Part II Goodbye SATB2011

I hope you are not yet tired of the details of Sewing at the Beach 2011 because I am still enjoying the fresh memories of a great school.

The young man in the handsome blazer was a doll and a great escort for the cutie pie in the smocked dress. She had been well-coached to smile at people. But the minute her eyes turned away from a member of the audience, her dazzling smile warped into bored fatigue. It was late for little ones.

As a wrap up, I would like to share with you a few photos of the students projects, fashion show and banquet table party favors.

Then I want to introduce you to living proof that sewing is, indeed, a bona fide Elixir of Youth.  

The fashion show is always the highlight of the Saturday night banquet.  This year’s presentation was challenged by a shortage of models due to a Father-Daughter dinner dance scheduled for the same evening.

Still,  organizers Jeannette and Alma were undaunted and rounded up enough children to allow the show to go on.

But each child modeled several outfits and carried some on hangers. 

A crowd favorite was this pair of dresses featuring designs by Hope Yoder.  These little girls were in a constant loop of dressing, walking, changing, dressing and walking through the crowd again and again.

They were such good sports, especially for children so young.

Laurel’s Minnie Mouse dress was modeled by one of those good sports.  Details of this dress can be found by scrolling through an earlier post at http://www.janicefergusonsews.com/blog/?p=1329#more-1329 .

Not all models were children.  Maxi showed off a spectacular quilted Japanese style jacket. Regrettably, by the time I was done gawking at this wearable artwork, it was too late to get a good close up photo.   But the design, composition, fabrics and workmanship were all breathtaking.

The mermaid centerpiece at each table created quite a stir.  Like the sirens of Greek mythology who enchanted people and distracted them from their work, Viona’s mystical creatures captured the attention of everyone in the dining room.  With their tiny stuffed finger, curly golden tresses and sparkly fins, these lovelies seemed to beckon, especially to the few men present. 

Diners at our table laughed when Linda’s husband Jack was the winner of our mermaid centerpiece.  Where else but a sewing event, we teased, could a man go to dinner with his blonde wife and go home with a blonde mermaid?

At every place setting was a favor, a  notepad with an embroidered cover featuring stippling and a large appliqued sea shell–just the sort of journal a mermaid would use for her diary.

Now, about that Elixir of Youth being a by-product of sewing rather than a vial from Doc Terminus, the medicine man in the Disney movie, Pete’s Dragon…..

The fashion show has been the project of Alma and Jeannette for the past 8 years.  I didn’t find out Jeannette’s age,  but her friend and business partner, Alma, is 82.

I wish I had snapped a picture of her in her elegant long black satin dress with a flowing black and silver bat winged  shrug.

Not only did they organize the entire fashion show,  they sewed more than a dozen garments. 

One project was Jeannette’s lovely outfit of charmeuse with an English netting jacket embroidered in a shimmering, soft copper color.

If that were not enough to convince you that Alma and Jeannette have drunk from the Fountain of Youth, they have a shop, teach sewing classes and worked their booth at the Sewing at the Beach vendor market all day every day.

My last living proof of sewing’s restorative power is lovely, lively, loveable Lil who was in my Magic Hem class on Saturday, the final day of the school.

As students were finishing their projects, Lil started tidying up the room.

As a member of the host organization, the Stranded Smockers and Stitchers, Lil explained that she had responsibilities.

But then this 84 year old lady got down on her hands and knees.  She  began pulling up the duct tape that secured the power cords to each table.  When  asked just what she was doing, Lil replied that it was her job to “break down” this classroom!

lovely, lively, loveable Lil

And she did.  Tables were stripped, ironing boards were collapsed, irons were stacked and with only the little help she would allow, Lil had broken down the room.

I hope I am as able as Lil when I am 84.  More importantly, I hope to be as gracious, kind as well loved as she is.  Well, maybe when I am 94……….I’ll need a lot more time to achieve that goal.