(Oh this girl and her teeth! Or lack thereof!)
I made a new dress for Ani this weekend. She has so many summery dresses that still work great this time of year and into the winter by being layered, but a few long sleeved would be nice I thought. It's a Geranium, and I used the Expansion Pack for the sleeves (peter pan collar up next!). I thought since I've made so many Geranium dresses that I could whip this out in no time at all, in the afternoon hours before dinnertime, actually. Which was a bit silly of me. The instructions are so clear and the construction not all that complicated, but wow, I really wasn't getting it right away. It was met with the seam ripper more times than I care to count before I finally got it right. I don't think it has anything to do with the pattern, actually....but everything to do with the interruptions. During the bodice only, I remember the specific interruptions of:
1. Help required to edit the last paragraph of a college essay by Calvin
2. A request to print out the PSAT form for the second time, since Ezra lost the first one
3. Turning down repeated requests to buy ("with my own money, Mom!") a sweater for Ada's dog online
4. Signing a violin practice sheet for Harper, along with listening to each practice song required, because Harper is a very literal rule follower and that's what his teacher requested (suggested?)
5. So many stories from Ani that she needed to tell me right away, that I can't even begin to count them all, little chatterbox that she is
...I think I broke up a fight or two as well. Mind you, Steve was home and so was Gram! Perhaps, though, it wasn't the best time to be sewing - and sewing something new at that. But sometimes, well....makers gotta make, you know?
It all worked out though, and the dress was finished. Not finding buttons that I liked for this fabric, I did something I haven't done on a Geranium before and dusted off my old snap press (I can't remember where I got it, since it was for cloth diapers for Ezra or Ada, so long ago!), and put some snaps on the back instead of buttons. Ani was so happy with this change, as she said it was easier for her to take on and off herself "without twisting around backwards like I'm an owl or something". So there's that new discover!
Eager to wear her new dress, she wore it to school the next day (and wanted me to take photos of it in front of what she calls her 'marrying flowers'), even though it ended up being eighty degrees. Ah! But that surely won't last and there's plenty of cool weather to come. Plenty of time for sewing...and then wearing new dresses.
