…Getting Ready
Here is Part 2 of our “Tacking Your Tutu” series designed to aid you to get that perfect silhouette for your Classical or Bell style tutu skirt. You can review Part 1 here.
The Supplies
- A tagging gun is the tool used by retailers to apply price labels to garments. Our favorite is the Dennison Fine Fabric Gun. These guns are very sturdy. The fine needle model uses a smaller needle and, therefore, causes less damage to fabrics. These guns are generally priced at around $30.00 and are available from retail suppliers.
Tagging Gun
- Fasteners for fine guns are the pieces (we just call them “tags”) that are fed into the gun and “shot” through your tutu layers. You need to make sure to get nylon tags if you need to color them to match your tutu. The clear nylon variety takes up a nylon friendly dye (like Rit or Jacquard Acid Dyes) very well.
- Dye if you need it. A few examples are Jacquard Acid Dyes (Don’t worry! The “acid” is just vinegar)
Jacquard Acid Dyes
…or Rit Dye. The Rit website has a lovely online color guide that is very helpful if you need to mix an exact color.
Dying your Tags
- Dye your tags using a quick and easy stovetop method. Follow the instructions for your nylon friendly dye. These tags can take up dye very well and very quickly. Time in the dye bath depends on how concentrated you mix your dye and how dark a color you need. We suggest that you just dip your tags briefly, rinse and check. Repeat as needed. You will quickly get a feel for how long the tags need to be in the bath.
Here is a good example of a Classical Tutu that is hooped and tacked in the “Pancake” style:
Laura Gilbreath, Soloist, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Photo © Angela Sterling
