Ideas for how to turn this leotard into a dress?

[spiralina]

I have this beautiful leotard in black and thought I'd turn to the talented forumites on how to turn it into a skating dress. I am primarily a freeskater, but could have dance length for MITF tests, etc. I'm a competent sewer. I was thinking of attaching a tulle skirt and stoning the edges of it, or altenatively going all out and stoning the bodice with crystals, and covering a skirt with black feathers for a "Swan Lake" theme!

http://www.dancedirect.com/uk/Products/Ballet/P440/dancewear-ballet-black-leotard-plume-p440/

Ideas most welcome & thank you in advance!

PS: I think this in blue is also stunning! http://www.dancedirect.com/uk/Products/Ballet/P510/plume-leotard-p510/

[slcbelle]

Have you considered buying black dance skirts in various lengths and shapes so you can change it up whenever the mood suits you?  Such as:

Asymmetric long/dance:  http://www.discountdance.com/dancewear/style_S34.html?pid=8497&Shop=Style&SID=331056431

Tiered:  http://www.dancewearsolutions.com/dancewear/skirts/S2892.aspx

Asymmetric short:  http://www.dancewearsolutions.com/dancewear/skirts/S3687.aspx

Handkerchief:  http://www.dancewearsolutions.com/dancewear/skirts/S2839.aspx

[isakswings]

I have this beautiful leotard in black and thought I'd turn to the talented forumites on how to turn it into a skating dress. I am primarily a freeskater, but could have dance length for MITF tests, etc. I'm a competent sewer. I was thinking of attaching a tulle skirt and stoning the edges of it, or altenatively going all out and stoning the bodice with crystals, and covering a skirt with black feathers for a "Swan Lake" theme!

http://www.dancedirect.com/uk/Products/Ballet/P440/dancewear-ballet-black-leotard-plume-p440/

Ideas most welcome & thank you in advance!

I would probably use a chiffon for the skirt instead of a tulle. Chiffon flows better. BUT it also depends on the look you are after. You could also look for a stretch lace that matches the lace on the bodice. That could turn into a very pretty moves dress! I like the idea of just adding a wrap skirt too. I would think a wrap skirt would be easy enough to make.

As for adding a skirt to your leotard, I think you could do it. I'm just not sure how! Do you have a skating dress pattern? If so, maybe pull the bodice piece out and use a fabric pencil to mark where the skirt hits? I would then cut along that line and add the skirt like I would if I were sewing a skating dress. It likely won't be exact since I cut my patterns on a fold so it would be 1/2 of a bodice, but I think it could work. Just a thought.

PS: I think this in blue is also stunning! http://www.dancedirect.com/uk/Products/Ballet/P510/plume-leotard-p510/

[hopskipjump]

It would lend itself nicely to Spanish music or if you went with black as a more formal freeskate.

http://www.myskatingmall.com/user_images/4931241.jpg

Personally I'd use a lycra that was the same as the bodice if making a black skirt.

The only difference I've seen with a skating dress and a leo is leo's are seldom fully lined and skating dresses tend to have that full lining.

[platyhiker]

Tulle is quite stiff - most skating skirts are made out of a material that will flutter and/or float more than tulle, and I love that look.

I love slcbelle's suggestions of getting different (separate) skirts so that you can get more than one look out of your leotard.

[sampaguita]

How about a double layer chiffon skirt?

[Doll]

Very pretty.  If it were me, I would go with black silk chiffon.  Nothing is quite as milky/flowy as silk, and with the lace it would make for a very pretty look.

You could make several different types of skirts for variety without fear of them not staying in place by sewing on hooks onto the dress/skirts (like the kind on a bra clasp).

[FigureSpins]

I think adding a lacey skirt is the best idea.

[miraclegro]

I read this in a hurry...but I might have missed this...what is the music you will be skating to?

[spiralina]

Thank you for all the suggestions!

Have you considered buying black dance skirts in various lengths and shapes so you can change it up whenever the mood suits you?  Such as:

I had a lot of difficulty matching skirts to this leotard because the lycra has an unusual sheen in person, and I couldn't find lace that matched enough to not look obvious. Of course, a week after I ask the question, the company brings out a matching lace skirt  I might sew it on directly, and make the waist a little lower: http://www.dancedirect.com/uk/Products/Ballet/P524/plume-skirts-p524/

You could make several different types of skirts for variety without fear of them not staying in place by sewing on hooks onto the dress/skirts (like the kind on a bra clasp).

Really good idea. I will bear that in mind for next time (although next time I will be thinking more carefully about how I will use something, not just because it looks pretty!)

It would lend itself nicely to Spanish music or if you went with black as a more formal freeskate.

I did think that! But I can't carry off Spanish music to save my life, as much fun as it sounds to skate to!

I read this in a hurry...but I might have missed this...what is the music you will be skating to?

It won't be for my current programme music (I have the dress for that already) - I just came across the leotard and thought it looked really pretty! Programme is nevertheless this    it is a Finnish "symphonic metal" band, and the piece is used a lot by Synchro teams. My boyfriend is a big fan, suggested I skated to something more dramatic than my first choice, and voila! The dress also, coincidentally, looks like a lady's version of his costume too: