Leotard!

UPDATE: Why is this post so popular?! This isn't even a flattering picture of me! UGH

Ignore my messy hair (I had to jump back in time since the camera was on a short timer) but there's the finished product! For this leotard, I used the spandex Lycra from Distinctive Fabrics and the Jalie pattern for the leotard. Overall, it looks really good! I made some alterations and have suggestions for future alterations.

Alterations I made:
I made the butt coverage a bit more and also lowered how high the cut was on the thigh. I wish I made more butt coverage and more hip coverage so I could wear underwear with my leotard. Also, I did not put elastic on the leg openings (I did on the neck opening and I highly recommend you do the same) because the fabric there already fit rather nicely; plus, I don't want the elastic to cut into my skin. The fabric also is rather unforgiving, so you don't want to make too many mistakes or sew it too much because it'll stretch a bit and start curling.

Future alterations:
More hip and butt coverage and to increase the size of the sleeves. The sleeves are a tad too tight for my liking, but not too bad. They actually just might stretch a bit with wear.

Spandex Lycra:
I only recommend you use this fabric if you're a seasoned sewer. If you have to use the seam ripper often when you sew, don't use this. It's hard to pick out the thread and when you do, you will sometimes pluck the fabric. Also, even if you don't pluck the fabric, it'll still leave holes. This fabric is also super stretchy and if you aren't used to sewing stretch fabrics, this will be very hard and you might end up with uneven seams and wavy edges.

This fabric does make a great leotard. I took it on its maiden voyage today in class and it held up well. It's stretchy, easy to put on, but it can also get a little warm. I would not recommend this for the unitard unless you want it to double as a warmer.


Next I will make a leotard out of the cotton Lycra. We'll see how it goes!

My leotard is done!!

My leotard is done!!! I just finished it. I made it out of the spandex Lycra first, even though it's probably the most difficult material. I will post pictures, advice about working with this fabric, and advice about using this pattern later once there's more light for pictures! (I was just too excited and had to post early!)

:D

Fabric Arrived! - Updated 3/1/11

My fabric arrived today and I open it up on camera pour vous!
(I accidentally dropped the f-bomb once since I was about to enter a state of strong exasperation. Otherwise I'm completely chaste. I apologize for the curse but I can't figure how to edit it out.) 

Yeah... Distinctive Fabrics... I don't know if I will shop with them again. This is mostly due to the steep cost of shipping for a small amount of fabric. This would be much better if you are ordering bulk.

Now, with the disorganization. I ordered samples awhile ago, and when I finally received them, I received someone else's samples. I understood this since the woman had the same name as me, but then when the second batch came, not all of my samples were available. I didn't get credited for another free sample in return for the one they couldn't give to me.

Now I have the wrong invoice? Huh, bizarre. Anyway, my fabric looks fine, and it's being pre-washed as I speak! I can't wait to finally have a leotard for class.

The shipping is very, very high. Considering that this is just fabric and doesn't need to be insured or surrounded in Styrofoam peanuts, that seems really high to me. This is definitely something you need to consider when factoring out your price. It seems that the lowest, standard shipping price from them is $10.75 for in the United States. The lady on the incorrect invoice I received ordered a lot more fabric but still had the same shipping cost. I received my fabric about a week after ordering, though it may have been a bit longer than that.

Still, perhaps the shipping price is worth it because you are allowed swatches, and not just any swatches, but free swatches. That's not too bad. The shipping for swatches is also free, but it will take awhile to be delivered since it'll be by snail mail.

Unless I can find a cheaper company that offers similar fabric, I'll be sticking with this group for leotard fabric. Perhaps later I will compare and contrast their Lycra blends with some suitable fabrics I can find at brick-and-mortar stores like JoAnn's, Hancock Fabrics, and other popular fabric stores.


Further Updates:
I have completed my first leotard using Distinctive Fabric's fabric, and I must say, it is definitely a quality fabric. I feel confident using it, and it's just as they said it would be in the description. So though some things have been off regarding Distinctive Fabrics, the descriptions seem to be quite on. The total fabric cost per leotard is about $13. Compare that to other leotards online of similar prices and you'll find that they don't have the same quality fabric and aren't made specifically for me. (Other factors would be the cost of the pattern, but even that would only add about five dollars per leotard.) I'm really happy with my fabric despite all the set backs and delays due to errors this company has made with the swatches, but in the end, I have a really nice leotard for class.

Fabric Swatches!

My swatches for my leotard fabric finally came! YES! There was a huge mix up and I got the wrong swatches, but all's good now! I have the correct ones. For those popping in, I bought my swatches from Distinctive Fabrics since they give five free swatches AND they have the specific fabric I'm looking for for quite cheap! I'm planning on buying both types of Lycra they offer and making leotards out of both of them.

