Wedding Sewing

Monday, Victoria received an online notification that her wedding dress was on the way, and would be here in a couple of days – two weeks earlier than expected!  Whew... what a relief to hear that. 

I was offline Tuesday morning, so it was not until nearly 1:00 p.m., when the Internet came back on, that I found an email from Lydia, sent at 8:15 a.m., asking for help, because she was very sick.  Aarrgghh...  poor girl.

So I got myself in gear, and headed to Lydia’s house.  I had to drive Victoria’s old Aurora Oldsmobile, because the ignition (or something) had gone bad on the Jeep.  Poor little Jacob was sick, too.

Those are three sweet little boys.  Good as gold, they were.  Before their naps, I read to Jacob and Jonathan, and they cuddled up beside me and listened with full attention.  As I tucked him in, I asked Jonathan if he was my little sweetie pie, and he earnestly said, “Yep!”  Then, after a bit more thought on the matter, he nodded his head firmly and added, “I am!”

Baby Ian is a cuddly little bear.  But, oh me, oh my, is he ever a chunk!  I didn’t take care of him for too awfully long, but it didn’t take too awfully long before my back was plumb worn out.  I carried him outside for a bit; it was a lovely day.  Ian oohed and ahhed at the pickups and trucks that passed their house (they live a little ways out of town). 

It’s never hard to tell when parents have put time and effort, love and happiness and discipline, into little souls, is it?  Jeremy and Lydia are happy young people – and those happy little boys are a direct result of that.

I only got half a dozen cross-stitches put into the butterfly quilt I’m doing before Jeremy got home from work.  He came in from a long day of work – he works with his family’s masonry business – and immediately asked if Lydia had had anything at all to eat (she hadn’t), and went to rummaging about for crackers and soup.  Jonathan was humming and clunking around in his room (I seriously doubt if he’d slept at all), so Jeremy headed off to get his little boy, laughing at the little song Jonathan was singing.  That young man is a good husband and father; I’m thankful Lydia has him.

About the time I got home, Hannah came to borrow my slow cooker.  Someone had given her 20 pounds of tomatoes, and she was going to cook and can salsa.  Victoria, home from work, and came bounding down the stairs as Hannah and I visited ... headed out the door ... and, because Hannah’s van was blocking Victoria’s Touareg in the drive, Hannah remarked, “You’ll have to back up fast to get through!”

The way my offspring interact makes me laugh. 

My stomach growled, and it occurred to me that all I’d had to eat that day was some 12-grain bread with butter, and a glass of milk.  So, for a quick and easy (and good) meal, I popped bagel dogs into the oven, sweet corn into the microwave, and a golden fruit mixture into a bowl.

Next, I seriously considered putting zippers into the candlelighters’ dresses.  I wound up sitting in the recliner with the heating pad behind my back, but I seriously considered those zippers!

Remember the neighbors who have caused Larry grief over his garage, and throw fits and tantrums nearly every time he tries to mow or rototill or use his scissor lift, even when it’s still bright and sunny outside?  There is no Noise Ordinance out here in the country, and even in town, ‘Quiet Time’ doesn’t go into effect until 10:00 p.m.  But just let Larry try to mow after suppertime!  And when else does he have time to mow or work on anything?  He works 65-70-hour weeks, for pity’s sake!  They built their house way too close to our property line; they couldn’t have gotten by with that, in town.  Well, guess what I saw out by their mailbox that evening? 

(Did you guess?) 

I saw a for-sale sign, that’s what I saw.  I didn’t get a good enough look at it as I zipped past, and wanted to whirl around and gawk – but one of them was looking.  My Mama taught me not to gawk, if anybody was looking. 

And then Hester texted us and confirmed it:  she’d seen the listing on Zillow.

I guess they finally couldn’t stand us any longer?

