Something not-quite-woolly to be proud of

I am exceedingly proud of myself, and have been these last two weeks. Why?I knew when I saw this fabric that I HAD to have a dress made of it for Lola-Frog!

I finished this for Lola-Frog two weeks ago, and am so dizzy with feelings of self-congratulatory admiration that I've had it hanging up in the family room since then... that, and I haven't yet banged the press studs in the back to actually fasten it on young Lola. I'm frightened to take a hammer to this darling little dress, so I just keep it hanging out here, and I pat it on my way past sometimes...

When Lincraft opened in our area three weeks' ago, I went in on their first day to check it out, and found myself admiring several bolts of very pretty fabrics, thinking about cute little dresses and smocks and pinafores that could be made with them. I see that I've picked up my mother's thinking, in that I'll see ready-to-wear garments in shops and say, either to myself or out loud (I'm not picky for an audience. Those who know me know I do talk to myself on a regular basis),

"I could knit/sew that"

And so, when walking past this fabric, and thinking these thoughts, I realised that maybe I COULD make something out of it.

Now, believe me when I say this, when recounting the events that led up to the ultimate choice and purchase of the materials for this dress, I feel I can honestly say that I hold genuine admiration for my mum.

She was able to go into a fabric shop with three of us in tow, all complaining heartily for various reasons, and not only choose the pattern she wanted to sew, but select and carry the bolts of fabric based on the requirements of the pattern, and also find the other threads, fasteners and/or zips needed. My sisters and I could not have been much help at all. I recall the three of us climbing in, out and around the fabric bolts as they were on their stands and being told off repeatedly for it!

I went in on a day when WonderBoy was at preschool, and had Lola-Frog in her stroller. Okay, so I've got two free hands and only one child (who can't walk away) to keep track of. Shouldn't take too long. She waited quite patiently in the stroller while I quickly found the patterns I wanted in the big book, then went up to the counter where the assistant found them in the drawer, took the guts out of them and gave me the envelopes so I could use the directions to make sure I got the right fabrics etc.

So far, so good. I turn the envelopes over and start working out the English instructions with the imperial measurements from the French instructions with the metric measurements and start looking at bolts for their widths. Bear in mind, I've got two patterns, and one of these would need two complementary fabrics, one as the main colour and the other as a trim. I'm holding at least two bolts, searching through others, and Lola, now looking for further entertainment, is pulling at fabrics from her stroller. I move the stroller out of the way - several times - and begin to make an awkward path to the cutting table and till. Until I realise I'll need threads. sigh.

Steering an umbrella stroller one-handed is damn hard work, but weaving a path through a crowded Lincraft like this, whilst balancing three bolts of fabric and trying to give Lola-Frog a wide enough berth so her pudgy little hands can't reach is something else entirely!

And so, we have a darling little pinafore dress for Lola-Frog to wear this summer. It's something that makes me even prouder when I remember that the last time I used a sewing machine was over ten years ago, when I sewed my own 'Signature Bear' for the end of Year Twelve!