A ballerina in tulle land...

My Daughter is obsessed with ballerinas! It's hard to pin point exactly how and when this obsession started but I fear it has something to do with as innocent an image as three ballerinas representing the number three in a DK publishing Counting and Numbers book I bought her as an infant. If you ask me I'll tell you earnestly that it was never my intention to push the gender specific, stereotypical pink frilly tutu confections and all that comes with them. Long ago though, I vowed that I'd be sensitive to my children's strengths and interests and do my best to support those interests. I know that much of what we associate with gender is acquired through socialization but honestly biology must play a fair share in it too! At only 18 months old my daughters first requests each morning are usually "necklic" (her version of necklace...) I let her wear a strand of my fake pearls... otherwise she'll find her way into my jewelery box and choose something herself... That request is usually followed by "tutu"! now to be honest we didn't own a tutu a couple months ago, she'd improvise with a scrap of shimmery purple material I had lying around in the sewing room!

I guess I am guilty on some counts though, it's hard not to ooh and ahh when your little princess is twirling around and around and attempting to do pirouettes and curtsies. My husband, myself and other family members lavish her with attention in return for her little performances...

Materials; two 25 yrd rolls of tulle in Lavender and Lt. blue, some elastic, scissors, and a measuring tape.

20 minutes into the project... I was very anxious to get tying so I didn't cut all the tulle to start... was definitely irritating to have to stop and cut more tulle once I got the hang of it... next time I'll be prepared!

To help make my little ballerinas dreams come true I decided it was time to whip up a tutu for her. I searched the web for tutu tutorials and watched a couple demos on youtube. Then decided to do my own thing.... From all I had read it was highly recommended that I purchase the precut 6" tulle rolls, so I ordered 4 rolls off ebay in 4 different colours. The plan was to make two tutu's in coordinating colours. I love the idea of a no-sew tutu that way It would hopefully be quick and easy to put together. I started it with a piece of 1/2" elastic measured to fit my daughters waist minus a few centimeters... this is because the taught tying of the tulle stretches it out... I got about half way through tying when I realised I'd tied them so tight that the elastic no longer had much stretch... on to plan B. I cut the elastic I'd sewn closed and sewed a length of sheer ribbon to either end then tied a knot on each end. Then I continued tying the tulle up to the knots. I cut the tulle ahead of time to the desired length x2 plus a little extra for the knot... to make my tutu poufy I tied two pieces at a time! this tutu turned out very poufy, glad I didn't opt for three layers as it would have been way over the top! never mind that I wouldn't have been able to finish it as I went through every last inch of two 25 yard rolls!

I love the combination of the lavender and the blue I think they work really nicely together... I also wanted to avoid the classic pink!

Originally I wanted an elasticized tutu but we ended up with a bow/tie version. Either way my toddler is in seventh heaven! trying to pry it off of her to go out to the park or to have a bath is tricky and trying... I'm taking a breather from the tutu making but will probably be back sometime next week diligently cutting up more tulle for number two! this time equipped with a little insiders how to knowledge... mainly of what not to do!



I don't know if this is just a phase or the start of lifelong passion but either way I'm very happy to see my little one so smitten with something "Mimi" made!