Here’s hoping we’ll wind up with some people who are normal, and will be friendly in return, when we try to be good neighbors.  These people are sorta, uh, old hippies, I guess.  I finally looked up ‘symptoms of illegal drug use’, and saw that there are a number of what old hippies might consider ‘recreational drugs’ that do indeed cause extreme noise sensitivity.  Maybe that’s the problem, who knows.  She’s left me alone, ever since I trotted around the corner of the fence, found her screaming bloody murder at Larry, who was some distance away rototilling the front lawn – and it was still bright and sunny out – and informed her she was ‘really awful’.  She jerked around, stared at me, started marching toward me (she’s quite a bit bigger than me)... so I took a step forward, put one hand on my hip, tilted my head, and smirked at her.  Ah ain’t skeert o’ no screamin’ meemie, huh-uh, nosirree, ah ain’t.

For some odd reason, that seemed to scare her, and she made an indecipherable snort, turned around, and went back into her house through her garage, listing and nearly running headlong into the back of her vehicle.  ? 

I thought, She's ON something.

There’s a humongous praying mantis on the window screen as I type, chowing down on a big ol’ moth.  We’ll pretend it’s a nasty corn borer getting himself done et, as opposed to a pretty little geometer chickweed.  Er, chickweed geometer.  One o’ them thar flappy things.

Wednesday morning I finally remembered to pick up our suits at the cleaners, including Larry’s best black suit, which he will wear to Victoria’s wedding.  I stopped at Hobby Lobby for another covered button kit – I needed to make a couple more satin-covered buttons for one of the dresses Kurt’s mother Ruth is sewing.  Then I went to the grocery store for soup for Lydia, and anybody else in her little family who might want it.  Lydia was still sick, but Jacob was feeling bet ter.  The night before, Lydia said, she thought creamy potato soup sounded good.  So Jeremy got creamy potato — with cheddar bacon.  That didn’t go so well.    I can just imagine Larry choosing that for me, if I should have the flu.  Sounds good to them, you know!

In the soup aisle, I found all sorts of things that I thought might look good to someone with the stomach flu, so I got a few of each:  Campbell’s Creamy Potato Soup... Campbell’s Condensed Potato Soup... Campbell’s Classic Chicken Noodle... Campbell’s Condensed Chicken Noodle...  Campbell’s Homestyle Chicken Noodle... Campbell’s Creamy Chicken Noodle... Bear Creek Potato Soup... Bear Creek Chicken Noodle...  Bear Creek soup comes in a bag and must be rehydrated.  Good stuff.

When Jonathan got up that next morning, the little guy cheerfully greeted his parents with, “I didn’t throw up in my bed last night!” 

It must’ve been right there in his mind, first thing, because he’d been so worried about his Mama the day before.  Little kids worry when Mamas get sick!

I got some Downy clothes softener while at the store, and when I got home I washed the bridesmaids’ crinoline petticoats, using Downy in the rinse, and hung them on the line to dry.  I think they are softer now; I hope they are.  I may have to lengthen a couple of them.  If they aren’t soft enough, I’ll have to sew an overskirt on them, because the tulle or crinoline makes little pokies and jags show through the satin skirts. 

I made a couple of covered buttons, and then put one of those old invisible zippers in my stash between two pieces of fabric that will be pockets in the bag I’m making Joanna for Christmas, just for practice.  This time, before sewing it, I ironed the fold beside the coils down a bit.  That way I could move the needle slightly closer to the coils, thus making the zipper nearly invisible, as it’s supposed to be.

I did the same with the plum-colored zippers – and sewed them into the little girls’ dresses.  As usual, the practice piece was much better than the ‘real’ thing.  The needle wound up too close to the coils in a few places, preventing the zipper from sliding; so I had to take out some of the stitching and try again.  Finally they were in, and looked pretty good.  The fabric puckers just a bit, as it’s so thin and stretchy; but it doesn’t look too bad, I guess.  I hoped, hoped, hoped, the dresses would be big enough for the girls.  They have to reach up, up, to light the candles, after all!  They can’t be in straightjackets. 

