Oh, great! In less than 24 hours, I needed to learn how to make a tutu. My daughter who was in the 3rd grade had forgotten to tell me that she just had to have a tutu for her school play which just happened to be scheduled for the next day. Ordinarily, that wouldn't have been much of a problem but we lived in a distinctly unordinary place, smack dab in the middle of the boondocks where I'd never be able to go out and buy one. That would have been just too convenient.

Being a single father, I've had to become acquainted with a lot of new things up to that point but learning how to make a tutu wasn't one of them. Even if there was such a thing as a tutu store, it wasn't a big problem that I couldn't just stop there for what I needed. I had access to the Internet which was available from my laptop sitting on the desk in my home office. I've got ample experience gathering background information on topics via the Internet for my many writing projects. It was simple enough to open up a search engine and type in the five words, how to make a tutu.

I've come across information overload before but I was astounded by just how much information is out there for how to make a tutu. Sifting through all that's available can lead to a lot of false starts and dead ends. Of course, it doesn't help when you're working under a deadline and the ticking in your brain is coming from the clock that's constantly reminding you of time slipping away. My search brought up enormous quantities of e-books, videos, do-it-yourself books, articles and guidebooks all dealing with making tutus. I was able to reject some information right away due to a junior high school episode in which we had to participate in a one-time visit to a home economics class. We boys were selected for various projects and for mine I had to sew together a shirt which ended up looking like it was for a being from some other planet who required three upper limbs than the two I was used to seeing. So, sewing guides were definitely out and I was able to eliminate video instructions since I was only preparing a list of supplies I'd need to start making the tutu.

My neighbor offered to have my daughter spend the night with a fellow third grader who for some reason didn't have to wear a tutu; so I was free to rush to the fabric store on the town square before it closed. Once there, I just about tackled the first salesperson I saw, practically hyperventilating as I explained that I needed help on how to make a tutu. She didn't know much about putting a tutu together but she sure knew how to supply me what I required to make one or it could have been two or three from the surplus of supplies I left there with.

I was back at home in a flash with all my newly purchased inventory and immediately started getting myself organized for the task at hand. I laid out scissors, measuring tape, ribbon, elastic, fabric and fabric glue plus a large bottle of aspirin and a coffee pot on a work table. It looked almost like something you'd see in hospital surgery room. Next, I picked up some blank sheets of paper and printed out a single step of the tutu making operation with an illustration when possible on each one. I tacked all of the steps in a series around the room.

I set my timer and started working confidently at a brisk but comfortable pace. Sometimes it seemed like I was following the proverbial two steps forward and three steps backwards approach but I eventually came up with a passable tutu which I was able to present to my daughter when she came back home in the morning for her lunch sack. I was asleep in the living room when my daughter got back from the neighbor's house. I woke to the sounds of happy shouts as she danced around the living room while holding the tutu out in front of her. As we were stepping out the door for school and her impending school play, my daughter turned to me and asked if I could make a tutu for her cat, Princess Light Foot. Right, I thought but next time I make a tutu I'll locate a class.