In 2006 I began sewing and creating costumes seriously, and working to perfect my skills. In 2008 I made, with my best friend Ruthanne who also made one of her own, an 18th century dress for a St. Nicholas day Dinner I was giving for my friends. In winter of 2010, I wanted to continue my tradition of making a dress for Christmas every year. Like most years, and this year in particular, I had an almost non-existent budget, but I had been raised to know that money was not the only resource available.
Like I do before beginning any project, I pulled out every bit of fabric I own and spread it out in my room, trying to pair fabrics and find something to turn into a dress. On that year I wanted to make something more modern, and couldn't find the right pair. A bit later I was at Goodwill with my mother looking for some picture frames for a bathroom remodel/redecoration we were working on, and I went to the linens section just to have a peak. There I found, remarkably, an antique gold satin sheet of excellent quality and condition for only $4!! When I saw it I knew in my head it would be perfect for at least part of my Christmas dress.
When I got home, I paired it with a beautiful upholstery brocade I had stripped off an old dining room chair I had found on the side of the road. Once I had my fabrics, I had to figure out what I wanted to do. I did not have a pattern really that had the perfect shape, and I had not done much pattern alteration or drafting, though I had done some. To be honest I was a bit scared it wouldn't turn out at all. However, I chose one of the patterns I already owned (no money to buy a new one) and laid it out on newspaper. tracing here, altering there, and working for hours comparing pattern edges to make sure everything would fit together, I finally transferred my pattern to the brocade fabric what would make up the bodice of the dress. I had made skirts before without a pattern, and simply measured myself and started cutting the sheet. After a lot of work and frustration, I was to the point that I needed to figure out what closure type to use. Again, no money to buy a zipper. So, instead, I settled on using mismatched buttons of a similar look and with the brocade, it actually ended up being quite regal. Finally, on Christmas day, my Christmas dress was completed. It was a lot of work and thought to keep the project going and not give up, but what I got was way more fulfilling than spending $100 on a dress, and we can all agree $4 is a much better budget!
The Surprise
Going back in time a bit, to the late 1980s, my mother met a fellow pastor's wife at a retreat. Twenty-Five years later, our families are all very close and closest of all are myself and my best friend in the entire world, Ruthanne. In May of 2009, Ruthanne was turning twenty and I decided that something really special needed to happen. So the December of 2008 I began to plan. I started talking to my mom, who has lots of experience with giving parties and serving food, and together we came up with a fantastic menu for a tea for three; Ruthanne, our good friend Sarah, and myself. As the day grew closer my mom and I started cooking and buying little things here and there to put aside for the tea, and I grew more and more excited, and my vision expanded.
In mid-spring the weather was already very fine and Ruthanne's birthday promised to be a beautiful one, so we planned to have the party outside on the back lawn next to a lovely trellis-cover. On the day of it was a bit dew-y, but beautiful, and it promised to heat up considerably. We brought out a folding table, tablecloth, napkins, china plates, tea cups, a stacked server and lots of other little serving dishes full of delicious food, and a beautiful low vase mounded with flowers. The whole thing was amazingly sunny and happy.
I had told Ruthanne to arrive at a certain time (1:30 I believe) in the afternoon, dressed in a semi-formal tea-length dress. Luckily we lived close enough to downtown that it made sense to walk to our "destination." Once we got out onto the road I told her it had to be a complete surprise, and blindfolded her. While we were gone I had my mom open all the windows in the back of the house (that had been closed to conceal the party all set up), and she opened the gate on the side of the house. that lead straight back to the yard. I escorted her up the street and around the corner, and then I proceeded to cut across the road, back, forth, up and down until I knew she thought we had walked a long distance and she did not know where we were going. Finally, I took her back up my driveway, through the open gate, and to the edge where the concrete turns to grass.Off I pulled the blindfold! She let out a shriek when she saw the tea table and our friend Sarah waiting! The tea progressed happily and the temperature was perfect. My mom dressed up as well and acted as our waitress so we could focus on bonding. It was the perfect day, and I am really glad to have given my best friend in the world such a wonderful memory.
A Bientot!
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