Harder than It Looks

I don't know how my mother did it.  She made the most gorgeous dresses for my Barbie (and for my sister's Barbie, too--can't forget Janet!).  I remember one that was golden and had an overlay of something gauzy that was just incredible.  At the waist, there was a little rosette made from shiny golden rickrack.  Amazing.

So, that was the standard I had in my mind when Luci begged pleaded sweetly asked me to make Barbie dresses for her Barbie. 

Today we went shopping, found a pattern with six different Barbie-type outfits in it, and found "the perfect pink fabric, mama!"  I was thrilled that Luci could see a red dress on the pattern envelope and decide it would be even better as pink.  Not that I'm so in love with pink (it is a fine color, don't get me wrong) but happy that she could imagine it different, and better in her eyes.  It is a true blessing to be able to see "what can be" instead of only "what's there."

Here Luci is pinning the pattern piece for the bodice to the fabric.  With seventeen pins.  SEVENTEEN, y'all!  And every single one of those pins (did I mention there were 17 of them?) were pinned through the material and directly to the tablecloth below.  Which is exactly why we have a cheap plastic tablecloth.  Because we have kids.

Don't you think Luci looks like a real fashion designer, with her side-pony tail and flower in her hair?  She thinks she looks the part!

It got pretty exciting at one point.  I was pleased with myself being all calm and everything, letting Luci "help" me pin the seams, tie the bow, stuff like that.  Until.  Until I noticed Luci crawling under the table, near the sewing machine's foot pedal.  It took me a few seconds to realize that she was getting awfully close to the foot pedal and then ZOOM!  The machine sewed the most delicate seam on the dress like a bunny rabbit!  No more calm mom.  When I got done yelling, I hugged Luci and told her she could help me, but NEVER touch the foot pedal again.  She walked away muttering something about a "psycho mom." 

The finished product.  I am so happy that Luci's happy, and that you cannot see the flubs in this photograph.  And that she chose the simplest dress from the six in the envelope for me to make.

Yes, that's the ironing board blocking the front door, and a water gun on the dining room table.  Not a big house.  And filled with KIDS.