tutu tutorial

I've had some requests for a tutorial for the tutu's. I wasn't sure if I wanted to give a tutorial for a few reasons, but the biggest was that the tule was difficult to work with. I didn't want anyone cursing my name while making this. 

The process may be easier for you, if you buy the tule from a bolt. I kind-of inherited my tule. I received a lot of tule in little folded up pieces.  It was great because I didn't have to buy yards and yards of tule, but I almost went crazy with all the creases that were created from it being folded. 

I'm not exactly sure how much tule I used. My best guess is that you'll need 3 yards of 3 different yet complimenting colors of tule.  Basically you need 9 yards of tule. I used less for my 18 month old. I probably used 6 yards for her. You can use less, it won't be as full, but will still stick out.

I stared by cutting my tule in 6" strips (4" for my 18m). Tule usually comes off the bolt folded into fourths.  Don't unfold it, just cut it into strips. Once cut, you can open the strip, so it's still has two layers of tule. Make 9 piles of strips. If you have three yards of each color you should have 2 strips of each color. 

When all of you strips are cut, take a pile and fold it in half. Put something heavy on the fold to hold it in place. 

Then cut your ends to a rounded point. 

Now open it back up and fold it in half lengthwise. 

Sew a straight stitch right down the middle. 

When all of your strips are done, attach them to a 2" elastic cut to the length of your child's waist. Space them out about 2" to 3" apart.  You can mark you elastic before you sew them on if you don't want to eyeball it. Sew a straight stitch over the previous stitch.  

The last thing you need to do it sew the two ends of the elastic together with a zigzag stitch. 

The elastic band will show, mine was hidden with the leaf aprons. You can leave it, cover it like I did or even dye it like Dana. 

For my leaf apron I cut leaf like shapes out of felt and sewed them to ribbon. Super Easy.

Good Luck and let me know if I need to clarify anything.