Unexpected

I've been sewing these Oom-Pa-Pa dresses for the middle school production of Oliver. They're all the same pattern, but different sizes and lengths, for each of the girls, and also all different colours and fabrics. Ms. Ono, the teacher in charge of costumes (and lots of other parts of the production), bought materials from "the bargain bins" as she called them. I've already made quite a few dresses, so by now I've stitched through bales of broadcloth and meters of polyester. When I unfolded the fabric from dress number 7 (of eight) I was surprised to find a luscious apricot-coloured silk charmeuse. Silk, for real. It just feels a million light years away from the cotton-poly and poly-poly I've been stitching for days. At once it's lighter and more substantial. It's creamy and resilient and seems to have a life of its own in my hands. It's also more delicate. At once I was rifling my sewing kit for a finer sewing machine needle and slender pins. The dress is almost done and it's a delicious confection. I can't wait to see the Oom-Pa-Pa scene and spot the dancer who will wear this dress. It will float and shine. She will glow.

question: have you ever stitched silk?

mompoet - charm-eused