Rain, Hail, Mud and Rainbows!

I know that talking about the weather is technically considered a boring subject, but honestly, the weather has been crazy around here the last couple of days!

We just came through the second heatwave of the year (over 40-42C -- that's 104-107F y'all), then yesterday the thunder and lightning was so loud that it actually threw one of the breakers in my house! Suddenly I had no internet, phone or cable! Right now I'm listening to an intense hailstorm while the news is reporting flooding and mudslides in the area. 

Not to make light of a bad situation (200 evacuated from their homes), but I decided I needed a little color in my life while the storms were raging about me. So I made a rainbow tutu for my granddaughter. This was such an easy little project. There's no sewing required. All I used was tulle, ribbon, a cutting mat and a pair of scissors. Soooo easy!!

I had no idea how much tulle I would need, so it was hit and miss. I will go through my process with you, in case you'd like to make your own. First some pictures:

Six metres of tulle, one metre each color and some white satin ribbon.

To be honest I'm not terribly happy with the white satin ribbon, but I only had so much to choose from and the white seemed like a choice I couldn't go wrong with. Should have gone with the red! 

Oh well, I hope my 4 yr old granddaughter will like it anyway. 

So here's what I did: 

I measured her waist: 20 1/2" and from her waist to her knees: 14"

Ribbon Length: waist measurement, plus 18" X 2. 

(So for me that was  18" + 20 1/2" + 18" = 56 1/2")

Place a knot 18" into the ribbon...then measure out the waist measurement (for me 20 1/2") and place another knot there. There should be 18" of ribbon left on the other side. You will be adding the tulle in between the two knots.

Each piece of tulle will be 3" wide and TWICE the measurement of the waist to the knee. 

(For me that was 14" X 2, or 28")

If you're using the tulle that comes as a ribbon (6" wide), you'll have to cut each piece in the length you need (for me that was 28") and then fold them in half a few times so that it's easy to cut each piece 3" wide. 

If you are using tulle per metre, you'll have to measure and cut out the length and then fold it in half a few times to make it easy to cut it into 3" chunks. Each piece of tulle should be 3" X the length.

I used 3 pieces on top of each other for each color wrap I attached. I had 40 wraps (each 3 strips) for my 20 1/2" waist. 

I completely used up a metre of each color of tulle (6 colors). In fact, I squeaked by with a few 26" pieces because I came up a bit short. I have nothing but a few scraps left and I'm not even sure it'll make a tutu for her seahorse...I don't think so. 

Anyway, here's how it goes together. You place 3 strips of the pre-cut tulle together, fold them over in half and make a loop (so now you have 6 strips altogether). Slip this loop under your ribbon and then pull the tails up through the loop so that it attaches to the ribbon. Pull the strips taut. That's it! Just keep doing that and you will soon have a tutu. 

The extra 18" on each end of the ribbon is to tie it all together into a bow.

It was really quite an easy project. However, if you need something to look at, here's the video I used to make mine, by Just Add A Bow.

I hope you're all having much more reliable weather than we are.

In any case, I have a beautiful rainbow to look at.

Have a good week, :)
Blessings,
Carmen