TutuToday

Free Tutu Information Site

How to Make a Tutu Seminar.
Leading Designers in the Industry.

See new section on "Fabric and Trim Resources" above with more to come on closures, stays and horsehair resources. I will continue to add images of the stores as time permits. The NYC stores have images currently.

This is a FREE site. You see no advertisements here. I have provided this service for ten years and faithfully answered all emails.

Calling all readers. Please help me to build the largest resource of FREE tutu materials and instruction materials there exists.

Parents of dancers, who pay for dance lessons and all the associated costs are often without resources for expensive patterns and instruction books.

I am asking you to help me build a site of free information for readers. Please contact me if you can share your patterns, your tips, your instructions.

Put a STOP to overpriced second rate instructions for sale on the internet.

I agree with Creative Commons: Information Wants to BE FREE.

I offer this site with no advertisement. Your help to stop over priced -- under valued sale of tutu construction information would be appreciated.

Tips from Paula Drake

Paula Drake of TutusDivine is considered to be one of the great tutu designers today. Here are some tips she recently sent me:

This process [Making a Tutu] is not hard, but it can't be rushed.

And people need to know that it all takes time and alot of pins.

I believe that your work is only as good as the tools and materials you use.

Some people are fine with using a zig-zag stitch to put the top material and their lining together, I have to use my serger, I want a strong finished look.

Some people don't cord their edges, but I like the look I get with my cording so I make my own cording.

Some people use bias tape as their boning tape, or put their boning in a seam, or use the plastic stuff.....I will never do that.....I am selling my time as well as a look, and I want the tutu to last for a very long time.

With proper care a well made tutu should last up to 20 or more years.

If a customer gives me enough time I always send out a mock up, or a muslim of the bodice that I am using for them, and I have them fit it on the dancer, they can mark it up, re-pin it, or do whatever they need to do so that I will know what the pattern has to do so that that bodice will fit them.

There is so little wearing ease in a tutu bodice, it has to fit like a second skin.....and they can change sizes even during a show.

I'll send an extra set of bars in case a dances needs to have the tutu made tighter after dancing in it for the first act.

The lining material which is either coutil or twill/drill must be prewashed.

The pattern must be pressed with a light heat and dry iron. Make sure that the pattern pieces are on the grain of the material......and then after they press all materials, the fashion (top) material and the lining are pinned carefully together and all edges are surged.

I like to get a picture of the dancer as well, it helps to see their body build,and coloring and their personality shows through.

I like this web site: Oregon Ballet Theater - News from the Costume Shop:

Thank you for visiting my website.

Please contact me should you have any questions.

Lee Ann Torrans
ltorrans@gmail.com

Scandanavian Translator