How to Make Your Own Tutu to Play Dress Up

Little girls are known for spending hours playing dress up, lavishing themselves with fancy clothes and costume jewelry and pretending that they’re everything from princesses to fairies. However buying the perfect dress up clothes can get expensive. Why not try making your own? To transform your little girl from a regular kid to a princess or a ballerina all you need to do is make your own tutu that is unique to her style.
To make your own tutu you will need the following supplies:

• 1 ½ inch wide satin ribbon (40 inches longer than your child’s waist)
• 4 yards of tulle (for a child’s tutu)
• Scissors
• Ruler

Start by measuring your child’s waist.  For example, say that Sally’s waist is 22”.  You will need to add 40 inches to 22 and cut your ribbon at 62 inches.  Find the center of the ribbon and measure out 11” from the center one way and tie a knot in the ribbon.  Now go back to the center and measure 11” the other way and tie a knot.  This 22” section is where you will be putting the tulle.  The 20” on each end are used to tie the tutu on.  The bow can go in the front or the back.
Now it’s time to cut the tulle.  Unfold the tulle to the point where there is only one fold line.  Put the folded edge on the table facing toward you and straighten the rest of the tulle, then start rolling or folding the tulle over and over, making sure to keep the strip neat.  Trim off the end to make sure all of the layers of tulle are lined up and together.  Now cut through the rolled up tulle every 3” using the ruler.  Cut up all of the tulle in this manner.  You can use all one color tulle or you can get a yard of 4 different colors of tulle, or whatever other combination you like.  Open up the strip that you’ve cut of tulle and then cut it where the fold is so you have two equal halves.
You are ready to make the tutu now.  Fold the strip in half and lay it over the ribbon on the inside of the knots.  Take the loose ends and bring them around the ribbon and through the loop end and pull.  Now that strip is tied onto the ribbon.  Push that first strip over to the knot and continue attaching strips in this manner.  You can create any pattern you’d like.  If you have 4 colors you might want to attach 4 blue, 4 pink, 4 white and 4 green strips and then repeat the pattern until the ribbon is as full as you’d like.
If you’d like to make a tutu for an adult you will need to measure the waist as per the instructions for the child’s tutu and knot the ribbon.  You will need about 8 yards of tulle.  Create the strips as before, but now leave them the full length instead of cutting them in half.  This will allow the tutu to be long enough for an adult.
Put this tutu over a leotard with some ballet flats and you have a fabulous dancer dress up costume.  If you add a tiara you could be a princess.  Try adding wings and you could be a fairy.  The possibilities are endless.
Tutus aren’t just for dress up anymore.  You can take a T-shirt and put on an iron-on of some ballet slippers.  Next, create your tutu, but instead of leaving it separate you can sew the ribbon onto the bottom of the T-shirt.  The ends of the ribbon can be tied into a bow and sewn or you can tie it every time you put it on.  These little tutu outfits are great for babies and toddlers.  Just adjust the size of the tutu based on how big the girl is that is wearing it.
To further dress up the tutu you can glue on sequins using fabric glue.  Add the sequins randomly all over the tulle to add a bit of sparkle.  If you’d like, you can also add fabric flowers to the waistband in the same manner.  Thin widths of satin ribbon tied here and there between the tulle give the tutu a whole new look.
 P.S. This post was  proposed to me for publication by Tina Marconi.  I'm therefore publishing it by her invitation and under her permission. See also the link below fore more information:


 http://www.babysitters.net/blog/how-to-make-your-own-tutu-to-play-dress-up/

In memory of the great hero Garibaldi

In these last days took place in France, and precisely in Villeneuve-sur-Lot (french town of 24,673 inhabitants located in the department of the Lot and Garonne in the region of Aquitaine, twinned with the Italian city of San Donà di Piave) an important event that  involved the  calaritan lawyer Ignazio Salvatore Basile: the inauguration of a street dedicated to  Giuseppe Garibaldi, the great hero who was born in Nice, the 4th julliet 1807 who fought so long to reunify Italy under the sceptre of the Savoia dinasty.The public joint in a great  number and  was composed of citizens of Villeneuve sur Lot and students from two  high schools who study  italian language and literature between the subjects of their school curriculum. At the conclusion of the Conference Mr Basile has  illustrated the main phases of the films of neorealist director Roberto Rossellini "Viva l'Italia".

