Simple Sewing Saturdays: Special Edition!

Welcome to the first Special Edition of Simple Sewing Saturdays!  Today's edition will be part story, part sewing tips, hence the Specialness.  So if you're ready with your ice tea, hunker down for a pretty good story.

A few years ago, I had a dream.  You must understand that my dreams can be pretty crazy.  They are detailed, colorful, almost movie like.  Sometimes I look forward to sleeping so that I can enjoy the nightly show!  This dream was so clear, I can still see it today. I was outside on a beautiful summer day at Baby Girl's Hubby's family farm.  I had a big round quilting hoop on my lap, working on a pretty amazing quilt.

Near by are Baby Girl, her Hubby and his mother.  Him mom and I were seated while BG & HH were in a huge garden, working it carefully.  BG's hair was long and blowing in the wind and HH had no shirt on and seemed very happy to be out working the land.  I contentedly quilted and listened to the conversation between the three.

Baby Girl had on this beautiful long apron like dress .  I was admiring it when she turned and to my delight, a great pregnant belly filled the pretty frock.  The image was enough to startle me awake.  At the time of the dream, BG and HH were 'on a break', and were not even dating. I waited awhile before I mentioned the dream to her, not wanting to stir up any emotion. But I did not forget it.              Fast forward to this past year.  BG and HH have been married for over a year and they both have developed an interest in all things freshly grown and organic.  They put in a large size garden on a campus lot and the growing began.  The apron dress had not left my thoughts.  To capture it, I sketched a small drawing months ago to put on my project board for the right time.  Then The Announcement in May.  Plants are not the only thing growing in BG and HH's lives.  My next grandchild, another little girl, is filling her mama's belly with great progress.  I remember the apron dress but do not believe I have the proficiency to create a pattern from my little sketch.  Then last Tuesday and the Strange Desire to go through several bins in my old sewing room; bins that I hadn't gone through for a long time. Some of the bins are pretty deep and full so I was only able to 'feel' my way to the bottom, depending on my highly tuned skill in selecting fabric.  It is a skill I teach newbie thrift shoppers; when you're eye can't take it all in, run your hand over the tops of the hangers; your hand will lead you to the right fabric. My hand was deep in a bin, when I felt it.  I believe I even spoke out loud to myself in my basement.  'Nice', and then whipped the piece out of it's hideaway.  I vaguely remembered buying this piece.  I unfolded it to reveal more than just a remnant.  To my amazement, a small, apron like dress was before, nearly identical to my sketch.  I held it and stared at it for some time, wondering how in the world......I text BG and asked her to send me her upper measurements, assured that they had 'altered' a bit since I last had recorded them for my file.  She reported dutifully and I measured quickly. Argh.  A bit too small for a growing mama.  I thought a long while and kept touching the amazing fabric, oddly similar in content to The Maternity Top of long ago.  I knew what I must do.  But could I?  I had never attempted anything remotely like this before, but I felt confident that I must pursue on.  I carefully picked out stitch after stitch, admiring an unknown seamstresses meticulous work.  The homemade label read , "Pat's Pastime'.  Thought that was clever and noted that if this did indeed work, I would put the label right back in.  Then another sewing growth ring happened: while all the pieces were apart, I grabbed some tissue paper and traced copies of each piece, labeling them for future use for BG and all the other progeny progeny's pregnancies that I am around.  So as you can see, this is not so much an instructive SSS, but an encouraging one.  With some knowledge of sewing, you too can reconstruct your favorite ready made into a new garment.  With a bit of adjusting, embellishing and positive attitude, that item at the thrift store that is just not quite that right size, can soon meet your standards.  When you're already using reduced cost, there is not a lot to lose, but a lot to gain, in wardrobe AND confidence for bigger projects.  I cannot tell you how giddy I am completing this project!  Knowing that I have a paper pattern for more of these Garden Pregnant Dream dress/tops, is pretty darn exciting. Dare to experiment.  Learn your basics then test the waters. And above all, have fun....... 

More on the Maternity Top....

You know that feeling that comes over you after a big party? Kind of a reflective thing, you replay the events and the staging and wonder how your guests saw things, wondering if it could have been more organized or tidy. And just how can I make things even better for next year?  And how can I be more prepared?
This week, I started putting things away with new eyes, with the intention of being better prepared for next year.  Understanding that I am the repository for all things, I carefully tried to put to memory, where things were going.  The outdoors draperies, the multitudinous tablecloths, the Japanese lanterns; all of it had to be searched for in order to use them this time, so I made mental sticky notes all over my brain to expedite the next sortie.

In doing this, I noticed I was digging a bit deep but I guess curiosity just got the best of me.  I did have those covered bins in my old sewing room downstairs...hmmmm....Can I remember what in the world is in them?  That's when it had to be done.  I approached the job with intrigue, knowing I would be sidetracked most of the day.  I sorted and tossed and laundered and stacked the bins neatly, making more room for more bins to join them there before The Great Basement Makeover.  Then my archaeological need went deeper.  Onward to the Letter Drawer in my desk.  On a regular basis,  I take a shoebox and empty the contents of my Letter Drawer, containing thank you notes, birthday greetings,programs, schedules, odd and assorted missives that collect over the months.  I then label them the date I removed them from the drawer and stack them in my closet.  Imagine the joy my children shall have at my demise, going through years, nay decades, of tokens of my day to day.  Once, when going through a similar box, I found a five dollar bill in a birthday card.  Perhaps I should randomly place a twenty (inflation) here and there to encourage them to go through it all?

All this is a long way around to get to my main point which is today's photo.  On the near bottom of the Letter Drawer, was the 8x10 Olan Mills free photo. Sharp shopper that Hubby is, we would get the complimentary free 8X10 periodically without any intention of buying anything else.  No matter how great the photo was.  He would have me repeat this before we would look at the proofs.  So I  have a pile of Complimentary Free 8X10's in my possession.  This one being special because of the lighter than air Maternity blouse that I am wearing, tucked in, because the pregnancy that I purchased the little top for, is sitting right there in my lap at a whopping six weeks old.  I remember the photographer kept saying, 'come on little baby, smile'....We all got a bit giggly since Eldest Son had not had his first smile yet at six weeks.  A rather serious, sober baby, he made up for his lack of humor later. I thought that if he smiled at this complete stranger after we have stood on our heads trying to get a smirk out of him, I was going to scream.
Another special reason this photo made me smile today is that Miss Vivien, just this past Sunday, wore the dress that her adorable mama is wearing in the photo!  Ah, the Deja Vu that was going on when her mama brought her out in what was little Eldest/Admin's  favorite, favorite dress.

As you can imagine, not much else got accomplished as I sat and looked at piles and piles of photos that somehow (see what I mean?) ended up in the Letter Drawer.

I counted it a kismet moment and I wanted to share it with you.......