safety pins and place both ends overlapping the elastic end over end. About a half inch in put it in your machine and put the machine foot down in the center of the elastic. Change your stitch to a tight ZIG ZAG stitch and run it back and forth until you have attached both sides of the elastic to eachother.



Cut your threads. Run your hands back over the elastic and the tulle to even out the tulle covering the gaps in the elastic band. Run your fingers through the tulle and fluff by pulling pieces apart. AND VOILA a easily sewn tutu in about an hour to hour and a half. The more you do it the quicker it gets!! If you need anything or have more questions on attaching stuff or making tutu dresses and costumes Im always here :) TTFN