all american tutu

my girls won't wear jeans.

ever.

jeans bug them.

all dresses and skirts all the time.

so how can I sneak them into a pair of jeans?

make a tutu of course.

what's more american than a 

red white and blue denim tutu?

I have a three pack of firecrackers who will be

tutu-ing it up come this fourth.

You can too.  Easy and inexpensive.  Promise.

Supplies:

Jeans you don't mind cutting up.

Three yards of tulle

(I am making a 5T.  You  may need more or 

less, depending on the size.)

Denim needle for your sewing machine

1 inch grosgrain ribbon

First cut the waistband and belt loops off of the jeans.

If your jeans have elastic, remove that as well.

Cut a piece of ribbon the same length.

Use a lighter to seal the ends of the ribbon.

Cut the tulle into twelve inch pieces.

You will have three per color.

Or nine total if you are using one solid color.

Open up the tulle.

Sew a gathering stitch along the entire long side.

For my machine I use zero tension and a stitch length of 5.

Make sure NOT to backstitch on either end.

Don't let the pile of tulle attack your assistant.

Because she attacks back.

This is what the gathering stitches look like.

Pull the bottom thread on one side and 

gather the tulle until it looks like this.

Pin each gathered section of tulle to the 

ribbon in the your desired color combo.

Here is what it looks like from the other side.

Switch to normal tension and stitch length on your machine.

I use a fairly big zig zag stitch to make sure 

the threads grab all of the crazy tulle.

Stitch down the entire length of the ribbon.

My assistant thinks you are doing a great job!

Pin the ribbon to the inside of the denim 

waistband with the messy side down.

Fold in the ribbon where the button goes.

Sew a straight stitch along the legnth of the waistband.

Clip stray threads.

Done!!!

A certain firecracker had no interest in working today.

She was not feeling patriotic.

The only freedom she was interested in was 

freedom from her mother's photoshoot.

But a little candy got a semi smile out of her.

(You can find instructions for the tank here

and grab a headband here.)