Tackling the Tulle

             Those of you who are fans of Sex and the City know the iconic sea-foam green tulle ballet gown she wears in “American Girl in Paris Part Deux.”  Well, I fell in love with that dress when I saw it and have been looking for a duplicate ever since; unsuccessful however.  I read that the dress was in fact a ballet costume that one of the SATC designers transformed into an evening gown, which makes it next to impossible to find another.  I recently took up sewing and had the brilliant idea of creating my own version of the dress…I bit off way more than I can chew it seems. 

            So the main part of the dress is the long, tutu-like skirt made of tulle.  I found a pattern that was similar to the cut of the dress; the pattern called for roughly 20 yards of tulle which is just absolutely absurd.  I’m only 5’5” so a dress that required 20 yards of tulle would just bury me.  I limited it to 12 yards which seems like more than enough, but I thought it would be best to leave some room for error.  Last weekend I started my project.  I went to JoAnn fabrics and picked out the most awesome shade of purple.  It’s like a deep eggplant with a hint of maroon, which I’m sure sounds hideous, but it’s gorgeous, I swear.  I got a few yards of fabric to make the bodice, some matching ribbon to make the straps, and then 12 yards of the perfect purple tulle.    

            I haven’t been sewing for long, so this will be my most daring project by far.  This is a huge undertaking, but I’m hoping the final outcome will make it all worth it.  The tulle poses a problem as well…it is, after all, probably one of the most temperamental fabrics I’ve come across.  I will keep updating on my progress; wish me luck!