On The Homefront

So, I was sitting in my rocking chair in front of the fire, darning socks of course drinking my breakfast tea and lounging in my PJ's when my dear daughter reminded me that I need to make her a dress for the Thanksgiving Gathering next weekend. Next weekend, people! Are you sure it's not still August?





There are several things to note at this point, besides my inability to keep up with a calendar:

1. I have never sewn a dress all by myself....let alone one that isn't stamped EASY in clear bold letters across the top!
2. For some reason, which is no longer apparent to me, I actually told her I would undertake this task last week!
3. My mother, who made a wedding dress without a pattern, lives three hours away and she totally forgot to pass down the sewing gene!
   
   

What was I thinking, y'all???? Words like grainline and casings and nap are confusing to me! Well, I know what a nap is....but, I don't think taking a nap right now is really going to make this a cinch, you know! How exactly do you baste a dress???? A turkey, I can baste. A dress?

There is one thing my mother did equip me with, my sewing machine. I had to dig it out of the attic and drag it down to the kitchen. As I looked at the pattern I had allowed my daughter to select, I silently kicked myself for not searching out an EASY pattern! Again, what was I thinking????

I scratched my head and took a look at the stuff inside the package. Maybe there were some EASY short cut type instructions in there! Nope. There aren't even helpful hints in there! They write this stuff like you already know what you are doing!

I guess that's because no beginner would have attempted this frock? Great! I called Mom. No, I don't have time to Fed-Ex the pattern and stuff to her and get it back in time. I'll just have to do it myself! But, Mama! There is always this dress at Vision Forum. But I refuse to spend another dime now that I've already spent that same amount on fabric and pattern and eyelet and notions....whatever those are!

So, fine! How hard could this be? Didn't pioneer mamas make dresses for their girls all the time? By hand? Why then, can't I? One step at a time. Another call to Mom. Sleeves. SLEEVES are the bane of my existence! Who figured out how to make those work? First I tried to pin them in upside down. Couldn't figure out why nothing was matching up! This is so not as easy as it looks on T.V.

Hours into the project.... there is not a straight stitch in sight! But, I dare you to say anything about it. Carolyn Ingalls, I am not!

And after the better part of a day............

I ended up with this!

Go ahead, laugh! I did too! Laughed so hard I almost wet myself! And, if you are laughing, you don't know any more about sewing than I do. Because, that looks exactly like it's supposed to! Thankyouverymuch!

Until you insert the elastic. HA!

And, then it looks like this!



Little hands (Isabel) help with hems.
I think I've got a handle on this now! Maybe.

Couldn't I be done yet? No, we needed to add some eyelet. You know, for that feminine touch. Plus, it was paid for, folks. So, I was going to use it!

Because, what is prancing around in your colonial day finery without a little lacy accompaniment? Really?

So, how did I do, MOM?

Need I say, Isabel is thrilled with it! She won't take it off! And that fact, made it all worth it.

*sigh*

Now I have to go make the apron and bonnet.

Help me!