Next, I cut the binding for the Buoyant Blossoms quilt and began putting it on.  By church time, I had the binding sewn to the front side of the quilt.  On the back of the quilt, I had pieced coordinating fabric with a couple of narrow stripes running down each side.  It would’ve looked fine – if it would’ve stayed nice and straight on the quilting frame. 

But it hadn’t.  The white bobbin thread shows on the purple fabric... and the straight lines where I stitched in the ditch don’t look so very straight.  So I reckon that’ll foil my chances at winning gazillions of dollars for Best of Show at the International Quilt Show in Houston!  Maybe I could just scribble purple permanent marker on the white thread where it crosses the purple fabric?

Our niece Katie finished with the chiffon and brought it to church that evening.  Now I would be able to cut the second layer of sleeves that I’d neglected to put into the dresses. 

{“Bother!” she said (in a Winnie-the-Pooh voice).}

The sleeves are sheer enough... and the armholes big enough... that it just isn’t modest without two layers of chiffon.  I knew this --- and I forgot!  :-P

I had already serged the sleeves into the armhole.  Sooo... I would add the second layer inside the first... and serge them again.  They would have to be hand-stitched to the insides of the cuffs.

Thursday, Victoria canceled a chiropractic appointment in order to be here when her wedding dress arrived.  It was scheduled to come between 9:45 a.m. and 1:45 p.m.  At 12:30 p.m., her friend Robin came to see the wedding gown.

Trouble was, the dress wasn’t here!

At 1:30 p.m., Victoria called UPS.  The man who answered the phone looked it up – and saw that it had been marked ‘Delivered’.

Now, that was a worry.  He said he’d check into the matter and call back in ten minutes.

He didn’t call.

“You call him,” I told Victoria 20 minutes later, and so she did.

His driver had not yet returned his call.

This was becoming nerve-wracking!  I wondered if the dress had been delivered to the ‘other’ Sarah Jackson, who lives over on Oconee Lake, on the other side of Rte. 22.  But... the box was addressed to Victoria – and there is no Victoria Jackson on Oconee Lake.

Finally the man at the UPS office called back:  Victoria’s box – plus a couple of mine – was still on the truck, and would be delivered soon.

Robin had to leave to get ready for work.  At twenty ’til three, Victoria, too, had to leave for work.

And then, finally, at 3:45 p.m., the UPS truck came rumbling up the lane and stopped.  Eventually, a large man I had never seen before clambered from the vehicle with three large boxes, and stumped his way across the lawn to the house.

Sure enough, one of the boxes was Victoria’s, and I had to sign for it.

The dress had arrived.

Victoria got off work at 11:00 p.m., and rushed home to try on her wedding gown.

Other than the fact that the neckline is much too low, it fits.  It fits perfectly.  It’s slightly long, but perhaps starching her petticoat will solve the problem.  I could add a ruffle of netting to the bottom of the petticoat, too... anything’s better than trying to hem the gown itself, with its multiple layers!

We ordered a yard of extra fabric at the same time we ordered the dress, and with that I will fix the neckline.  It’s aggravating – we send them her measurements, and they make it from scratch.... but can they raise the neckline??  Nooooooooooo, they cannot!  At least, not without charging a few more hundred bucks.  You have to purchase extra fabric, and add it in yourself.  Now, anybody who sews knows it’s a simple matter to cut the neckline higher, while adding it in later is a bugaboo, and rarely looks as nice as it would’ve.  Grrr.

The top is covered with lace.  The middle is pleated satin.  Sooo... I’m going to pleat the satin, and then maybe cut it on the diagonal, so the top part will match the midriff, and look like another part of the design. 

That night I finished the Buoyant Blossoms quilt:

I input lettering and a flower design into my sewing/embroidery machine, and Friday I stitched out the label for the quilt.  When that was done, I cut the second sets of sleeves (linings) for the wedding dresses.

