This ain't no ballet tu-tu!

I am making Girlio a tu-tu for Christmas.  It's not a ballet tu-tu.  There are a number of reasons for this.  1. I don't like the ballet.  I've never liked the ballet (traditional ballet, at any rate). . . I find it too rigid looking, and kind of, well, prissy,  (I know - I'm horribly uncultured) 2.  I want to feed all the ballerinas of the world a great big collective cookie,  3.  I used to work with teenagers, a few of whom were young ballet dancers, who were actively encouraged by their instructors to take diet pills.  Though I recognize that lots of other forms of dance may also encourage small-bodiedness, ballet is by far one of the worst offenders.  4.  And should either of my kiddos ever come up with a burning desire to become a ballerina - they're likely SOL.  I'm a huge boned fat chick who used a 6 foot 4", 220 lb donor to become pregnant.  This does not bode well for the making of ballet-bodied children.   5. I don't actually buy this 'every girl has an inner ballerina' business. 

So - in general - the ballet is not something I want to steer towards.  (*Yes, I love dance. Yes, the children will be encouraged to dance.  Yes, the children will take dance classes if they like.  They just won't be ballet class.  They'll be creative movement classes, exploring all of the amazing ways bodies can move to music, as opposed to instructing a particular, 'proper' way one's body should move to music.  I know that's not everyone's way - but it's mine*). 

So - getting back to the tu-tu.  It's going to be red and black tulle on red ribbon (says the woman at the fabric store uncomfortably, 'um those are interesting colours for a tu-tu..."),  and with any luck I'll be able to find matching pirate-esque striped tights to go underneath.  And a skull-and-cross-bones tee.  This ain't gonna be no ballet tu-tu.  This is going to be a pirate-y, punk-rock, riot-baby tu-tu.    I cannot wait!

(and if I ever manage to fix my camera, I will post of a picture of the little riot-baby tu-tu).

(I should also note that I'd make one for Boy-o too, but this one will be adjustable, so he can wear it too if he likes.  Also, a friend offered to bestow upon us her son's discarded black tu-tu, should he ever desire a tu-tu of his very own).