Petalviolet Posted January 14, 2016 Share Posted January 14, 2016 *No results shown for "tutu taming". Right. New topic time. Ok so when you get a new tutu is it ok/normal if you can hear shrieks of laughter from the changing room and your DD prances out with arms straight up in the air as the skirt bit is sticking up into her arm pits? AND IT WONT GO DOWN?!!!! It looked like it might go down a bit but DD tried her first move...tip toe on, slide right leg forward (immediate outrage as supposed to be left) stretch other leg behind and sort of present herself, dip forward into a bit of a bow and then tutu skirt part flips right up behind her? I would say like a peacock but maybe more the proud feathery quiff of a turkey's backside? Is this because it is not a handmade proper tutu but a £30 jobbie-thatsallyourgettingsoyoubetterlikeit from the large well thumbed trade dance catalogue and that's why it doesn't sit? Or do all tutus do this even the posh ones? This is for her first festival and I just am dreading her being the comedy entry! She's not helping either as she finds it hilarious and only encourages and cultivates it to flip up. So her teacher needs me to tame it. Or she might have said train it? Train it with towels. Ummm. How do you train a tutu with towels?! Do I whip it into submission, flailing towels at it like a lion tamer? OR Layer it with the weight of towels? But how should it be positioned? With the skirt all splayed out then towels on top or folded as if it was hanging up and then put the towels on top? It's just a stretchy velvet body but it's very tight as the smallest size was ordered by mistake. It just fits but there's no room for growth. Could it be this is not helping matters coupled with DD's long torso? Could this be keeping the skirt riding high? It's made of stiff netting which her teacher was surprised and pleased to see considering the cost but I'm worried that it's not sitting right as its being pulled a little? I didn't want to ask about torso length in front of DD as we've already had the discussion about no suitable school tutus to borrow which I understand as you can tweak berth but not girth (not actually meaning of berth I know but it kind of works) and I don't want her to feel self conscious that she won't look as good or as suitable but I just can't spend £150 plus on a properly fitted tutu especially when it's only her first competition and she is still very young and will be wearing it for all of two minutes? I just don't want her to stick out....literally :-( 11 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pups_mum Posted January 14, 2016 Share Posted January 14, 2016 Im afraid it could partly be a fit issue. If the skirt is sitting too high on her hips it might be contributing to the problem. Im assuming it's not hooped -are the net layers all separate? Tacking them together stiffens the skirt a bit and might help. Good luck! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petalviolet Posted January 14, 2016 Author Share Posted January 14, 2016 No it's not hooped!! That is waaaaaaay too proper a tutu for the likes of us. I blush to imagine what might spring to a Balletco poster's mind when I use the word tutu. It's not that. Think....Smiffy's. :-( 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petalviolet Posted January 14, 2016 Author Share Posted January 14, 2016 Yes that is my worry that the body is being stretched. Also I don't want to damage something that I have to send back by efforts to get it to look right? Problem is I don't know why it doesn't look the way it should? We should have ordered both sizes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
munchkin16 Posted January 14, 2016 Share Posted January 14, 2016 If it's from a catalogue do you have a link to the tutu you brought? Might help us see what you are trying to deal with?! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petalviolet Posted January 14, 2016 Author Share Posted January 14, 2016 Right ok it is bear with me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petalviolet Posted January 14, 2016 Author Share Posted January 14, 2016 http://ids.co.uk/1st-position-velour-applique-tutu.html Hope this works? It's the child's version. But I don't think there's any difference to the structure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
munchkin16 Posted January 14, 2016 Share Posted January 14, 2016 It's pretty! Maybe try laying it out flat overnight with some heavy books round the edge? I'm not a tutu expert but that might at least tame it enough it see if it's a fit issue or just that it was packaged funny and needs time to settle (which I think a lot of tutus can do.) Either way good luck taming! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petalviolet Posted January 14, 2016 Author Share Posted January 14, 2016 Thank you. Laying it flat is all spread out? It won't curry any favour or butter any parsnips (not sure of the correct festival terminology) but it would look a lot nicer if it wasn't scraping her chin. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
munchkin16 Posted January 14, 2016 Share Posted January 14, 2016 Yes so maybe tuck the bodice bit down so it's not in the way, so fold it into the hole in the centre. Then push the net down to make it look like the picture and place heavy books to make each bit stay. Did that make sense at all?? Leave it for a bit then see it looks any less like a nest on 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petalviolet Posted January 14, 2016 Author Share Posted January 14, 2016 Perfect, thank you that does make sense now. Good excuse to not persevere with a War and Peace as I need it for tutu training purposes. Or my hardback Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrel, that's not getting much use. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amos73 Posted January 14, 2016 Share Posted January 14, 2016 I haven't got anything useful to offer in the line of tutu training but just at this entire thread 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna C Posted January 14, 2016 Share Posted January 14, 2016 Hmmm. I would definitely try the next size up for comparison. Tutus can stick up if they are too small, but if the next size up also misbehaves then tacking the layers may be worth a try. Also wearing it around the house and pushing the skirt down every few minutes might help. Would you be able to order the next size to arrive in time? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Picturesinthefirelight Posted January 14, 2016 Share Posted January 14, 2016 We've had IDS tutus fir shows. That's not normal. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petalviolet Posted January 14, 2016 Author Share Posted January 14, 2016 Yes I think I should just for peace of mind. Do proper tutus lie straight away then? At least I know a floppy tutu is much much worse. Floppiness is never a good sign in anything much apart from....cats. 