Zoe in her tutu. The photograher cropped and zoomed this image for me.
I have 1440 Swarovski hot tip crystals winging their way to me from Hong Kong. Yes, they will take hours to apply. I’ve come this far – what’s a few more hours?
Seeing it on stage in the small dance school concert confirmed that the light does hit the tiny crystals beautifully, creating a gentle glimmer as she moves. Like a silvery ice-encrusted piece of airy fairy floss.
She wore it to dance with the tiny tots – essentially leading them through their performance. I’ve blurred them out because I can’t put them here for obvious reasons – but they were so sweet. Absolute stars that entranced the audience. They were ‘music box dolls’ and I guess Zoe was the big ‘doll’.
with the tiny tots
A little like the tutu wasn’t about me but all about her.
Pattern: Dani Legge of Tutus by Dani
Materials: Spotlight, Australia
@fabphotosport@fabphotosport: Fab Photos, Port Macquarie
Thanks for hanging in there on my tutu posts!
Also see: The Workshop | The embellishment
Sew Busy Lizzy 
WOW! What an effort, and what a beautiful result!
I can imagine the feeling of pride and many other emotions as you watched your gorgeous daughter in the tutu on stage. While you say it’s not perfect (I know you strive for perfect each time you sew, but for the rest of us it looks perfect.
Well done!
And thank you for sharing the process 🙂
Just stunning, Liz. It was a pleasure to read your journey! Do you think more tutus are on the cards, or all you all tutu-ed out?
She looks stunning in it! Well done, mama! I’ve done alterations on dance costumes before, so I know the typical quality is questionable… even if this isn’t perfect, I’m sure it’s a cut above the rest. Beautiful!!
This beautiful garment is truly a labour of love & so very pretty. You can be sure your Zoe will always remember how you created something so special, just for her. (I think you must be a lovely Mumma. Well done!)
Gorgeous! I really enjoyed reading about the process and I can only imagine how,proud you were of her and yourself. You did a fabulous job.
Divine!
WOW, it looks fantastic! What memories you are building with your daughter – priceless.
That is amazing! She is such a pretty girl. Congratulations on making such a wonderful dance costume. Your daughter will remember this forever. Such a loving gift!!
wow – this is stunning! such a labour of love and she looks so beautiful in it! i don’t know if you have seen a documentary on netflix called first position? it’s about the youth grand prix ballet competition and there are some amazing costumes (and a lot of talk about the cost which might show that this is the type of sewing that could save money?). one of the dancers is black and her mum spends so much time dying “nude” net, mesh and elastic to match her skin as they can’t buy it in the right colour – the things dance mums do!
Your daughter looks so elegant and the tutu looks so beautiful! What an amazing project. So much work and love has been sewn into it.
Beautiful!
I have so enjoyed reading about this tutu and the final pictures are just beautiful. This will be treasured forever. I can imagine your daughter showing it to her grandchildren and telling them all about you. I bet she is unbelievably proud!
This is spectacular – I really enjoyed reading about the making process and admire your dedication and patience. I’m not sure I would have persevered as I clearly don’t have your level of patience but the end result was certainly worth it!
I love your very real recount. The hopes, the sweat, the near tears, and frustration. Love to hear how a second tutu went for you. What was the biggest thing you learnt? Any advice for a person still delaying making one?
Thank you for sharing. You made me laugh …and have enticed me to enrol in the class despite having to possibly drive 15hrs to get there from BRISBANE. 😦
Thanks for putting your blog out there.
I really love seeing your posts on tutus and dancewear sewing. I feel like I’m just entering the “sports” mum arena here, perhaps which is why it feels so relevant to me. However, I think the hours and detailing required of a dance mum far outweighs anything that will ever be required of me. I’m more likely to have to pick up a stopwatch :-(. It feels good though, to sew my girls swimsuits, even if they will only ever be suitable for practice, and I do feel pride seeing my daughter hang out with the other swimmers, but her in her unique, custom-made, and much better fitted togs. I can only imagine the pride you must feel at seeing your daughter on stage, with the icing on the cake of wearing what you made.
gorgeous and what a project, I am so impressed.
my, she’s beautiful in this tutu, and so elegant and graceful. I think your work has found a worthy recipient!
She must be thrilled that her mother can create such a beautiful tutu for her to wear!
It’s just beautiful, I’ve loved seeing how you’ve made it, you should be very proud of yourself!!
Wow that is amazing! The tutu is beautiful and she looks amazing in it. I want one myself! I have been dancing for over 20 years and I have never worn something so beautiful. Thank you for the detailed instructions.
What to say?……just brilliant!!
I am more than amazed by the beauty of the costume and the dancer. Such a priceless heirloom for your daughter to treasure, just a “small” token of a mother’s love.
