Sewing it together

4) Sewing it together:

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After ruffling the netting can be steamed to set the pleats and then the ruffles are sewn to the pants.

Using steam to smooth out tutu ruffles

Depending on the dancer's and choreographer's preference tiny tulle "panty" ruffles can be added to the front of the pants. Panty ruffles are preferable if the tutu is partnered because when the dancer if lifted in the air, the underside of the tutu is visible and you want everything to be covered.

It is important not to make the panty ruffles too long and have them run too far towards the crotch, as this looks very strange (furry or fluffy), can be itchy and if the tutu is white, makes the dancer look as if she is wearing a frilly diaper. It is very hard to cut 0.25-0.5" panty ruffles evenly, so what I do is cut 1" ruffles, sewn them on and then trim them down.

Ruffles can also be placed around the leg openings. Most dancers hate this because if not done perfectly, leg ruffles are intensely itchy and can make the dancers legs look heavy. I would not add them unless asked to do so.

Tutu's worn for performances also have several rows of small ruffles at the back of the pants, called "butt" ruffles. Again it is important not to make these too long as it can make the tutu ride up in the back. Tutus used during rehearsals, called practice tutus, do not have these ruffles.

Tutu ruffles can be sewn on either from the top down or from the bottom up. After making almost 100 tutus, I use a mixture of these two methods. I start sewing the ruffles from the bottom up to about ruffle layer 5 or 6, then I sew the top ruffle pieces on and then fill in the remaining ruffles.

The reason I do this is to make sure that the top ruffle is level. It is also much easier to sewn this ruffle on when I have a bit more room and do not have so much netting to wrestle with. All 9-10 layers of ruffles need to fit into a space of between 2-4 inches (this depends on the size of the tutu and where you are on the tutu; there is less room over the hip for instance than in the front or back).

Adding layer 5, only 4 more to go!

Tutu after steaming, all ready for tacking

 Once all the ruffles are sewn on, the back seam and crotch seams of the pants are sewn up, the leg elastics sewn down and the crotch seam tacked. The final step is to steam and tack the tutu.  Tacking means that the layers of tutu net are sewn together. This ensure that the tutu looks even, moves well on stage and doesn't sag. Tutus often have a metal hoop inserted into a casing, around layer 4. This is a must for the Russian style tutus and is done to add strength and create that very thin, flat look. Until now I have only made the softer, more feminine English style tutus, without hoops. A hooped tutu is much stronger and if you are adding a lot of heavy decorations you need a hoop.
I went to Tutu.com's summer school last year and took a break-out class to learn how to add a hoop into a tutu. I highly recommend anyone thinking about making real tutus to invest in a tutu seminar either from Tutu.com or Tutusthatdance. Just look them up. Even though I could be considered a "seasoned" tutu maker, the experience and all the time (and frustration saving) tips I learned were worth every penny.