Paquita - Tutu.com Design

You Dream it. We Create it.

This Paquita Rental Tutu with custom-designed, 6-piece, European-style Bodice with a point at the center front hipline 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.

It is important to us that whether a custom design client or a rental client, each gets 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, needs and desires. 

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 “Paquita” tutu started with a mix of domestic American 40 denier, red tutu net and enhanced sparkle tulle in red with gold sparkles. Products listed below were used in this design or are recommended substitutes or options.

Bodice

The Bodice is a gorgeous, red Waterfaille, a fabric that is a member of the bengaline family (as are Faille and Ottoman). Waterfaille has a very distinct watermark on it that looks like a waterfall. It is quite lovely close up as well as from a distance. We also have it in several other colors – black, gold, white, light blue, and mint green. We have several brocades in stock that would be great substitutes and would work very well – our red stretch brocade, as well as a reversible red and black brocade, and several others that you can see in our Brocade Fabric Collection. Another great options would be Stretch Taffeta which you can see here in our Stretch Satins Taffetas and Jacquards Collection.

• 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.
• 6-piece, European-style Bodice Pattern by Tutu.com is currently available in eight adult sizes, 0/0, 1/2, 3/4, 5/6, 7/8, 9/10, 11/12, and 13/14 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. Buttons and Buttonhole Elastic were used to attach the bodice to the tutu. Strong, one-inch wide braided elastic was used to make the waistband on the basque. #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. It has 12 layers of domestic American 40 denier tutu net. Four of those layers have red enhanced sparkle tulle with gold sparkles pleated along with the net. We chose to add sparkle to the top layer and every other one down to layer 3. We also doubled the net in rows 6 and 8 and pleated two pieces of net together at a time in those rows. Each row was double-hand-pleated, allowing for extra net to be added to each row, making for a very strong, but still lightweight tutu. When made in this manner, you can use the softer nets which are lighter weight and more comfortable for both the female dancer, as well as for her partner. The tutu will last and stand up very well. This particular rental tutu is 13 years old and has been rented quite a bit. It does not have a hoop in it and stands up beautifully.
• Each row is softly scalloped.
• The basque is made of the waterfaille lined with coutil.  It was custom-made to measurements.  Instructions for making your own custom basque can be found in Books & Instructions.
• Panty or “knicker” fabric used was 100% nylon Heavy Powernet SKU 560-0693-114036. The powernet for the panty was custom-dyed in our shop to match the color of the net.
• We used a total of 18 yards to make this tutu skirt because double-hand-pleating uses more net per row (about one extra section) than even the tightest ruffle.

Embellishments

• Swarovski 20ss and 30ss Light Siam, Crystal Golden Shadow and Black Diamond rhinestones, both hot fix and flat-back glue on were used on the plate and on the front of the bodice.

The embellishment was cut from the edge of a black lace with gold corded designs running through it.  We no longer have that particular lace, but do have other black laces in our Fancy lace section.  We also have several black trims that would work well.  This one is my favorite and I think would look great with some gold rhinestones and tiny gold flowers added - Fancy Scalloped Black Trim SKU 530-9543-007001.

Finally, we found some large vintage red rhinestone buttons which we used to embellish the plate.  We placed half of them on top of gold sunburst lace pieces cut from a larger lace design, and the other half we placed on top of black felted wool that we cut into seven-point shapes and also embellished with 20ss crystal golden shadow rhinestones.