Brilliant sewing and what memories you are creating with your daughter-the stuff family legends are made from.
A.ma.zing! What a lovely mamma you are. And how incredibly talented and patient too. Snaps to you.
Your daughter looks like an angel. And you’re an awesome mum for taking this on. Loved reading about the process.
Amazing! Stunning! What a journey! Congratulations Lizzy. A beautiful tutu for your gorgeous ballerina. I hope there was a proud Mum moment.
Wow is right. Stunning, beautiful, amazing, etc. Both the tutu and the dancer.
Job well done.
Absolutely outstanding, Lizzy! Zoe looks so graceful and beautiful. You’ve made an absolutely amazing work of art. I’m completely blown away and am trying to come up with further words of admiration… a standing ovation and a huge round of applause from me! BRAVO!!!
btw, when looking up plate etc, like I mentioned in my last comment, I came across this site by a professional costumer, you might like it 🙂
Oh my gosh Lizzy! Just wow! What an incredible tutu you made. Your daughter looks stunning and it’s just so perfect xx
As someone who is balking at the thought of making latin/ballroom costumes, I’m completely in awe of your skills with this. She looks so beautiful and is so accomplished. You must be incredibly proud of the both of you. xx
She look like a gorgeous princess in her tutu. You’ve done an amazing job on it. Great photo too.
Those colours work really well together. Congratulations.
Truly amazing! Your daughter looks stunning and the gift of you making this for her will be something she will treasure forever!!!
She looks stunning, that is definitely a proud mamma moment.
What a journey, but what a result! Zoe looks absolutely stunning and I love the journey of design ideas, so glad you dumped the traditional stuff that wasn’t working.
I really loved the read Lizzy, what a marathon! Thanks for sharing… see you at the other end of all those Swarovski crystals! Your daughter looks so happy and lovely!
She looks beautiful and her tutu too. She will definitely remember what you created for her. I follow your posts with curiosity, it was a very nice true story to folow. This is life! Thank you for sharing this and for motivatIng other people to create beautiful things for their kids.
What do you mean, not perfect? It’s exquisite! Well done 👏😃
Thanks! I was a little bit excited when she danced on stage in it. Such a relief to have succeeded
WOW! I am so impressed. You did such an excellent job.
Thanks! It felt like an all-consuming project for the longest time but it was worth it.
Mind blowing! Zoe looks beautiful. What a wonderful gift to give your daughter…. This is truly amazing. Bravo Mama! Bravo!
Wow, Zoe looks amazing. You have done a stellar job. I really like how you reiterate that it’s a labour of love, which is beautiful. I think the last photo, with the little blurred out girls, is so, so beautiful. Zoe looks like she is in one of those 3D photos we used to get years ago. Once I made a nice dinner and my son said it was really good, and I said you know why don’t you… and I’m thinking the pumpkin I put in it made it taste sweet and rich, but he says ‘yes, because it’s made with love.” He was 4 1/2… your tutu and daughter shine with the love that has gone into it and no crystal will make it shine any more than that. It’s so beautiful Lizzy.
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Wow Karen. Look how far you’ve come
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Did you think that 3+ years on your post would help a 67 Granny pluck up the courage to make a classical tutu for her granddaughter? Well, it did!
Sophie is 7 years old and did so well on the circuit this year in a rented tutu, that her mum wants me to attempt one. She is also in concerts.
How I wish I knew of a course here in the UK, but with help like yours I will get there. I am just in the middle of a first test (never sewn lycra before so though a trial run was a good idea). Lesson learnt already! Thank to you maybe the first pancake skirt will actually be ‘for real’ – not sure I could do that twice in 1 year!
Thank you for sharing your first – have you made more? Hopefully your blog is searchable…
You can absolutely do this! I’ve made two tutus now and other dancewear outfits. That young girl in the tutu? Well she’s 16 now and just sewn a tutu for her friend – she did it for a senior textile assignment and scored 100%!
Tutus by Dani has just released new instructions I think. Otherwise email me at sewbusylizzy@gmail.com and I’ll help as best I can.
Zoe is going to a traditional tutu course next month – I’m very jealous!
Thank you so much, so kind. I now have a Maleficent Evil Queen costume on the list – both plus a comedy waitress dress for Jan/Feb Festival. Just as well my first leotard test is going so well (currently awaiting Amazon to deliver elastic!)
Lucky Zoe, a think I am a little green with envy too! I have found a course next year but it is so expensive (for a retiree) and I would need a hotel stay as well. Needs booking now and I can’t stretch to it, plus I need to see if I have any talent/ability to do this first! Maybe in the future, in time for Sophie needing more traditional tutu’s….