tulle

There are times when you want to add a bit of texture and fun to a project, but you may not be quite sure what to do. Think about encasing something under tulle, which serves to hold it in place and protect the addition at the same time.

What to encase?

Depending on the project you’re making, there are many choices. Silk flowers are a fun addition to home décor items or special-occasion wear. They’re affordable and look beautiful. Envision a long skirt fully embellished with silk flowers. OK, if you’re not quite that ambitious, think about a collar, pocket or tote bag. Take apart the flowers to use single layers or individual petals.

Bits of novelty threads, yarns or trims are another option. They can form a pattern or be totally free-form embellishments.

A collage of fabric bits is another idea—those tiny but colorful slivers of fabric you trim with a rotary cutter are ideal, as are small shapes of fabric purposefully cut for this technique. If the project isn’t going to be washed (like a wall hanging), then you can think more broadly to small rocks, shells, photos, etc.

Over the Top

Tulle is ideal for going over the top of your treasures—it’s very thin and almost invisible, depending on the color used and the base color, but it adds a “just-right” layer to help hold things in place.

Tulle is a fine mesh fabric found in the special occasion department of the fabric store, and it comes in myriad colors. It’s lighter and finer than the holes in net for a more invisible look. Note that some tulle is nylon and will easily melt, so check the fiber content and adjust the iron temperature as needed before pressing.

Covering Up

In addition to the items you want to encase, some fabric glue is helpful to hold multiple items in place. If you prefer not to glue, then use long pins to temporarily hold things until the finish stitching is done.

Cut the base fabric in the size needed. For example, if it’s a garment and you want to embellish the pocket, collar or perhaps an entire skirt, cut the pattern piece from the fashion fabric. If it’s a pillow or wall hanging, cut the fabric pieces as required by the pattern.

Position the accent items where you want them on the right side of the base fabric. Add a dot of fabric glue behind to hold it place—don’t cover the entire surface as you want to have some dimension. If you’re using silk flower petals, just a glue dot at the center is sufficient for securing.

Audition your creation with different colors of tulle to see the variation in look depending on the color used. When you’ve chosen an appropriate color, cut the tulle about 1” larger than the base fabric shape and press out any wrinkles. If your encasements, are thicker, cut the tulle larger to allow for full coverage.

Pin the tulle over the base fabric, placing some pins along the edges and some in and between the encased accents.

Now comes the fun—adding embellishments to hold things in place.

Embellishing

To help hold items in place, think about hand- or machine stitching around them to make a “pocket”, add some beads through the layers (especially nice for silk flower petals), or add hand- or machine embroidery to keep things where you want them.

Whatever technique is done over the layers keeps the tulle from being loose and “bagging out” if it’s not anchored in some way.

You can use free-motion stitching to go around shapes, or keep the presser foot on for a more controlled look. Single motifs of decorative stitches are ideal for flower centers or weave rows of decorative stitches in and out of the encased items.

For machine embroidery motifs, add a layer of stabilizer underneath for hooping. When hand-stitching, sew through both the tulle and base layer, and the same for attaching beads, charms or baubles. The more stitching that’s done, the flatter the finished piece will be.

When the embellishing process is complete, stitch around the edge of the entire piece and trim the tulle to match the base shape.

Finishing

Use your embellished piece in your finished garment or project, just as you would if it were plain fabric—you’ve created your own unique fabric worthy of compliments and questions about how you did it, as the tulle is elusive.

~Linda Griepentrog is the owner of G Wiz Creative Services and she does writing, editing and designing for companies in the sewing, crafting and quilting industries. In addition, she escorts fabric shopping tours to Hong Kong. She lives at the Oregon Coast with her husband Keith, and three dogs, Yohnuh, Abby, and Lizzie. Contact her at .

Tulle tu-tu on a little girl Whether you’re making a flirty tutu, a long flowing wedding veil or decorating for a bridal shower, it’s likely some tulle will be involved in the process.

Like its netting cousin, tulle is an openwork fabric sporting allover holes for a transparent look. Netting has larger holes than tulle and it’s usually stiffer. Both are usually made from nylon, though some other fibers are often found in specialty stores. Both netting and tulle are available in wide widths—from 54” to 108”, so it’s economical to use both for garments and home décor.

When tulle is used in garments, it’s often used either over another fabric, or it’s used in multiple layers for deeper color and modesty. A single layer of tulle is almost invisible.

Tulle has no grain so pieces can be cut any direction. It also doesn’t ravel, so edges do not require finishing, unless for decorative purposes. Trims, such as lace, are often applied over the raw edges of tulle for interest and additional weight. When used on veils or as ruffles, tulle often has serged rolled hems and fishing line can be added for undulating edges.

Tulle edges can be scratchy, especially around a multi-layered gathered waistline, and kids are the first to express their discomfort with aplomb. Waistlines of tulle skirts are easily bound with ribbon or fabric to prevent the itchy distress.

Pressing

Because of its fiber content, tulle requires extra care during pressing to remove any bolt wrinkles. It’s a good idea not to press directly on the tulle, but instead use a lightweight pressing cloth and a low-temperature iron. Before committing to a pressing method, test on some scraps.

Cutting

To cut tulle, it’s best to use a rotary cutter, ruler and mat for a perfectly straight and even edge. Cutting with scissors can leave uneven or jagged edges. Hold the fabric in place with weights or a ruler while cutting. If you’re cutting more intricate shapes (other than the most-often used rectangles), pin tissue under the fabric, then cut through both at once to maintain the shape needed.

Sewing

Seaming tulle can be challenging, as the layers may try to shift at your machine. Large, flat-head pins can help, as can spring clips to hold the edges in place. If those don’t work, then add a layer or tissue paper or water-soluble stabilizer under the area to be seamed.

Speaking of seaming, with tulle being translucent, all seams are obvious. It’s best to opt for a narrow seam with exactly matching thread, or even clear thread. However, sewing a narrow seam is not without its challenges either—often best to sew a slightly wider seam, then trim to make it narrower.

Use a small needle for tulle sewing and a longer than normal stitch length. If the toes of the presser foot tend to catch on the fabric’s holes, put transparent tape on the bottom of the presser foot, or switch to a roller foot for unhindered feeding.

Gathering can be done my machine or by hand. If you’re gathering by hand, use a large needle and a heavier thread and make even stitches through the mesh openings. Threads can easily pull out in the gathering process so be sure to knot securely at one end. Or, if your tulle project has a layer of other fabric with it, gather both at the same time for easier handling.

If you’re trying to apply a trim to a cut edge of tulle, prevent slipping by using a fabric glue stick to secure the trim in place before sewing.

Other Tulle Uses

In addition to the usual places you find tulle, it’s also a good base to use for machine embroidered laces and trims. Pair it with a water-soluble stabilizer to hold it in place for stitching, then remove once the design is completed. Look for designs specifically digitized for lace.

Tulle is also ideal for gift wrapping—you can purchase it in spooled strips of varying widths to tie up packages and wrap chairs for festive occasions. Use it as you would ribbons and scrunch and tie as desired. Strips of tulle are also ideal for making small gift bags to hold holiday treats or favors—just seam both sides and tie the top. Tulle strips can also be used to make fluffy pompoms and flowers for party décor.

~Linda Griepentrog
Linda is the owner of G Wiz Creative Services and she does writing, editing and designing for companies in the sewing, crafting and quilting industries. In addition, she escorts fabric shopping tours to Hong Kong. She lives at the Oregon Coast with her husband Keith, and two dogs, Yohnuh and Abby. Contact her at .

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