By Elliott Brack, editor and publisher, GwinnettForum.com
Tutu-making is big with Barbara Mock of Harbins.
If that sounds unusual, it may be. But in the end, it’s simply bringing “silly fun” to sick children at Egleton Children’s Hospital and Scottish Rite Hospitals, injecting fun into somber situations.
Young girl patients in the hospitals embrace the tutus which Barbara and her friends and acquaintances make. They also provide “superhero capes” for hospitalized boys. In the last three years, more than 4,000 tutus and superhero capes have been delivered to the hospitals from the people Barbara has organized.
It all started when Barbara and Bob Mock’s oldest son had a heart defect. “We saw how scary a situation that was, and anything you can do to lighten up helps,” she says.
Barbara Mock
Barbara’s walking team wanted to “give back” to the community. They called themselves the Tutu Caper team. “It’s grown into something far bigger and better than I could have dreamed, as we got lots of people involved in helping put the outfits together. It is now something like ‘kids helping kids.’ It’s a year-round effort.”
For instance, last Tuesday night, the student council members at Mountain View High School were making tutus. Planned by a student, Amy Lee, the high schoolers raised funds to buy the tulle material, and were working on 50 tutus. A bolt of tulle cost $3 for 100 yards, six inches wide, which can make two and a half tutus. For superhero capes, the cost is slightly higher.
At North Gwinnett Middle School, the entire sixth grade class, some 700 students, on April 1 will be producing tutus. Spearheaded by the counselor Lindsey Barry, it will be the biggest project yet for Tutu Caper team. Teachers will be trained in advance by the Tutu Caper team. The North Gwinnett High Beta Club and National Honorary Society have been making tutus for several years, and will assist in pre-cutting the tulle material.
Victoria Mock at Mountain View High School
Multi-colored tulle material is the standard, anything from hot pink to purple. During Christmas, red and green were the key colors. It’s a no-sew project, except for the waist band, which Tutu Capter team members make. Students essentially have to fold the tulle in half, over the waist bands, something like tying them on.
Students also produce message cards which they attach to the tutus, sending a note to the recipient to cheer them up. The hospitals keep a stock of outfits, tutus and capes, in storage for the children to wear. The children may have chronic heart problems, or cancer, but they enjoy dressing up and being silly. Barbara Mock says: “It’s a true blessing for all involved.”
In her zeal in this project, Barbara has enlisted all sorts of groups, all through word of mouth, to help produce the outfits.
The organizations involved with this project amazes the eye. It includes Georgia Tech sororities, various schools teams, Girl Scout troops, American Legion Ladies, and even ladies’ bunco groups. “It ballooned without help,” Barbara Mock says.
Jayden and Mekhail Bethea, and Joseph Lopez at Hudgens Center workshop.
Barbara comes by this naturally, since she had made wedding dresses for years, and also works with ballets, including the Gwinnett and Gainesville Ballet, in costuming. She has also taught costuming a Brenau University for dance majors. She’s originally from Ohio, and came to Gwinnett in 1978, from Boston, Mass., where she graduated from the Art Institute of Boston. She married Bob Mock in 1966.
He is a retired senior judge of the State Court of Gwinnett. The couple have five boys, and six grandchildren, including five girls.
- See http://tutucapers.vpweb.com for more information.
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