How To Make A Sewn Tutu

It was not originally part of the business plan, but Bourgeois Baby has received many requests to carry girl's tutus.  Initially I did a few hand tied tutus- simple and easy, but there was really nothing special about them that required much skill.  So I began to play around with making a sewn tutu, and finally came up with a method that makes a fluffy tutu with an elastic waistband encased with costume satin.  I find that these sewn tutus give a professional look and are easy to put on and take off.  You can even add embellishments to the waistband like a bow or bling.

Here is a material list:

There were a few informational graphics that are handy to keep.  Standard tutu sizing is here.  You will notice that I mentioned in the video that I was making a newborn size tutu and cut the strips at 10 inches.  That is just a habit of mine- cutting a 2 inches longer than the recommended standard length to allow for some error during ruffling and serging.  You don't need to do that, as typically this also gives me tutus that are a bit longer than standard.

Ok. The Math!  Really, don't be afraid of this.  I came up with these calculations based on the average lengths I would consistently get during my test tutus.  Your machine may differ, so I highly suggest that you adjust this based on what your machine gives you in terms of ruffles per inches.  (And don't hesitate to contact me if you need help figuring this out.).

 

Would love to hear your feedback (this was my first video tutorial) and see your creations!

 

My Little Movie Star

I've been working on more videos for my company, and trying to market our more edgy products.  I would say the most "racy" items is the Retro Tattoo print.  I absolutely love it, and with vintage style tattoos being so popular it seemed like the right fit for our bibs, too.

The video was shot in Nashua, NH at a local tattoo shop.  Tattoo America has been in the southern NH region for ages, so it was a natural to want to shoot there.  The beautiful actress happens to be my little Vera.  She did such a great job.  And she just loved "getting" tattooed!

You can check out the video here.

What do you think?

Where Does The Time Go?

Time, as you get older, goes by so quickly.  You blink and a month goes by.  Age certainly gives a different perspective to time.  I can vividly remember school years dragging by as a kid.  Now, a week feels like half a day.

And so, here is why it's been difficult to get to the blog.  With Vera keeping me more busy than ever, and Bourgeois Baby growing faster than I imagined it would by this point (not complaining by any means!!) I get very little down time.  My work hours are whenever Vera is in bed (typically by 7:30pm) til many nights 11pm.  It is not enough time to keep up the pace.  I do have a sitter who comes 2-3 days a week for a few hours, and Vera has been in camp for a few weeks this summer to give me more time.  And yet- there still isn't enough.  The only reason why I am writing tonight is because my car is packed up with Bourgeois Baby gear for the Boston MommyCon event.  I figured I'd tinker since tomorrow is going to be a long day, and I could get to bed early.

On that note, I bid you goodnight.