Kurt’s parents, Bill and Ruth, went with Kurt and Victoria to Nebraska Furniture Mart Friday evening and got them a washer and dryer.  Kurt and Victoria got a mattress.

I got the second layer of chiffon sleeves put into Robin’s bridesmaid’s dress, and it looks very nice, and wasn’t such a nightmare as I’d expected.  Saturday, I put the linings into the candlelighters’ sleeves.  It took a while, since part of them had to be sewn in by hand.  But now it’s done, and no one would ever guess sleeve and lining weren’t put in at the same time.

Larry took the Jeep to the dealership Saturday.  They weren’t able to start working on it until today; mechanics don’t work on Saturday, the lazy bums.  Fortunately, we learned that it’s under warranty, and all the work will be covered.  Too bad we didn’t realize this before Larry bought a fuel pump last week!

I’m in the market for a horse and buggy.  Know where I can get a set cheap, hay included?

After church last night, Joanna took her dress home to try on, and we took Emma’s dress to their house for her to try.  Both dresses fit!  They look very nice on the girls.  I should’ve cut Emma’s just a little wider at the shoulders; but it’ll be all right.  I told her not to wear a red t-shirt underneath, as it would look funny if it showed.  I fluffed her hair around her shoulders and said, “Just make sure your hair is all over the place!”  And then I adjusted the sash so it draped in the front, and told her it wasn’t so she could fill it up with cake.  So she was laughing at all this.

Larry and I went to Hy-Vee after going to Teddy and Amy’s house.  We got salad, Ragu, meatballs, and cherry crumb pie, as Dorcas and her husband Todd, baby Trevor, and the two boys for whom they are caring are coming to visit and eat supper with us tomorrow.  They live in Tennessee, and we have not met Todd or seen baby Trevor before.

We got cheese curds, Pretzels Flip crackers, bananas, and big Milano California grapes to snack on as we drove home.  Those humongous grapes are absolutely, positively scrumptious.

Hannah sent pictures of Joanna wearing her dress; it looks just right.  Whew, I’m so relieved.  Now I’ll shorten Emma’s sash (it hangs longer than the hem) and tack it to the dress at the sides.  Hannah will do Joanna’s.  I need to find a cancan for Emma.  

Joanna’s other grandmother gave her a cancan that works perfectly.  I must make sure Maria’s and Amanda’s crinoline petticoats fit and look okay under their dresses, too.

Hannah is sewing Kurt’s plum-colored satin tie; Lydia made Kurt’s and Jacob’s satin vests.

I was offline all morning today; the jitter bounces all over the place. 

Larry came home about 2:00 and took the scissor lift up to check out the dish.  Ugh, I don’t like to see him up that high!  He got it readjusted and tightened, and I’ve been getting a good signal ever since.

 Tiger just came in to have some food.  The poor kitty has been bitten by something that latched onto his face and really sunk its teeth in – probably the cute little gray cat.  Tiger and the gray don’t get along – mainly because the gray wants to come visiting, and Tiger has decided this is his house, and the gray is the only cat in this vicinity over whom he has seniority.  We’ve been putting triple antibiotic salve on his face, and it’s getting better.

Here’s what the flowergirl’s dress looks like – only it will be in ivory.  The flowergirl will be Natalie, age 7, daughter of one of Kurt’s cousins. 

One day Victoria was talking to Natalie’s mother, Nancy, with Natalie listening, discussing wedding details that might go wrong.

“Oh, well,” said Victoria with a laugh, “I’ll get married anyway!”

Natalie saved this remark in her little head.

Recently, she was worrying about how to walk in her very fluffy dress without tripping over it.  Then she shrugged and announced, “Oh, well, I’ll get married anyway!  I’ll just be optimistic and move forward.”  hee hee

,,,>^..^<,,,       Sarah Lynn       ,,,>^..^<,,,