TuTu Crazy

Step 2 Select your fabrics with care

Whats your theme, school mascot, color or spirit animal?
Alexander Henry fabrics are a great source.
Or design your own with Spoonflower!
Let this choice guide the rest of your fabric selection.

When picking your main fabric look for prints that have a horizontal repetition from selvedge to selvedge, this will become the main 'ribbon' thru the tutu. Just like the image of the pink pirates.

All other fabric choices are derived from this theme fabric.

Select about 3- 5 colors/materials.

For todays' tutu:
waistband 4"x 60" (the width of the fabric) rip 1
Tier 1 - 3.5" x 60" rip 2
Tier 2 - 4" x 60" rip 4
Tier 3 - 3.5" x 45" rip 6
Tier 4 - 3" x 60" rip 8

(if you look at the Step 1 photo notes you'll see the measures for the Pink Pirate)

rip? - whats that about you ask.....
patience.....

Choose materials that are stiff - organzas, dupionis, tafatta.
these will help add volume to your tutu.
Frills Frills Frills!

Once you have selected your fabrics then make sure the edges are straight.
About 2" from the cut edge cut into your fabric (perpendicular to the selvedge) and carefully rip it to the other selvedge side.

Things to look for:
1. Is the fabric ripping straight? Some less expensive fabrics are woven 'funny' so that the tear will not follow the grain. If you insist on using this fabric you will have to cut it. gasp.

2. Is the fabric ripping straight, but the cut edge is crooked? This is fine, just get your fabric to the point where you can rip from one selvedge to the other. It just shows that whomever cut the fabric was cockeyed with their cutting tool.

3. Patterns like the pirate tutu - NEVER RIP! You have to cut the fabric as the print rarely follows the fabric grain.

<sigh> yes, I am lazy and rip all my fabrics especially the silks.