At the film vision the calaritan  relator spent a long nice time with the french students and with their teacher on italian subject, Mr Dupont, making them a present of his poetry's books . Professor Dupont, proposed to make a twin exchange between his school and the italian lyceum where the  italian relator teaches law and economics.

The day of Friday instead had as a fulcrum, the inauguration of the road in the presence of the mayor of the town of Villeneuve-sur-Lot, Mr Jerome Cahuzac, neo finance minister of the French government. This second day culminated in dinner of friendship french-italian gladdened by singer   Dorinne who performed traditional music of the Italian repertoire, accompanied by a bandoneon player. 

The italian conferencer left Villeneuve sur Lot in the day of saturday 2nd of june after visiting the beatiful middle age towns of Pujol and Penne sur Agen.

He was positively impressed by the affection and friendship sympathy french people has showed to him.

He loves very much to go around the world where Garibaldi is known in order to narrate the mirabolant and brave gestures of his adventured life.

A man, the great Giuseppe Garibaldi, who advocated the unity of the people, and who's still unable to unite and to cement the friendship between two of the nations of Europe that he loved in particular: Italy and France.

 

 

 

Insomma, il grande Giuseppe Garibaldi, che propugnava l’unità dei popoli, riesce ancora ad unire ed a cementare la grande amicizia tra due nazioni europee che egli amava in particolare: l’Italia e la Fra

Love at first sight

They say Johary (left) and Mbeli (right) are greeting each other, meeting for the first time at Taronga Zoo - Sidney- Australia.
But it might also be love at the first sight!
Or may be Johary is just thinking :
-" Come on! What are you waiting for to put that slow dance disco on, my dear friends?"

Read more on this:


A handshake simply won't cut it: Gorillas embrace as they meet for the FIRST time

By Mail Foreign Service

In the world of gorilla etiquette, it appears the handshake never quite caught on.

Instead a quick spin on the dancefloor seems the appropriate way of getting to know one another.

And having met for the first time, these female gorillas rapidly got to grips with some complicated moves.

First, ten-year-old Johari allowed Mbeli, six, to climb on her back and ride facing backwards when they were introduced at Melbourne Zoo in Australia.
Accepted: The animals hug after going through their greeting ritual

Accepted: The animals hug after going through their greeting ritual

Then the partners swapped positions, with Mbeli - a Western Lowland gorilla from Sydney's Taronga Zoo - giving Johari a lift.

Finally they ended with a more conventional ballroom stance, standing and embracing to show their mutual approval.

Mbeli's arrival has brought the number of gorillas at the zoo to nine - with the oldest being Rigo, a 40-year-old male.

A statement on Taronga Zoo's website said: 'It was a sad day for primate keepers when our eldest juvenile female gorilla, Mbeli, departed for Melbourne Zoo.
Feeling the strain: Mbeli rides on Johari's back as they ape around

Feeling the strain: Mbeli rides on Johari's back as they ape around

'Our keepers have been working very closely with her over the past few months training her for this big day.

'The day started off as any normal day in the Gorilla House, with keepers meeting to discuss the morning’s events and then positioning the gorillas.

'All went smoothly until the family realised what was happening and Kibabu, our silverback, became very protective.

'He let the keepers know he wasn’t happy with what was going on in no uncertain terms, even vocalising at them.

'A lot of this is just bluff and it is quite natural for a silverback to react in this way.
Unusual greeting: Mbeli meets Johari for the first time at Melbourne Zoo

Unusual greeting: Mbeli meets Johari for the first time at Melbourne Zoo

'This is part of a silverback’s job to protect his family and that was exactly what Kibabu was doing.'

However, as soon as Mbeli left, he quietened down.

Mbeli was loaded on to a truck and taken to Sydney Airport in a transition to Melbourne Zoo which went 'extremely smoothly'.

'She has settled into her new family life nicely,' the statement added.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1285295/A-handshake-simply-wont-cut-Gorillas-embrace-meet-FIRST-time.html#ixzz0qQEAE8k3