How to fix a too-tight dance costume!

We're nearing the end of recital season, but I came across this photo from last year and wanted to share this tip which may still help out some little dancers!

One of the biggest gripes of parents of dancers is costumes. You have to order them a long time in advance, you have no idea what you're getting, you're paying a lot of money, and you don't know what the quality or fit will be like.

This super cute little preschool costume was WAY too short for my tall kid. It was not simply uncomfortable, it was painful for her to wear--and she could barely get it on in the first place!

 The dance teacher asked if I could just cut the crotch and insert a piece of fabric. That would be a bad fix, because then you'd be working with a tricky elasticized area AND you'd be making the leg holes too big besides. You can lengthen a dance costume in a much more effective way, provided there's an area of torso that will be concealed by the skirt or tutu.

Take a peek underneath. I sliced the leotard horizontally. Then I cut a strip of lycra fabric (ask for "swimwear"fabrics at the fabric store--they're very pricy but you only need a tiny bit) to insert.

I wanted to add 2 1/2" to the length (it was THAT short) so I cut my fabric strip 3" wide to allow for a 1/4" seam allowance. Length for your strip, of course, is going to be twice the width of the leotard plus 1/2" if you use a 1/4" seam allowance to make it a continuous loop. Then all you have to do is sew the pieces back together. I have a serger, which is what you really need for sewing with lycra. But since this is a one-time-wear costume and the fix is going to be totally concealed, why not try it on a regular sewing machine? Try a zigzag stitch so it'll stretch just a bit--it won't lie flat but that's okay because you'll never see it.

Voila! A MUCH more comfortable costume. 

Different costume, same story:

Happy little dancer.