In this episode, Michelle talks about the Summer Declutter Challenge. She reviews the tasks the Tutu Artists' Studio recommends to tackle as a way to declutter and organize your sewing space.

#TutuArtistsStudioPodcast #Ballet #CostumeDesign #BehindTheScenes #DanceMagic #BalletPreparation #TutuArtistsStudioPodcast #talkeverythingtutus #laughcaffeinatetutu #tutuartistsstudiopodcast #TutuArtistsStudio #tutartistsstudio #whatsunderyourneedle #BusinessAdaptation #keeplearning #ThrivingNotJustSurviving #SummerDeclutterChallenge

How to Contact Us:

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Casey online at tidewaterdancewear.com and on instagram and facebook @TidewaterDancewear.

Michelle on Etsy, Instagram, and Facebook @IcantIhavedanceshop

Emma online at tutusceleste.com and on social media @tutus_celeste

Reach out to us to share your experiences, questions, and ideas by direct message, comment or by email at Tutuartistsstudio@gmail.com

In this inspiring episode of Tutu Artists' Studio, we sit down with Rachel Ford, owner and CEO of Made Institute in Philadelphia. Rachel shares her dynamic journey from fashion school graduate to working in local theater and a major retail corporation, ultimately leading to the founding of one of Philadelphia’s most innovative fashion education hubs.

Rachel opens up about the importance of growing and evolving within your career, highlighting how her hands-on training with the Philadelphia Opera and real-world experience shaped her approach to design and education. What started as a single corset-making class in her apartment has blossomed into a fully accredited design program that supports emerging fashion designers and makers through a mix of entrepreneurship and skill development.

Whether you’re a costume designer, aspiring fashion entrepreneur, or creative professional looking for your next step, Rachel’s story is packed with insight, encouragement, and practical wisdom on building something meaningful from the ground up.

Rachel Ford is the founder and CEO of Made Institute, a Philadelphia-based fashion school offering professional-level courses in design, construction, and entrepreneurship. With a mission to empower designers to create sustainable and successful careers, Made Institute bridges the gap between technical training and real-world application.

Visit made-institute.com
Follow Made Institute on Instagram: @made_institute

How to Contact Us:

Like and subscribe to our podcast.

Follow us on social media! @ tutuartistsstudio on facebook and instagram

Casey online at tidewaterdancewear.com and on instagram and facebook @TidewaterDancewear.

Michelle on Etsy, Instagram, and Facebook @IcantIhavedanceshop

Emma online at tutusceleste.com and on social media @tutus_celeste

Reach out to us to share your experiences, questions, and ideas by direct message, comment or by email at Tutuartistsstudio@gmail.com

Tariffs and duties can have a big impact on small businesses like tutu makers. On this week’s show we discuss potential impacts faced by increased costs of materials, availability of materials, and tariff fees going into and out of Canada and the US. There are a lot of unknowns, but Michelle, Casey and Emma discuss their strategies for what may lie ahead. What strategies are you using to plan for the upcoming costume season?

White House statement on de minimus tariffs

https://www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2025/04/fact-sheet-president-donald-j-trump-closes-de-minimis-exemptions-to-combat-chinas-role-in-americas-synthetic-opioid-crisis/

Wired.com story on de-minimus tariffs

https://www.wired.com/story/tariffs-temu-shein-trump-de-minimis

Canada’s import and export tariffs

https://www.canada.ca/en/department-finance/programs/international-trade-finance-policy/canadas-response-us-tariffs.html

How to Contact Us:

Like and subscribe to our podcast.

Follow us on social media! @ tutuartistsstudio on facebook and instagram

Casey online at tidewaterdancewear.com and on instagram and facebook @TidewaterDancewear.

Michelle on Etsy, Instagram, and Facebook @IcantIhavedanceshop

Emma online at tutusceleste.com and on social media @tutus_celeste

Reach out to us to share your experiences, questions, and ideas by direct message, comment or by email at Tutuartistsstudio@gmail.com

Join us as we talk to Jarod Lewis to talk about the design process at New York City Ballet. We also discuss the creation of the new costumes for Mystic Familiar and Paquita. The costumes for these two ballets were built simultaneously and couldn’t be more different! The costumes for Mystic Familiar were reminiscent of streetwear rather than a classical ballet costume such as in Paquita.

We hope that you will feel encouraged by our conversation with Kendall Swendson while she talks about her path as a costume creator. Kendall shares with us how her collegiate training has prepared her for her many roles as a stitcher, freelance costumer, and teacher.

The Tutu Artists’ talk to Melissa Rumrill about her experiences as a wardrobe supervisor for Hamilton, television, and as a freelance costume maker.

How to Contact Us:

Like and subscribe to our podcast.

Follow us on social media! @ tutuartistsstudio on facebook and instagram

Casey online at tidewaterdancewear.com and on instagram and facebook @TidewaterDancewear.

Michelle on Etsy, Instagram, and Facebook @IcantIhavedanceshop

Emma online at tutusceleste.com and on social media @tutus_celeste

Reach out to us to share your experiences, questions, and ideas by direct message, comment or by email at Tutuartistsstudio@gmail.com

The Tutu Artists talk about the project that they have been working on at the end of the calendar year and for winter shows.

The Artists also discuss some questions from listeners including sourcing embellishments, creating that perfect English point on a bodice, and demystifying belle and half tutus. If you have a question, episodeidea, or would like to be part of our podcast please don’t hesitate to reach out! Our contact information is in the show notes and our social media bios.

How to Contact Us:

Like and subscribe to our podcast.

Follow us on social media! @ tutuartistsstudio on facebook and instagram

Casey online at tidewaterdancewear.com and on instagram and facebook @TidewaterDancewear.

Michelle on Etsy, Instagram, and Facebook @IcantIhavedanceshop

Emma online at tutusceleste.com and on social media @tutus_celeste