just as divided baskets are my go to gift for baby showers and new babies, dress up clothes are my go to for two/three/four year olds. i love giving personalized superhero capes (my simple tutorial is here), especially to boys. but tutus for little gals are so sweet and fun, and for new 2 year old K, daughter of longtime family friends and daycare buddy of my son, i felt that one was really necessary.
i love this tutu pattern – easy and painless to sew, and it feels so elegant. it’s from the book Little Things to Sew by Liesl Gibson (affiliate link) and if it looks slightly familiar, it’s because i used the same pattern for Em’s Angelina Ballerina halloween costume a couple years back! Em and her friends still wear it as dress up, which is the beauty of this tutu – it ties in the back and is highly adjustable as the child grows! i like to make it a little on the long side so it lasts.
i took Em shopping with me at Fabric Depot to pick out the colors of tulle and ribbon – i nudged her away from a few super bright/clashy colors, but in the end these colors are pretty much all her choices and i love it! the fun part of this pattern is picking out the layers of color. we started with a deep magenta, then a couple lighter pinks, ending in a pretty gold color. i think it looks a bit like a sunset.
the ribbon is satin but the less-expensive stuff – i should’ve upgraded to a double sided satin, but didn’t think about it until i was back home sewing. you see both sides of the ribbon, just be aware of that. they both need to be pretty.
the color is bright and fun and K had her mama help put the tutu on right after she opened the gift, so I hope that was a good sign that it’ll be in solid dress up rotation for a few years to come. 🙂
skirt as top 
I always love a simple tutu and your colors are so great together. lovely.
These colors are perfection!
I made this skirt for a friend’s daughter and my own. Maybe it’s my kid, but she wants to do everything herself…..everything, so the tie impedes that a bit.
Very pretty! I like the pop of color with the ribbon.
Time to start twirling! Beautiful tutu, Kristin!
So sweet! I love the bow on the back, and the idea that it can grow a bit with the child. Great job!
Very nice! I’ve made many of these for gifts and though the double-sided satin looks a little nicer, it doesn’t tie as well. You need the friction of the non-satin side.
Very pretty! Em did a great job picking colors.:)
that is gorgeous!! i need to make syd one – she is still a big fan of dress up. you’re also making me want at least one dark grey wall in my house. . .
so beautiful! and those pictures! they captured so much of the gorgeous detail. beautiful all around.
ps i own that very same washi tape!
Great colours
This is adorable! Now I want to make one for my little girl 😉
It is sweet. I’m sure she was thrilled, I know I would have been if I’d gotten a tutu as a little girl.
the layers of colors look great together! good choices, Em. So, craft confession…..I got tulle and ribbon to replace the girls’ raggedy tutus last christmas and still haven’t gotten them done. boo, me
You’ve got me thinking this should really be on the Christmas list for my daughter, right?!
Gorgeous tutu and good on you relinquishing control on the fabric choosing, I don’t know if I could be so generous.
it DOES look like a sunset! gorgeous, K!
My daughter is 2 and would love it
It’s beautiful…I love layered tulle. What a lovely gift!
Oh I love this! What a great idea to give handmade dress up clothes! You are spectacular. 🙂
This is absolutely stunning. I’m forwarding this post on some friends who have asked about tutus recently. Great job!!
Precious! I need a reason to make one of these!