Indian Princess Tutu Dress Has Been Adopted!

It's funny how we become attached to certain items that we make.  Shortly after I opened my Etsy store, I realized that there were a ton of tutu shops similar to mine and I needed to find a way to make mine stand out. Affordable prices, friendly customer service, quick shipping--these were all ways I knew I could find some loyal customers.  But I thought I needed something to make my designs stand out as well. After much thought, I created my first woven-bodice tutu dress.  I didn't like how so many tutu dresses had a practically see through bodice and I wanted to create a way for little girls to look gorgeous without having to worry about letting it all hang out.  It was fall, the leaves were changing.  Naturally, I began to think in terms of fall colors. I came up with the Indian Princess Tutu Dress one night around 2:00 AM when I just couldn't sleep. I was using crotchet-elastic waistbands in my tutus. It seemed fairly simple to weave the tulle through the top and make the bodice solid.  I also thought braiding the tulle and ribbon would add an extra layer or texture and make the tutu more unique. I considered sewing the braids together but I decided that would make the tutu less stretchy and therefore limit the size of the girl who could wear it.  So I decided to leave the braids loose.  It took hours upon hours to create the braids, weave the tulle through the bodice, and tie the layers and layers of tulle onto the crotchet elastic waistband.  Once the tutu was complete, I went back and secured everything by stitching it together. Then I had to create the belt and headband which also took a lot of thought and consideration. I didn't want them to be ordinary either.  After a few weeks of contemplation  work, more contemplation, and a lot more work, the Indian Princess Tutu was complete.
This tutu became even more special to me when I decided to try and do the photo shoot on my own. My husband was away that weekend and I really wanted to get the photo posted on Etsy before it was too late in the season.  My five year old has special needs and I wasn't sure if I would be able to handle the photo shoot on my own but I wanted to give it a try.  With a lot of bribery and coaxing, I was able to get my girl into the dress (the headband was about enough to make me throw in the towel!) and get her outside. I was afraid to take her too far from the house because, if she had a meltdown, I wanted to be able to get her back inside without hurting her or the tutu.  But it didn't matter.  She had so much fun walking in the leaves with no shoes on, she was a perfect little Indian Angel.  We didn't spend a lot of time and I only took about six shots, but it was enough.  I was particularly happy with a gorgeous shot of my girl smiling. It didn't show the dress very well but it showed the headband--and who could resist taking a second look at such a beautiful little face?

One of my favorite pictures of Imma!

The back of the Autumn Indian Princess Tutu

The shadow may be distracting to some people, but all I see is my beautiful girl!

I posted the dress in late October and knew if it didn't sell pretty quickly, it would probably be here for a while.  When it hadn't sold by Thanksgiving, I packed it up.  I reduced the price, too, because I thought I would rather have it in the hands of a little girl who loved it than sitting in my closet.  But it continued to sit in it's own plastic bin in the closet for December, January, and half of February. Until a few days ago when I got a conversation alert from Etsy.  Someone was interested in the Indian Princess Tutu!  I couldn't believe it!  After all, it was almost Valentine's Day.  But this wonderful mommy was planning a photo shoot and thinking about pageants, etc. so it was perfect for what she needed.  There's just one hitch, she needed it quickly, and she didn't live in the same country as me!  I never realized how costly it was to ship internationally until I started selling items on Etsy.  We were able to work it out and she was so kind and sweet that I just had to send her little girl another one of my favorite tutus, the Sky blue tutu I posted a few weeks ago.  Through the process of selling this tutu, I got to know a wonderful family with a super talented little princess and make a new friend.  This is the second time I feel I've really connected with a family through Etsy and I am still amazed that something as simple as selling a dress can bring people together so quickly and naturally.

The Sky Blue tutu, one of my favorites, on it's way through customs!

As for the Indian Princess tutu, I have no doubt it will be well loved and taken care of. I know it sounds like I've place a puppy or kitten in a new home but when you invest so much time, thought, and energy into creating something so meaningful, you end up connecting in a way that is almost inexplainable. This is why I love designing and creating so much. It's like taking a little piece of yourself, turning into something tangible, and then waiting for the perfect person to come along and say, "Oh, that's what I've been missing!" What could be more rewarding than that?
I will always have the memories of the photo shoot with my princess and hopefully I'll always have the pictures as well.  Now a new family has the opportunity to make some wonderful memories with the same tutu.  I hope I have the opportunity to share those photos with them as well but even if I don't I know my dress is in the perfect hands.