I promised myself at the start of this year that I'd make more practical clothes. No more party dress or corset tops instead I decided to make good solid items that I'd get lots of wear out of.
But whats the fun in that?
So I made a Tutu! Possibly the worlds most impractical item of clothing [unless your a full time ballerina] and to really amp up the wear ability I made it in WHITE! Because we all know whites the easiest colour in the world to wear and doesn't stain or look grubby ever!
Okay so before I jump into construction two points about the photographs:
1- It needs trimming..... again, I swear this is going to be one of those things that needs leveling every time it comes out of the washer.
2- Its really really hard to get pictures of a white skirt, against a white wall on a girl who is pasty as well a pasty thing.[I mean I could have fake tanned but it always turns out blotchy and orange] So these pictures are not great but hopefully they give you the general gist.
So right, the idea for a tutu came into my head as soon as my mum brought me this tulle back from my Aunty Shelias house [I think in a previous life it was long net curtains] But in the spirit of practical clothing I put it in my cupboard and tried to think of "practical" [read. Boring] ways of using it. And them one day I had an epiphany. This tulle was never going to be anything other than a tutu so rather than let it waste away in my cupboard I should just MAKE A RUDDY TUTU!
As it turns out tutus are not exactly a walk in the walk. For example I wanted mine to be a circle skirt tutu not a gathered one. This meant I had to cut donut shapes out of layers of tulle...and you know whats shiftier than Lord Voldemort at a Harry Potter appreciation event? Tulle, It moves, it runs, it floofles! In the end I cut each circle in a single layer by laying the fabric over a template i'd already made. It took about 1 hour just to cut 6 layers of tulle. At which point I had 1. run out of fabric and 2. was painfully aware that the 6 layers of tulle I had already cut was not going to be enough to preserve my dignity [read. I had a high chance of everyone knowing exactly what kind of pants I was wearing.
So I needed an underskirt. I opted to use the lace tablecloth my mum had given me a while ago [Actually the tablecloth was a wedding gift to my mum and dad and she'd kept it for years but it was getting a bit scraggy so she gave it to me, with permission to cut it up!]
As it goes the table cloth may have been to scraggy for a table but it works very nicely under my layers of tulle. and in some lights you can sort of see it. Its a fairly thick lace table cloth as well so it gives the skirt a nice weight compared to the very lightweight tulle I used for the top layers [P.S If your making a tulle skirt like this you want a very fine tulle, not the stiff stuff, you want to one that drapes!]
Closure wise there was not a chance in hell I was going to try and insert a zip into tulle, so instead I over lapped the waistband and It closes with a button and a press stud for security. That means there's a 10cmish split from the waistband to the back seam but you can'y see it because of the overlap.
I used the waistband pattern from the Tilly and the buttons Clemance skirt for the waistband. I know that I can typically pull this waistband a bit tighter so I knew I'd have enough for an overlap.
All in all I really love it and I'm so glad I took the time to make myself something frivolous and fun! Rikki did a full eye-roll when he saw it on the mannequin though "when exactly are you going to wear that?"
Sweetie when am I not going to wear it! And if that fails I can always use it as a petticoat under my dresses!
I might wear it on my birthday though, I'm thinking with a white and red striped top and some red shoes maybe it'll look a bit more casual? Maybe even casual enough for the school run? And if not it'll be my blooming birthday so.............
In other news!!!
- Its my birthday this week! I'm kind of in two minds about it because the older you get the less fun birthdays seem to be? I dunno maybe now I'm a grownup I should be okay with that, but a big part of me still wants ice cream and cake and party hats and all the excitement!
- I started knitting a new jumper! Yet again I'm using the double trouble jumper by wool and the gang and I'm hoping to have it ready to wear this winter.
- I've made a lot of progress with my embroidered tablecloth project, I had a day this week where both the boys were out and realistically I had a day to sew but it just wasn't happening and I was feeling pretty miserable so instead I binge watched "the crown" , ate a pot noodle and did embroidery.
-Lil man settled back into school, apparently his new teacher is kind and beautiful and lovely.......I think someone has a crush!
And that's it really!
Much Love
Frankie
xxx