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petalviolet Posted January 14, 2016 Author Share Posted January 14, 2016 We've had IDS tutus fir shows. That's not normal. Drat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna C Posted January 14, 2016 Share Posted January 14, 2016 Yes I think I should just for peace of mind. Do proper tutus lie straight away then? At least I know a floppy tutu is much much worse. Floppiness is never a good sign in anything much apart from....cats. Depends! One of DD's practice tutus is very stiff and stuck up for a little while until it softened slightly. Her Bloch practice one is fluffier but was fine when I tacked the layers together. Her one "real" tutu never stuck up but to be fair it was made to measure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petalviolet Posted January 14, 2016 Author Share Posted January 14, 2016 That's a shame. I had whimsical ideas of proper ballerinas having to walk around initially peeking over their tutu skirts for a bit. Like how you have to break in pointe shoes? And so you would have to train your tutu.... And then a dead tutu would be a floppy one and some flop quicker than others...if you have a really flexible torso yours would flop quicker but if you weren't strong enough In your....torso...your tutu wouldn't train at all and you'd never be able to be a ballerina - cos you couldn't train your tutu cos of your....torso. This makes total sense to me. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swanprincess Posted January 14, 2016 Share Posted January 14, 2016 This reminds me of when I went to London in the summer, came home with a huge Bloch practice tutu (it was a 'petite' but has a heck of a lot of net!!), proudly put it on- mum just spluttered with laughter and said 'you look as if you've stepped into a cloud'- the tutu was sticking up so much, that the top layer was nearly level with my chest!! So I can empathise with your 'tutu training' struggles!!! At present, the tutu is currently sitting in the corner (yet to be worn, as I haven't attempted to do anything to 'tame' it!!) however I heard that tacking the layers of net together may help?? 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petalviolet Posted January 14, 2016 Author Share Posted January 14, 2016 Good tutu training is a thing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
invisiblecircus Posted January 14, 2016 Share Posted January 14, 2016 It does sound as if it's too small, particularly too short in the body. It can be normal for stretch tutus which are sent in the post to stick up a bit too much in the beginning but they usually only need hanging on a hanger for a while to sort themselves out. Another thing that can help them sit flat is a line of sequins round the edge but I see this one already has that. Also, if the layers of net aren't tacked together that will also flatten the skirt as well as ensure it doesn't jump about too much when she dances. I'd definitely go for a bigger size before trying anything else though, you don't want to play around with this one too much then be unable to return it. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petalviolet Posted January 14, 2016 Author Share Posted January 14, 2016 Thank you! I'm going to give it 24hrs with Mr Norrell on top of it and then decide. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
annaliesey Posted January 14, 2016 Share Posted January 14, 2016 Sorry I'm still at the berth .. Isn't that how you measure the size of caravans and boats? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petalviolet Posted January 14, 2016 Author Share Posted January 14, 2016 Wide berth. It sounds quite like you are measuring width wise in order to ascertain manoeuvrability. You need to give a tutu wide berth don't you? I've seen DD go in to cuddle a senior and get poked in the eye. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petalviolet Posted January 14, 2016 Author Share Posted January 14, 2016 Interestingly though it has been eye opening to see how arm placement is governed by a tutu. I'd never appreciated before just why arms goes thus and here and quite high or mustn't drop or sweep past the body because Ballet is designed (or at least this basic stuff) to accommodate a tutu. It's interesting to see DD learn and understand that a bit more too. You can take the ballerina out of the tutu but not the tutu out of the ballerina - it has invisible but definite circumference. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
annaliesey Posted January 14, 2016 Share Posted January 14, 2016 I agree with it being too small unfortunately It should start to flare out at hips and if the material is too stretched (especially Lycra or stretch velour) it will pull it upwards (hence the inside out umbrella effect) To test this, if possible take arms out and pull the whole thing down further on hips and the skirt will probably sit right. Then you know its a girth issue When ive done sewing adjustments to get tutus to fit from the problem you've described ive ended up inserting a whole waist panel (Iike a wide belt)! But if it's new, it would be better to exchange for different size if you can 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shygirlsmum Posted January 14, 2016 Share Posted January 14, 2016 I'm so glad you started this thread. I bought a practice tutu and am hoping to make a bodice to wear for festival but it also needs some taming, I will be watching this thread with interest. I'm no expert but if your DD has a problem with off the peg atire could you try stitching in an extra piece of fabric to extend the girth? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
munchkin16 Posted January 14, 2016 Share Posted January 14, 2016 You can also steam or tack a tutu to get it flatter/tamer but you'd probably want instructions from someone a bit more expert on the matter for that. Probably best to try a larger size first and if it's still fluffy try flattening it then. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
annaliesey Posted January 14, 2016 Share Posted January 14, 2016 I've just looked at the pic properly and if it's not possible to exchange for different size then possibly another option would be to give more length in the bodice by chopping off the straps and re-sewing them onto longer elastic straps as it would be easier that fitting in an extra waist panel. This would depend on how it fits around bust though as might run the risk of it being too low Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wildflowers Posted January 15, 2016 Share Posted January 15, 2016 probably not much help if it is a bodice thing, but my dd had a very sticky up practise tutu skirt, she was advised to tack some of the layers together with....dental floss!! Seemed to do the trick! (and thank you petalviolet for making me laugh at the end of a pretty rubbish week ) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluebird22 Posted January 15, 2016 Share Posted January 15, 2016 If the bodice needs a little extra stretching I've always found hanging the leotard on a coat hanger then putting a wheat bag over the gusset does the trick nicely! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Huddsballetmum Posted January 15, 2016 Share Posted January 15, 2016 Think you may well need the next size up petalviolet. My dd has a similar style tutu for a festival routine and it doesn't stick up much. BTW this post has had me in stitches on a day when I needed a good laugh so thank you so much! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sarahw Posted January 15, 2016 Share Posted January 15, 2016 ???????????????????????? Hope you get it sorted. I agree Def try larger size first. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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