#1 - Cotton Lycra; #2 - Spandex Lycra

Immediate impressions--

Cotton Lycra:
It's softer.
It seems to collect more hair and dust.
Feels like Tshirt fabric
Looks like more air can get through the cloth so it may be more "breathable"

Spandex Lycra:
It's smoother
It feels almost like swimsuit material
Has a slight shine
Stretches more
Tighter weave/less light can get through

As you can see from the picture, the weaving is also different. This gives the fabric a different, distinct feel. The cotton has more lint clinging to it, by the Spandex is smooth so it's difficult for lint to cling to. I'm going to get about a yard of each and experiment with both. I'll post the results up here once I finish. That will probably be some time from now since I've been so busy lately!


In other news, I've had the music from Swan Lake's Prologue stuck in my head ALL day today. I was whistling to myself in the hallways when I realized that if I switched the notes around a bit, it would sound like an Eminem song. ("This Looks Like a Job for Me," yeah, we're going back in time a bit there.)

Lycra find!

 I've been working busily today to complete my leotard prototype. And I must say, it looks rather good! There's no way I can wear this leotard to class since it doesn't have the full stretch both ways, but the pattern definitely works. It's easy once you figure out the directions. Now, I feel I'm ready to tackle to big task of sewing a leotard for class! I need to find a decent fabric. Since the fabric stores with brick and mortar branches have little variety, I decided to look around online again. I needed something that will give me a swatch AND had, preferably, a cotton/Lycra mix. Boy did I get lucky!

I found an amazing deal for a cotton-lycra blend!

Distinctive Fabrics

The cotton has everything the pattern requires: a two way stretch, 60" wide, comes in black, 85% cotton 15% Lycra, and only $7.50/yard. Plus, I can get a swatch!

Signing up for this company's registry will give you five free swatches. Needless to say, I took advantage of this offer. I ordered the cotton Lycra blend, plus another Lycra blend they offered, Lycra spandex. This will probably be too stretchy, but hey, it's worth a shot. Shipping is free, too. So check this site out!

Sweet!! I can't wait for it to come!

Leotard test run and skirt finished!

I've been working for a couple hours now on this leotard and skirt combo, using the new pattern. So far, so good! I ran into some issues around the skirt but I fixed most of them and it looks pretty good! Passable enough for me! The leotard is also pretty easy so far. It may be a little tight because it only has 70% stretch one way, but since I put that as the width of the pattern, it should be good enough to gauge if it'll fit me or not.

Even though I lowered the top of the leg, it still cuts very high. It'll easily be above my hip bone. I don't really feel comfortable with that, but luckily the skirt covers it.

 The skirt's looking good! It looks lopsided, but I can't figure out why it looks like that.... The more I look at it, though, the more I like how asymmetrical it is.

Anyway, that's it for my sewing today! Have a great weekend! Happy Friday everyone!

My ballet skirt's progress

I've started working on my skirt first. A little backwards, I know, but it has the easier directions so I want to give it a whirl first. Plus, I'm way too exhausted to put a lot of effort into my trial run, so I'm going the easy way.

The waist is sloppy since I had to pin the short ends of the belt to the dressform.

Right away, I'm running into some trouble. I can't seem to anchor down the chiffon so when I cut it, it tends to sway. This isn't too much of a problem. I did a good job on the main skirt, which is all I'm worried about, but for the belt it's a slightly different story. Still, it's not too big of a deal. BUT, I made a huge mistake. The problem with the fabric is that it's transparent, so when it looks like I have the wrong side up, it's actually the right side. I've already messed up a seam. I either tear it and another seam out and risk ruining the fabric, or I leave it and try to cover it up in a unique way. I don't know what I should do... I'm going to practice ripping out seams on a discarded scrap of the same fabric before attempting the skirt.

I'm positive I cut them the right length. I even double checked.

Also, an even bigger problem is that somehow the belt straps are too short. I'm pretty sure I followed the pattern correctly, but there's still not enough to wrap around the skirt. Luckily, I have a plan for this. I'm going to cut out another, longer strip and just add it to the ends. Once I tube the skirt, it shouldn't matter much. Besides, when its tied, it'll be hard to notice, I think.

I plan on working on this leotard over the weekend. I already have my trial pattern cut out!

It's really easy. There are only a couple of pieces: the front leotard, the back, crotch guard, bra, and sleeves.

The pattern's here!

The pattern made it here! I'm so excited! I'm going to start working on it right away!

Here's a picture of it:

The pattern is bigger than most. It comes in two large sheets of paper. I'm going to be tracing over them so I don't have to cut it out. So far, it's really easy to make adjustments. They have right on the pattern where the waistline is so you can adjust as needed. Though depending on your size, there's not too much room you need to make adjustments. The differences between the sizes is small.

I'm a little worried about the instructions. I'm not used to them and the way they have everything labeled throws me off. I'll have to keep looking over them and I'll definitely try a trial leotard before trying on the more expensive spandex.

