You Dream it. We Create it.

This Firebird Rental Tutu with custom-designed, 16-piece, longline Russian-style Bodice is part of Tutu.com’s rental inventory. It was made using many products available through Tutu.com. All of our custom designs feature various embellishments that are either purchased or custom-made specifically for each particular design.

It is important to us that each custom design client, as well as our rental clients, get something special, made with the energy and personality of that particular dancer in mind. Keeping that thought at the forefront of our minds, Tutu.com’s creative team works hard to get to know our clients through emails, phone conversations, exchanging pictures of tutus the client likes and does not like, and sending out various fabric samples and ruffled nets and tulles. All of this allows us to get to know our client’s personality, whether they are buying a Tutu.com custom design or renting one from our in-stock inventory. If commissioned well-in advance, we are even able to custom-make a tutu for rental. In this case, rental fees are higher than our normal $150 per week, but the client is getting a tutu made to her measurements at a much lower price than the cost of buying a custom-made tutu.

Keep in mind, this level of personal attention takes time. For a custom-built, new rental, orders must be placed at least three months in advance of when the costume is needed. Regular rental stock can be ordered at any time, but keep in mind that certain busy times of year, they tend to be snapped up early (Sugar Plums at Nutcracker time, for example).

Be sure to allow six to eight weeks minimum when ordering a fully embellished, one-of-a-kind tutu for purchase. We strive to always remember that you, the dancer, are the star of the show, not the tutu. Our job is to be a part of YOUR creative team, working towards making your performance the best in every way possible.

We are very happy to share with you the exact materials we used to create our designs.  However, keeping in mind our commitment to give each client, whether purchasing or renting, a one-of-a-kind masterpiece, we keep some secrets regarding how we put those materials together, or where we purchased/how we made the special embellishments, etc. that are not sold through Tutu.com.

Our “Firebird” tutu started with a mix of glimmer and sparkly tulles from our vast collection. Products listed below were used in this design or are recommended substitutes or options.

Bodice

• The Bodice is a gorgeous, red/gold/orange satin brocade, no longer available, however we have several brocades in stock that would be great substitutes and would work very well – our red stretch brocade SKU 610-8000-099056, as well as 630-1068-099050, a reversible red and black brocade, and several others that you can see in our Brocade Fabric Collection.
• The piping was made using banana yellow bengaline.
• Bodice lining fabric used is Coutil, a herringbone-weave, 100% cotton fabric. 60 IN White Coutil SKU 560-0150-114060
• The nude inset fabric is our Polyester tulle in one of the 8 skintone shades that we carry.
• 16-piece, longline, Russian-style Bodice Pattern by Tutu.com is currently available in two child and three adult sizes, and can be seen in our Books and Patterns section.
• Steel Spiral Boning and Bone Casing were used in the bodice, as was our Invisible Mesh Elastic and poly twine cording.  Buttons and Buttonhole Elastic were used to attach the bodice to the tutu. Soft, red 1.5 inch wide Petersham ribbon was used for the waistband.  #6 hooks and bars are the fasteners we used for this costume.  All can be found in Notions.

Tutu

• This tutu is made in the English/European tradition, but with a few new twists.  It has nineteen layers of soft glimmer and sparkle tulles cut in varying lengths to be shorter in the front and longer in the back.  In order to complete the shading we envisioned, we used Design Master Tint It lightly, on the lower to middle layers.  Each row of tulle is tightly roll-hemmed in a slightly contrasting color to the color of tulle used for that layer.
• The Basque is made from two layers of medium-weight Powernet, quilted together.
• Panty or “knicker” fabric used was 100% nylon Heavy Powernet SKU 560-0693-114036. Both the powernet for the basque and the panty were custom-dyed in our shop to match the color created by mixing the tulles.
• Adult Standard Classical Tutu Panty Pattern by Claudia Folts SKU 220-1330-000001
• We used five different tulles to create the skirt – red with gold enhanced sparkle tulle, wine with gold enhanced sparkle tulle, red glimmer tulle, shrimp glimmer tulle, and Light Garnet regular tulle.  You will need a total of around 16 to 20 yards in all, mixed any way that you like.

Embellishments

• Swarovski 20ss and 30ss Siam, Light Siam, Ruby, Golden Shadow and Amethyst rhinestones, both hot fix and flat-back glue on.
• All feathery trims for this tutu were made by cutting and piecing from several different fabrics, including chiffons and sparkle organzas.  These “feathers” were roll-hemmed and sewn to a piece of tutu net for stability. Some pieces, we “curled” using scissors, then sprayed with a stiffener to hold the curled, 3D shapes.  Go to our Chiffons and Organza to view current in stock availability.