I'm already starting to make a pattern for a leotard! Today I went to the fabric store and asked the associates what they would recommend. They pointed me straight to spandex and, get this, even recommend bathing suit spandex for leotards. This is particularly good for the "crotch guard" as this pattern likes to call it. I bought a sample of it and will compare it to a couple others to tell you how I think. It's shiny (good or bad depending on the individual) and has the 70% stretch both ways that's needed. 

Pictures later once I cut out my trial! Meanwhile, class tomorrow and college tomorrow... I'm going to be a tired girl!

Ballet Sewing Pattern - Fabrics

My pattern has yet to arrive. It's been over a week and I'm starting to get a tad antsy. To prepare for its arrival, I have already started looking for some fabric so that I can get started right away and have a leotard for class as soon as possible.

I'm probably going to buy from JoAnn's, since it's the only fabric store nearby that carries the type of fabric this pattern will need, but it doesn't stop me from browsing the market a little bit.

Looking for:

• Black
• Spandex mix
• At most $10/yard

We are looking for a fabric with at least two-way stretch. Preferably something with spandex. The pattern recommends Lycra, but any spandex mix will do. It seems cotton/spandex mixes are the most popular for leotards, but I've also seen nylon/spandex. I'll only need one yard for the leotard, and I will probably make a practice leotard out of some black polyester/cotton knit I have to make sure I don't waste any of the spandex because as I found out, spandex can be quite expensive.

The pattern also calls for 59'' wide fabric, which we must take into consideration. If we don't listen to this, then we could end up with not enough fabric. Taking the pattern's requirements into consideration, I found these fabrics:


72% Polyester, 24% Rayon, 4% Spandex; $9.99/yard at Hancock Fabrics
95% Rayon, 5% Spandex; $12.99/yard at JoAnn's
86% Polyester, 14% Spandex; $12.99/yard at Hancock Fabrics
95% Cotton, 5% Spandex; $12.95/yard ON SALE! for $6.95/yard at TrimFabric.com
50% Polyester, 45% Cotton, 5% Spandex; $18/yard ON SALE! for $10/yard at TrimFabric.com

These you would have to buy more fabric of since they aren't quite wide enough:
97% Cotton, 3% Spandex; $8.99/yard at Hancock Fabrics

For the skirt with this pattern, I probably will prefer a chiffon. I have some gorgeous purple chiffon left over from a high school toga costume. I've been dying to use it and plan on using for this pattern. If you don't have chiffon, and want to wait for it to be on sale, then don't worry. Chiffon goes on sale often, I find. You'll only need a yard of it so it'll be very cheap for a ballet skirt. The hardest bit will be sewing it since it's transparent and unravels. I'd recommend overlocking/serging the edges or using a narrow zigzag stitch. I'm going to try zigzag first. If it works, I'll let you guys know! You could also do a narrow hem, but since it's a curved edge it looks like, I'm probably not going to even attempt it.

 I also have this really pretty sparkly fabric my aunt gave me. I was planning on making a cover-up out of it, but I like the idea of a ballet skirt better.

Capezio Website Still Down... AND Sizing Advice

The official site for Capezio is still down. It's been down for a couple months now. This means that you still can't order directly from their site! Here are the best sites I found for purchasing Capezio brands at a lower cost AND are actually available for purchase:

Amazon's Capezio Dance Store
Discount Dance Supplies

I have ordered from both of these stores and they both deliver on time and accurately. Though I have not purchased from them, there's also:

Zappos
Capezio Dancewear (I have no idea what the difference is between this link and the Capeziodance.com link)
6 PM

BUT.

And here's a huge BUT. Capezio's shoe sizes are wacked up. They say to order your street shoe size, but really, you should order half a size to a full size larger. Materials in the shoe also should be taken into consideration. I find leather stretches more and molds better to your foot than canvas. I recommend a half shoe size larger if you're buying leather, and an entire shoe size larger if they are canvas. Ultimately, you should get your feet fitted for new shoes, but if you're desperate (trust me, I know the feeling) then I recommend you start there.

Also, do not sew the elastic on or cut it in anyway. The shoe should fit like a sock. No toes should be curled in the front of the foot. The heel should be comfortably in the back. You can tighten the elastic a little, but it shouldn't need too much coaxing. If you alter the shoe, you cannot return it to try a different size, so don't think that fixing the elastic and such will correct any errors. If you still are unsure if the shoes are not the correct size, try going into relevé and try a couple sauté. If your feet feel tired or ache, they are probably too tight. If your shoes feel as if they are going to come off, they are loose. Just take good judgment when choosing a shoe and listen to your feet.

Capezio tights, on the other hand, are pretty much spot on. Since they are tights, there's always room for stretching and such, so it's not as big of a disaster as when you buy the wrong size of shoes. I bought the transition tights from Capezio in a size S/M. This size is perfect for me. The sizing chart on the back is accurate in my opinion so make sure to check it before you buy.

Picture of the back. I find this accurate sizing.

Though I have not tried Capezio's dancewear, Discount Dance is running a special on selected leotards. If they are unavailable on their website, check the Amazon link. This is also supported by Discount Dance and I sometimes find they have different items available.